Just when I thought I’d tried almost every type of THC around, another one pops up on my radar, vying for my attention. This time, it’s THC-H.
Before I start experimenting with anything new, I like to learn a bit more about it first, so let’s take a look at what we know about THC-H so far, from both scientific research and anecdotal evidence.
What is THC-H (or THCh)?
Tetrahydrocannabihexol, to give it its full name, is a type of THC that possesses a six carbon sidechain in its molecular structure, hence the hex in its name. This is different to other forms of THC, such as Delta 8, Delta 9, and Delta 10, as they each feature a five carbon sidechain.
The length of this sidechain in the THC molecule is important because a longer sidechain means a greater binding affinity for our cannabinoid receptors and it’s the binding to our CB1 receptors that allows THC to make us feel intoxicated. Apparently a longer sidechain can lead to longer, more drawn out effects.
CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t bind directly to our cannabinoid receptors, but instead exerts its influence in different ways, which is why it doesn’t make us feel high.
How is THC-H made?
Apparently THC-H is a naturally-occurring cannabinoid that can be found in very small amounts in cannabis and hemp plants. It was discovered by a team of Italian researchers in 2020, along with THC-P, and it’s produced from hemp cannabinoids in a similar way that Delta 8 and Delta 10 are (through isomerization).
However, we’re unsure what chemicals are used in this particular process.
How potent is THC-H?
Having a six carbon sidechain apparently makes the potency of THC-H to be around 10-15 times stronger than regular Delta 9 THC, depending on who you ask.
THC-H Effects
As a relative newcomer to the cannabinoid market, we don’t know a lot about this cannabinoid just yet. But, from what I can tell, I think it’s safe to say that this compound will most likely make you feel high and you may not need very much of it at all, depending on your tolerance to THC.
It’s been described as “fire” (that’s just street lingo for great) and I love the way one user described it as they said THC-H gets you “irresponsibly high”. That makes it sound fun and a little bit scary, haha.
It seems to be the general agreement that if you take a very low dose (just a couple of puffs on a vape) then you’ll feel more energized and focused, whereas doubling that dose to 4-6 hits will have you totally couch locked.
It seems crazy that such massively different effects are just a couple of puffs away from each other. So, if you do want to experiment with this particular cannabinoid, we’d recommend extreme caution with dosing!
THC-H Benefits
I’m sure some vendors of THC-H would love to suggest that this compound has all the same benefits as Delta 9 THC, which has been proven to possess many therapeutic benefits. But the honest answer is that it’s way too early to know about the benefits of this particular compound because there haven’t been any studies on it yet.
Early, potentially-biased, anecdotal evidence suggests that THC-H may show promise in mood elevation and pain relief. If you’re interested in medicinal benefits of THC-H, then you should definitely hold off until we have more research or feedback available.
Is THC-H Safe?
No-one is able to truthfully comment on the safety of THC-H at this time, because of the lack of studies on it.
At this point, I think the biggest safety issue surrounding THC-H is the lack of knowledge surrounding how it’s produced and what I mean by this is, what chemicals are used?
After isomerization, the product should be tested for residual solvents to ensure its purity, but if we don’t know what chemicals are being used to manufacture it, then how do we know what lab tests and results to look for?
Do the cannabis testing labs even know what to look for?* Regarding this, I’m looking into this and will update.
Summary
In short, we basically don’t know anything about THC-H except for its origins, chemical structure, and the fact that it can and will get you high. In fact, by all accounts, when it comes to intoxication, THC-H may just be one of the strongest cannabinoids available right now.
Until more information on how it’s being manufactured is made available, I’d approach it with caution. If you do want to try it, then please go easy on the dosing because if it really is even 10 times stronger than Delta 9, then it might just knock your socks off.