HHC or hexahydrocannabinol is a newer cannabinoid to hit the cannabis market, but it's not exactly a new cannabinoid.

HHC was discovered in 1944 by the American chemist Roger Adams while experimenting with the hydrogenation process with the THC molecule in marijuana.

To get HHC, it has to undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation, which replaces the carbon bond with hydrogen molecules. The result is a more stable compound with a longer shelf-life that's less potent.

HHC made in a lab is semi-synthetic, but it is found to occur naturally in high-potency cannabis plants, making it a minor cannabinoid. 

The problem is that if you want to harvest HHC in substantial amounts to create products, you'll need a lot of hemp plants, and it's just not feasible on an industrial level.

This is where chemists convert THC into this hydrogenated form using catalytic acids.

Some experts speculate on the nature of HHC—some claim that it's completely synthetic and requires a lab to produce. While some researchers have found very small concentrations of the compound in high potency cannabis plants.

Most of the HHC you'll find in online are produced in a lab due to the scarcity of the compound found in nature.

What other types of HHC exist?

When HHC is produced from Delta-8, there are two primary analogs:

• HHCr 
• HHCs

HHCr is more psychoactive, according to laboratory and empirical tests. As a result, it’s more expensive than HHCs, which is more dormant.

Most non-synthetic HHC products are HHCs or S-dominant, containing approximately 70% S and 20% R for about 90% total HHC.

Preparation of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)

Like any other property of HHC, there are several misconceptions about the techniques used to produce this cannabinoid. The silence of manufacturers about their production techniques has contributed little. What is clear is that all HHC producers use the hydrogenation technique.

The hydrogenation process involves adding cannabis extract and other valuable compounds to hydrogen gas in a pressurized container.

The double carbons in the cannabinoids are then converted into hydrogenated cannabis oil, also known as HCO. HCO is a dark gold oil with carbon double bonds broken naturally by hydrogen. Some manufacturers claim that the hydrogenation process can be accelerated by using catalysts such as nickel, palladium, iridium and platinum.

At the end of the process, the substance formed is rich in tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (HHCA) or HHC, depending on the type of cannabis extract used at the start of the process, decarboxylated or not. In this way, the fabric can be further refined or packaged.

Summary:

We think HHC is unnecessary and a dangerous loophole and maybe there is a reason why it's only coming about now since 1944...