HHC, HHC-O and H4CBD at a glance
- HHC is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid, usually made from hemp-derived CBD. The UN placed it under international control in 2025, and it is banned in most EU countries.
- HHC-O, also called HHC acetate, is a further modified form of HHC. Sweden, for example, classified it as a narcotic in January 2024.
- H4CBD is hydrogenated CBD. It is not scheduled at UN level, but there is almost no research on it in humans.
- Raw Hemp does not sell semi-synthetic cannabinoids, only cannabinoids that occur naturally in hemp.
What is HHC?
HHC, hexahydrocannabinol, is a cannabinoid that occurs only in trace amounts in the cannabis plant. It was first described in the 1940s by the American chemist Roger Adams. The HHC sold today is made in a laboratory, usually from CBD extracted from industrial hemp, which is first converted and then hydrogenated, meaning hydrogen atoms are added. That is why HHC is called semi-synthetic: the raw material comes from the plant, but the substance itself is created through chemical processes.
HHC appeared on the European market in 2022 and was mostly sold as vapes, edibles and low-THC hemp flowers sprayed with HHC. Sweden found it for the first time in September 2022.
HHC vs THC
Chemically, HHC is a hydrogenated version of the THC molecule. Like THC, it binds to the CB1 receptor in the brain and is intoxicating. According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, the most active form, 9R-HHC, is roughly half as potent as THC in animal studies.
The big difference is where the substance comes from. THC forms naturally in the cannabis plant, while commercial HHC is produced through chemical conversion. Far less is known about HHC, and in most of Europe both are now controlled substances. Our article on CBD vs THC explains how the natural cannabinoids differ.
Is HHC legal?
In most of Europe, no. In March 2025 the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to add HHC to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, following a recommendation from the WHO. Most EU countries had already banned HHC before that, including Germany, France, Finland and Sweden.
Sweden is a typical example. HHC and the closely related HHC-P (hexahydrocannabiphorol) were classified as narcotics on 11 July 2023. Before the decision, HHC had turned up in a large number of police and customs seizures, and the Swedish Poisons Information Centre had received several calls about poisonings.
What is HHC-O?
HHC-O, also called HHC acetate, is HHC that has been acetylated, meaning an acetate group replaces one of the molecule’s hydroxyl groups. The same method is used to make THC-O. In the body, HHC-O is quickly converted back into HHC. In a laboratory study using liver cells, no HHC acetate remained after one hour.
Acetylated substances raise particular concern when they are vaped. Researchers have shown that vitamin E acetate, which was linked to the lung injuries in the United States in 2019, can form ketene gas when heated, and ketene is harmful to the lungs. The Swedish Public Health Agency points to the same risk for HHC-O.
Sweden classified HHC-O as a narcotic on 16 January 2024, together with THCP and THC-O (THC acetate).
What is H4CBD?
H4CBD, hexahydrocannabidiol, is CBD that has been hydrogenated so that four hydrogen atoms are added to the molecule. It was first made in 1940 by the British chemist Alexander Todd, but only in recent years has it been sold to consumers, often in vapes and as sprayed flowers.
Hydrogenation changes how the substance interacts with the body. Regular CBD binds only weakly to the CB1 receptor, whereas an Israeli study from 2006 found that H4CBD binds much more strongly. The study was done at cell level, and there are no studies in humans on how H4CBD affects the body or whether it is safe to use.
H4CBD is not scheduled under the UN conventions, and in many European countries it is not yet explicitly listed. That does not mean it has been studied or found safe, only that it has not been assessed. The EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) monitors H4CBD together with the other semi-synthetic cannabinoids, and 416 litres of H4CBD were seized in the EU in 2024.
New variants keep appearing
Every time one substance is banned, new variants appear. When HHC was banned, HHC-O and HHC-P followed, and after them substances such as 10-OH-HHC and HHC-C8. By the end of 2025, the EUDA was monitoring 40 semi-synthetic cannabinoids, 27 of which had been identified for the first time in 2025.
Regulators respond with new bans. Sweden, for example, classified 10-OH-HHC, 10-OH-HHCP, HHC-C8 and HHC-C9 as hazardous substances on 15 July 2025, after several of them had been linked to serious poisonings. Our warning about synthetic cannabinoids shows the same pattern for fully synthetic substances.
Why we don’t sell HHC, HHC-O or H4CBD
At Raw Hemp we have chosen to sell only cannabinoids that occur naturally in hemp, such as CBD, CBG and CBN. They are extracted from the plant without chemically altering the molecules. There are three reasons for this:
- The research is missing. There are almost no human studies on how the new substances affect the body, in the short or the long term.
- The content is uncertain. Semi-synthetic products often lack reliable lab analyses, and it is hard to know which by-products remain from production.
- The rules change quickly. A substance that is allowed today may be a controlled drug in a few months, and buyers risk breaking the law without knowing it.
We also believe in the whole plant. Cannabis contains more than a hundred cannabinoids and a large number of terpenes, and research suggests that they work together and influence each other. This is known as the entourage effect. In 2011 the neurologist Ethan Russo described how terpenes and cannabinoids can enhance and balance each other’s effects. A single, chemically modified molecule lacks that interplay. That is why we focus on oils and extracts that keep more of the plant’s natural content. The rules that apply to CBD are covered in Is CBD oil legal in Europe?
Frequently asked questions about HHC and H4CBD
What is HHC?
HHC, hexahydrocannabinol, is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid. It occurs only in trace amounts in cannabis, so the HHC on the market is made in a laboratory, usually from hemp-derived CBD.
Is HHC legal?
In most of Europe, no. The UN placed HHC under international control in 2025, and countries such as Germany, France, Finland and Sweden have banned it.
What is the difference between HHC and THC?
HHC is a hydrogenated form of the THC molecule. THC forms naturally in the cannabis plant, while commercial HHC is made in a laboratory, usually from CBD. Both are intoxicating.
Is H4CBD legal?
H4CBD is not scheduled under the UN conventions and is not yet explicitly listed in many European countries. There is, however, almost no research on it in humans, and the rules for semi-synthetic cannabinoids change often.
Is H4CBD the same as CBD?
No. H4CBD is made from CBD through hydrogenation, and the chemical change makes it bind much more strongly to the CB1 receptor than regular CBD. It is a different substance with different properties.
What is HHC-O?
HHC-O, or HHC acetate, is an acetylated form of HHC. Sweden, for example, classified it as a narcotic in January 2024.
What is HHC-P?
HHC-P, hexahydrocannabiphorol, is a variant of HHC with a longer carbon chain. Sweden classified it as a narcotic together with HHC in July 2023.
Does Raw Hemp sell HHC or H4CBD?
No. We do not sell any semi-synthetic cannabinoids, only cannabinoids that occur naturally in hemp, such as CBD, CBG and CBN.
Sources
- Ben-Shabat, S., Hanuš, L. O., Katzavian, G. & Gallily, R. (2006). New cannabidiol derivatives: synthesis, binding to cannabinoid receptor, and evaluation of their antiinflammatory activity. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 49(3), 1113–1117.
- Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2025). Decision to place hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) in Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. 68th session, Vienna.
- European Union Drugs Agency (2026). European Drug Report 2026: New psychoactive substances. Lisbon: EUDA.
- Folkhälsomyndigheten (2023). Klassificeringsdokument: Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). Swedish Public Health Agency.
- Folkhälsomyndigheten (2023). Klassificeringsdokument: Hexahydrocannabinolacetat (HHC-acetat). Dnr 04768-2023. Swedish Public Health Agency.
- Government Offices of Sweden (2023). Nio nya substanser blir narkotikaklassade. Press release, June 2023.
- Government Offices of Sweden (2023). Beslut om narkotikaklassning och förbud mot flera nya substanser. Press release, December 2023.
- Government Offices of Sweden (2025). Regeringen narkotikaklassar nya substanser. Press release, June 2025.
- Russo, E. B. (2011). Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), 1344–1364.
- Wu, D. & O’Shea, D. F. (2020). Potential for release of pulmonary toxic ketene from vaping pyrolysis of vitamin E acetate. PNAS, 117(12), 6349–6355.
