Suppose you like cannabis and love to enjoy it due to its psychoactive effect, but if you want to join the army or any other workplace where a drug test is performed, you will get caught. Similarly, during the test of drugs or cbd drug test, you must have encountered HHC products which claim to have effects similar to THC. However, they are not easily detectable under the standard test. HHC based products have already made a huge position in the market, especially in the field and countries where THC is illegal. The government has already banned the use of Delta 8 and 9 THC, so now it’s turning to HHC products. So if you go for hhc military drug test, then it’s important to know if HHC shows in the test result or not.
HHC is a compound derived from cannabinoids; however, it still has psychoactive effects, so it can make a person go high. But what makes it illegal is that it contains much less THC, below 0.3%. However, because of a small amount of THC, it is also considered illegal. So now it becomes important to understand that if it has a low level of THC, does hhc show up on a drug test?
What is HHC?
HHC means hexahydrocannabinol. It’s a THC molecule consisting of carbon attached with double bonds, which is replaced by hydrogen in the process known as hydrogenation. It was synthesised first by Dr Roger in the year 1994, who was a chemist using THC obtained from the marijuana plant. However, later it was found that it could be obtained using hemp-derived THC. Many products found in the market consist of hemp-derived THC. Pure HHC is also found in traces in the Sativa plants of high potency.
It is a semisynthetic compound which requires the transformation of THC molecule to HHC. This is very similar to making margarine with the help of vegetable oil. HHC cannabinoid has become one of the most popular compounds because its effect is very similar to THC. Some people prefer using HHC instead of cannabis because they think that it does not get caught under the drug test. However, this is not true; we will understand this later in this article. First, let’s see how the drug test is performed.
How to perform drug tests?
It’s important to know there is a new specific test for identifying the presence of HHC. However, sometimes they might give positive results during a drug test because of the presence of THC. The direction period depends on the type of test. Some tests may detect the presence of THC after a few weeks. Meanwhile, some can take even more than 2 to 3 months. Here are the different types of tests used to identify the presence of THC metabolite.
- Blood test: It is used to detect the presence of THC metabolite. The result came after 36 hours of the test being performed.
- Saliva test: THC can be detected within 48 hours after the test is performed.
- Urine test: It takes more than 15 days to get the result. The test is performed on moderate users of THC. It can even take one month to get the desired results for people who use THC regularly.
- Hair sampling test: It takes more than three months to get the result.
What is the difference between THC and HHC?
THC and HHC are cannabinoids that are found inside the Cannabis plant. It is almost very similar in terms of action. However, there are various points which makes it different from other, which include the following:
- The THC is present in abundant amounts in cannabis plants. In the marijuana strain, it is about 30 per cent, whereas, in the hemp plant, it is only about 0.3%. Whereas the HHC is natural form is only present in trace form.
- Both does not contain double bond and their chemical structure. That means structure-wise, both of them are quite similar.
- HHC undergoes hydrogenation, which increases its shelf life. On the other hand, THC is formed by the degradation of cannabinol.
- HHC is less potent than THC, which has more potency. The potency level of HHC is only about 20%.
- HHC hasn’t been as common in the marketplace because it’s less well-recognised and requires more effort to create more substantial quantities than THC. So the safety and effects of this are normally obtained using anecdotal data.
So, based on chemical structure, the THC and HHC are the same. However, they differ based on binding affinity with the brain’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). Most people prefer using HHC-based products to get the same fact, as in the case of THC obtained from marijuana. However, it has less potency and is not stronger. So people can get less prone to anxiety, drowsiness and paranoia. So now comes the main question does hhc show up on a drug test?
Do the HHC show up in the case of the Drug Test?
As per the studies, it has been found that HHC can also be detected in a drug test. There could be two possible reasons for this:
1. HHC forms the same metabolite as that THC
The HHC is an analogue of THC. It is quite similar in structure. Normally it has an effect similar to Delta 8 and 9 THC. However, without further research, it has been found that they both produce the same metabolites. Depending on the anecdotal data, more studies are going on. Due to their similar structure and same by-product, the HHC can also appear in the drug test, making it positive. Many athletes use HHC products, so results have confirmed the positive drug test.
2. Products Containing HHC Frequently Contain THC
There are chances that products which contain HHC might also contain THC. There is always a chance for cross-contamination. It is always recommended to carefully research the product before buying it because most products may contain contamination of delta 8 THC. Buy the products from legal and reliable websites if you get them from any online company. Check for the certificate of analysis.
So, in short, the HHC can appear in the standard drug test. However, there are a few cases when it does not show any result, but this is very rare. So it’s best if you are going for any medical examination then you should stop consuming HHC products at least three weeks before the test.
Furthermore, people also have doubt that does thc-o show up on a drug test or does delta-8 show up on a drug test. Well, the answer is yes.
How long does the HHC remain in the system?
There is no proper explanation for this question because it varies depending on your concentration. There needs to be proper research on HHC and its effect. Only some raw data is present. However, as per some records and data, HHC remains in the system, similar to any other cannabinoid or THC. In short, the THC stays for 1 to 30 days.
Similarly, the HHC stays inside for at least a month or is weak. So it is highly recommended to stop using the HHC product one month after the drug test. However, several factors can influence the presence of cannabinoids inside our bodies. So now it is essential to see how long does hhc stay in your system? Here are some factors that explain how long HHC can remain inside our body.
1. Frequency usage
How often one can take HHC is the major factor determining how long HHC stays inside the body. When it comes to HHC, It takes more than 30 days to detect the presence of metabolite inside the body. People who consume cannabinoid bases products frequently can show the presence of metabolites during the urine test, which takes around one week to show the result. However, after one week, the presence of cannabinoids might not be detected. This is because the fat cells absorb it. If the HHC products are used only once, they will leave the body very quickly within just a week.
2. Age
It is another important factor used to determine the presence of drugs inside the body. As your age, your metabolism slows down, meaning the HHC remains in the body for a very long time. As metabolism slows down, it takes a long to break down the molecules. Therefore, age is important in determining how much time it takes to eliminate the HHC from our body. For example, a person who is not more than 30 can easily digest the cannabinoid-based product within a few days of consumption. On the other hand, a 60 years old person can take several months to metabolise the same product.
3. Personal metabolism
Every person’s metabolism is different. Many factors like the presence of enzymes, weight and level of activity can affect the metabolic rate.
4. Form of HHC
Cannabis is present in different forms like HHC vapes, HHC edibles, and several more. What you consume can also determine how much time it takes the cannabinoid to get out of the body. For example, if you take edible HHC, it will remain inside the body for a longer period; similarly, if you vape HHC, it will go inside your bloodstream from the lungs and only after a few minutes it get out of the body.
5. Quantity of HHC
The quantity means how the small amount taken can also be important. If large doses are taken, it will take a long time to metabolise. For instance, if only a single pill of 15 mg is taken, it will take only 1 week to get fully metabolised.
If the HHC bio mid-life is the same as Delta 8 THC, it will last longer inside the body. However, with the drug test, it’s impossible to tell how long the substance remains inside the body system. Depending on factors, how much HHC is present in hair, adipose cells, and other cells? So the factors mentioned above can be used to determine the duration of cannabis inside the body system.
How do clear drug tests?
There needs to be more research being done on HHC, and its effects are studied using only anecdotal or animal studies. Only raw data is available, so it is difficult to explain how to clear the drug test. So the only few to get negative drug test is by abstaining from THC or HHC. You can stop using the HHC three weeks before the test. If you take a large amount of cannabis, you must at least wait for three months so that the THC or HHC can be eliminated from the body.
What to do if you fail the drug test due to HHC?
Products containing the HHC can result in negative drug test results because the THC is present in Delta 8 or THC. But now the question arises will it be considered illegal? The drug test is done only for the presence of THC or its metabolites, so if you do it for HHC, it is also considered illegal. The reason is that the drug test cannot reveal in what form you have taken the THC. It will only show the presence of THC. There is no separate test for THC.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we have does hhc show up on a drug test? Well, the answer to this question is yes. HHC is quite similar to THC in terms of structure and certain factors. However, it differs based on binding affinity and effects. Moreover, if a drug test is conducted, it will surely reveal the presence of THC. You will only get a true drug test if you have taken the HHC or any of the products. Also, in terms of metabolism, it takes a very long time to eliminate or metabolise the HHC as it takes the same time to metabolise as that THC. The only way to get a false test is by not using the HHC product.
