Cannabinoids Explained: What is HHC-O?

It's fair to say that the legal cannabis industry has come a long way over the past few decades or so. Legal cannabis has gone from a relative pipe dream (sometimes literally) to a thriving, ever-evolving multi-billion dollar industry in just a decade!

A vital aspect of that massive development is due in large part to the enormous amount of investment dollars poured into developing new technologies, marketing and the establishment of medical and recreational dispensaries all over the country, and even producing or discovering new cannabinoid compounds, terpenes, or effects the plant has on our bodies/brains.

One of the most recent and interesting of these newly discovered compounds is HHC-O! After all, here at Where's Weed, we provide our readers with comprehensive deep dives into anything and everything cannabis-related. While we've covered HHC here before, we wanted to highlight what the HHC-O cannabinoid is, what it does, how it works, its legal status, and what it's suitable for in the first place.

Before we dig too deep into the effects and uses for HHC-O gummies and other products, let's ensure we have the basics down first!

What is HHC-O?

Much like Delta 8 THC, hexahydrocannabinol, or HHC-O for short, is a hemp-derived cannabinoid compound recently discovered by legal cannabis researchers. And lucky enough for consumers out there, especially those in states where recreational cannabis is legal, HHC-O distillate and infused products are catching consumers' attention.

Just one of the more than 480 different chemical compounds in the cannabis plant, HHC-O is naturally occurring, has powerful effects, and is more than powerful enough to get the job done!

Much like Delta 8, this product is legal by the letter of the law in the U.S. Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived products can be legally sold in any store in the country as long as they contain less than .3 percent THC.

That's why HHC-O, like Delta-8 THC, fits into a legal grey area regarding legal cannabis. While it's technically legal and can be legally sold thanks to the Farm Bill, no exact legislation on the books forbids a product of its kind.

Typically, this means that you'll be able to find HHC-O legal products in all but twelve states with unfavorable laws surrounding hemp and CBD, like Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska.

So what exactly makes it unique compared to all of the other cannabinoid compounds out there?

HHC-O Effects and Uses

Binoid CBD

First and foremost, it's important to say that HHC-O is nothing to sneeze at in terms of raw cannabinoid power. Despite being derived from hemp compounds like CBD or CBG, HHC-O is highly psychoactive. HHC-O potency is said to be as much as 1.5 times stronger than standard HHC and only falls slightly short of standard THC regarding cannabinoid power.

However, HHC-O differs from Delta 8 because this compound gives you the best of both worlds regarding the cannabis plant. Not only are you getting the hard-hitting psychoactive elements of your standard THC, but you're also getting the medical, healing aspects of the plant often associated with CBD!

When it comes to the experience of actually using HHC-O, the effects are very similar to a THC-rich strain. HHC-O has been highly renowned for its relaxing effects on the mind and body, simultaneously reducing chronic physical pain and melting stress away. Great for getting rid of anxiety and making mild aches disappear, HHC-O is an excellent resource for medical and recreational patients alike!

Let's dig into each of these effects and upsides a bit deeper!

HHC-O is also great for promoting restful, restorative sleep thanks to its calming and relaxing nature, making it an excellent option for those dealing with sleeping disorders like insomnia!

For those looking to further increase the intensity and quality of the experience with HHC-O, crafting an HHC-O acetate of your own is a great idea! It works into your system faster than the standard stuff, and it's also said to be more potent. Typically the effects kick in after about 15 to 30 minutes, which is lightning-fast for the effects to kick in!

And if you're looking to kick it up even further, don't be afraid to mix HHC-O with different cannabinoids! Like many other cannabinoids we've broken down here at Where's Weed, the entourage effect is a factor to consider here! And because HHC-O usually comes as a tincture, pre-made edible like a gummy, or in capsule form, dosing it is typically easy as can be.

Is HHC-O Safe?

Plain and simply put, it's too early to say one way or another whether HHC-O is safe for long-term human consumption. While no significant side effects and issues have been reported as the compound has been tested in the short term, more research must be conducted to confirm if long-term medical and recreational use is viable.

With the compound itself being so new and untested, only time will tell whether HHC-O becomes a well-loved part of the more expansive legal cannabis space or just a flash-in-the-pan trend that goes as quickly as it comes.

One thing is for sure, however. HHC-O is a potent compound that can serve as a fantastic resource of cannabinoid power to those in states that have yet to legalize cannabis for recreational use!

The Bottom Line

While there's still quite a bit to figure out and set in stone regarding HHC-Os, here's what we know for sure. It's legal everywhere in the U.S., is psychoactive and able to get you high, and, most importantly, seems to have more upsides than downsides at the moment!

With the legal cannabis industry constantly changing, evolving, and shifting in different directions, we're going to be different types of cannabinoid compounds explode to prominence just like this one. The key is sorting through its proven upsides and weighing them against the potential downsides!

As cannabis becomes more widely accepted and popular, we'll see more compounds similar to Delta 8 and HHC-O popping up. Not only is that great news for those still in states that have yet to approve recreational legality, but it also helps set a clear roadmap for what the industry will look like very soon!