The CBD market is one of the fastest evolving markets in the world. As more consumers take a good look at CBD for its health and wellness benefits, manufacturers are responding with all sorts of new products. The latest trend right now is an alternative cannabinoid known as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).

What is HHC? What effects does it have on the body? Can it be legally produced and sold? These are all questions curious minds want to know. If you are among them, keep reading to learn more about this hemp-derived cannabinoid.

What HHC Actually Is

The first thing to note about HHC is that it is not a naturally occurring cannabinoid. It is a derived cannabinoid. That means it's produced in a lab using extracts from cannabis plants. These days, HHC is derived from hemp, the same type of plant from which we get legal CBD. But it wasn't always that way.

HHC was first synthesized by chemist Roger Adams in 1944. He created the cannabinoid by adding hydrogen molecules to standard delta-9 THC. This caused a chemical reaction, known as hydrogenation, which converted the Delta-9 into HHC.

The Leafly website points out that hydrogenation is a fairly common process used throughout the food service industry. It's the process that converts vegetable oil into margarine, for example. It is a safe process that manufacturers have been turning to for decades.

How HHC Is Made

We don't know a whole lot about how HHC is made because manufacturers are very secretive about their proprietary processes. What we can say is that HHC begins as standard CBD extracted from hemp plants. After extraction, the CBD is further purified and isolated in powder form.

Proprietary processes take over to hydrogenate the powdered CBD. Once complete, the manufacturer is left with an un-refined oil that must be refined and distilled to create the finished product.

HHC is safely produced in labs. But doing so is by no means easy. Labs need to be incredibly careful and particular about every step of the process. But when it's done right, they produce an alternative cannabinoid that seems to be taking the CBD world by storm. As the market grows, HHC is gradually being added to:

• CBD oil
• CBD gummies
• topical CBD products
• broad-spectrum oils.

Just as delta-8 surged in popularity when it was first introduced, HHC seems to be surging right now. It might be an alternative cannabinoid you're interested in researching for your own education.

HHC's Effects and Legal Status

By now you are probably wondering what effect HHC has on the body. The CBD community isn't exactly clear on this. Some say that HHC is very similar to Delta-8 in terms of the feelings it produces, but less intense in doing so. Users report that it is not nearly as potent as Delta-8.

As for its legal status, there are no issues with HHC at this time. As long as it is manufactured in a lab and derived from hemp plants and CBD oil, HHC is not a THC product. Manufacturing it complies with all the rules regarding THC and CBD classification. As for its legal status years from now, we'll just have to wait and see.

The fact that HHC is on the market is a testament to CBD industry entrepreneurs who are always looking for new products and new ways to meet market demand. Whether you're in the market for broad-spectrum CBD, a premium hemp oil, or just your favorite gummies or CBD drops, what you're looking for is out there. You will find a lot of it here at Yammy CBD.