What are the effects of Hexahydrocannabinol (or HHC)? Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a product that’s derived from hemp oil. Inside HHC is less than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But due to the way that the Hexahydrocannabinol affects the CB1/CB2 receptors in the brain, many of its users feel a euphoric “high” from the product.
Key takeaways
- Hexahydrocannabinol does have “euphoric” and “relaxing” effects on consumers of the chemical compound.
- More common effects can include: relaxation, euphoria, increased appetite, increased heart rate, and pain reduction.
Effects of HHC
Since the end Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabinol, and Hexahydrocannabinol aren’t too distinctly different from one another—we can presume very similar effects as the following study.
Released in 2009 comparing the effects of Delta-9 and CBD. The study found “these differences in the behavioral effects of Δ9-THC and CBD are paralleled by differences in their mechanism of action at the molecular level. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol binds to neuronal CB1 receptors,which are found on GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons throughout the brain and are thought to be receptors for endogenous anandamide.”
A binding to the CB1/CB2 receptors in the brain's endocannabinoid system (endogenous cannabinoid) has an effect on the body's central nervous system (CNS). A uniquely fun fact about the body's endocannabinoid system is that it’s still fairly unknown as to how it regulates and controls many of our bodies functions.
The effects of HHC
Here are the general effects of HHC:
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Positive Effects |
Negative Effects |
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How some consumers describe the effects of HHC
Based on a number of Reddit threads, consumers have described the feeling of HHC as the following:
- “I don't feel the heaviness or couch lock sensation and if I focus I can think clearly but at the same time I'm high.”
- “In your face and heady, but not sedating.”
- “Clear headed and stimulated.”
- “I don't feel heavy like others mentioned. It's very clean and energetic even when eaten.”
- “It’s like it awakens my mind and makes me able to focus on something mentally, while still making me feel relaxed.”
Why HHC has varying effects on consumers
The reason that HHC has varying effects on consumers is due to our lack of knowledge on how the endocannabinoid system truly has an impact on our central nervous system.
We can continue to gather insights by examining the same study in 2009 performed by Paolo Fusar-Poli, MD; José A. Crippa, MD, PhD; Sagnik Bhattacharyya, MD on Delta-9 (Δ9-THC). Suggesting “Immediate administration of Δ9-THC can increase anxiety but has also been reported to reduce anxiety and improve sleep.This may parallel evidence from studies in experimental animals reporting that low doses of Δ9-THC have anxiolytic effects whereas high doses are anxiogenic In contrast, CBD has anxiolytic effects in both animals and humans,and when coadministered with Δ9-THC, it can reduce the anxiety and psychotic symptoms induced by the latter cannabinoid.”
There is certainly some crossover in terms of how Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) reacts to consumers. And additional studies on CBD and its effects on regional cerebral blood flow (causing relaxation).
Comparing an HHC “high” to a THC “high”
Hexahydrocannabinol does not have as strong of psychoactive altering effects on the body. Hexahydrocannabinol affects the cannabinoid receptors in our brain (CB1/CB2). Primarily, attaching to our endocannabinoid system in the brain. The net result may not be a strong “body high” that you would get when consuming Cannabis Indica, as an example. Although, you would receive a more “relaxed” state of consciousness.
Here is a simple way to understand the differences between HHC and traditional THC products:
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Effects |
THC |
HHC |
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Euphoria |
Yes |
Yes |
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Relaxation |
Yes |
Yes |
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Altered perception |
Yes |
Yes |
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Psychoactivity |
Yes |
No |
Sources
- Crippa, José Alexandre de Souza, et al. “Effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on Regional Cerebral Blood Flow.” Neuropsychopharmacology: Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 29, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2004, pp. 417–426, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14583744, https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1300340.
- Devane, W., et al. “Isolation and Structure of a Brain Constituent That Binds to the Cannabinoid Receptor.” Science, vol. 258, no. 5090, 18 Dec. 1992, pp. 1946–1949, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1470919. Accessed 2 Mar 2024.
- Mechoulam, R. “NEUROSCIENCE: Stout Guards of the Central Nervous System.” Science, vol. 302, no. 5642, 3 Oct. 2003, pp. 65–67, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1091256. Accessed 2 Mar 2024.
- Zuardi, A. W., et al. “Action of Cannabidiol on the Anxiety and Other Effects Produced by ?9-THC in Normal Subjects.” Psychopharmacology, vol. 76, no. 3, Mar. 1982, pp. 245–250, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00432554. Accessed 2 Mar 2024.