Many people who use psychoactive cannabinoids have been embracing a new option: HHC (hexahydrocannabinol).
This cannabinoid is between delta 8 THC and delta 9 THC in terms of strength, and tends to render an uplifting, euphoric high.
It’s also not regulated as heavily as some THC variants are, enabling people to get access to it even when delta 8 or delta 9 THC aren’t legal in their area.
But since it is so new, and it hasn’t been heavily researched, it’s not exactly clear how HHC should be used – how much should you take, and what should you be aware of when using this cannabinoid?
In this guide, we’ll discuss the factors that go into determining the right HHC dosage for your situation. We’ve also provided an HHC dosage calculator and chart so that you can easily determine your dose (or consider potential doses).
- Beginners can start by taking 5-10mg HHC per use
- More experienced connoiseurs can start with 10mg-30mg of HHC per use
- Using an HHC dosing formula can help you calculate a dose best suited to your body and needs
What is HHC?
Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is one of the 100+ naturally occurring cannabinoids in the hemp/cannabis plant. Hemp is cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight – this is purely a legal distinction, as these two plants are otherwise genetically similar.
However, like delta 8 THC, HHC only occurs naturally in minuscule amounts – amounts so small it can’t (reasonably) be directly extracted from hemp.
Instead, HHC is made synthetically so it can be used in products. This is typically done by combining delta-9 THC with hydrogen molecules.
HHC is psychoactive and will create a head high. To give you an idea of the effects, HHC is roughly ¾ as strong as delta 9 THC. And as delta 8 THC is ½ as strong as delta 9 THC, HHC is about ¼ stronger than delta 8.
How Much HHC Should You Take? Factors To Consider
Beginners should start by taking 5-10mg HHC per use. More experienced users can take 10-30mg HHC at a time.
However, since HHC is psychoactive, you’ll want to carefully consider several factors when determining how much you should take.
As you’ll see a bit later, we’ve provided dosage formulas (and resources to make using them easier), but you’ll still want to modify the recommendations we give based on the factors we’re about to discuss.
Everyone is different, and it’s very difficult to account for everything that influences your optimal HHC dose.
Your tolerance to HHC
If you’re new to using psychoactive cannabinoids or haven’t used them in a while, you probably don’t have a very high tolerance to HHC. You might feel more comfortable starting with a smaller dose.
Likewise, if you’re a frequent user, it might be best to take a larger amount of HHC so the effects don’t feel muted.
Suiting your dose to your level of tolerance ensures that you take enough to feel beneficial effects, but not so much that you experience extraneous side effects.
Your delivery method
Different HHC delivery methods offer different levels of bioavailability.
In simple terms, bioavailability is the portion of a substance you consume that your body uses – some portion of what you consume is naturally discarded. Higher bioavailability means stronger effects at a given dose.
Generally, HHC, when inhaled (via a vape, dab, or other source) is 30-40% bioavailable, in oils/tinctures is 20-30% bioavailable, and in edibles is 10-20% bioavailable.
We don’t account for bioavailability in our formulas as the differences are often small, but you might want to increase your dose for edibles or less-bioavailable products or decrease your dose for HHC inhalables and oils.
Your body weight
Your weight will, in part, determine how much HHC you need to feel effects. It stands to reason that bigger people will need bigger doses, and smaller people will need smaller amounts.
Why you’re using it
The most important thing to consider when determining your dose is the reason you’re taking it. We’ve made weight-based HHC formulas that let you calculate a low, medium, or high-strength dose.
To calculate a low-strength dosage of HHC, use the following formula:
(0.05) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your dosage in mg
To calculate a medium-strength dosage of HHC, use the following formula:
(0.1) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your dosage in mg.
To calculate a high-strength dosage of HHC, use the following formula:
(0.2) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your dosage in mg.
We’ve also tied these formulas to specific uses, based on what typically works best for our customers:
- For sleep, we recommend a low-strength dose of 0.5mg HHC per 10 pounds of body weight.
- For pain, we recommend a medium-strength dose of 1mg HHC per 10 pounds of body weight.
- For recreational use, it’s up to you. Starting out, you can take a low-strength dose of 0.5mg HHC per 10 pounds of body weight, then work your way up to medium- and high-strength doses depending on how you feel.
How Many HHC Gummies Should You Take? Dosing Edibles
We recommend you start by taking 1/2 of an HHC gummy at a time. This will ensure you get effects that are strong enough to be enjoyable, but not so strong you feel overwhelmed.
This is a good benchmark if you’re using lower-potency HHC gummies (15-25mg per piece).
However, using a formula can help you calculate an HHC edible dosage that’s better-suited to your body and desired effects.
The advantage of edibles is that you can easily split them into smaller pieces to get the dose that’s best to you.
HHC Dosage Calculator
- In the top field, enter your body weight in pounds (lbs.)
- In the bottom field, select your delta 8 THC dosage strength based on your condition or use
- Click the calculate button to determine your daily delta 8 THC dosage
HHC Dosage Chart
For quick reference, see our HHC dosage chart:
right click and hit “save image as” to download
How Long Does It Take HHC to Kick In?
The onset time of HHC will depend on the type of product you’re using. Here are some benchmarks:
- Inhalable products (vapes, dabbing, and other smokables) begin working in 5-10 minutes.
- Sublingual oils/tinctures begin working in 15-20 minutes.
- Oral products that are swallowed and digested (edibles, capsules, etc.) begin working in 45 minutes to 1 hour.
The lower end of each estimate is the earliest you’ll typically feel effects. But you’ll want to wait until a few minutes after the higher end of each onset estimate before taking any more HHC – especially with edibles, which take longer to work. This will help you avoid taking too much and experiencing extremely adverse effects.
For example, after you take, say, 10mg of an HHC edible, wait at least 1 hour before taking any more.
How To Dose Different Types of HHC Products
As you know if you’ve been shopping for HHC, there are many ways to take this cannabinoid. In this section, we’ll list the bioavailability and onset time of each product (discussed previously), as well as things you’ll want to keep in mind when dosing each.
Gummies
Onset Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Bioavailability: 10-20%
HHC gummies and other edibles are fairly straightforward to dose. Each piece will contain the same amount of HHC, and they can be split fairly easily if you need a smaller dose. To make things even easier, buy HHC gummies that contain amounts close to your recommended dose.
For example, if you need to take 25mg of HHC, you could buy some 25mg HHC gummies or split some 50mg gummies in half.
Oils/Tinctures
Onset Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Bioavailability: 20-30%
HHC oils can be dosed down to the drop. These products typically come with metered droppers that allow for this. Oils are a great option if you need a very specific HHC dose, or plan to do quite a bit of experimentation.
Vapes
Onset Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Bioavailability: 30-40%
Vapes are hard to dose precisely, as it’s difficult to figure out exactly how much HHC you’re getting in each hit.
Our best advice is to start with one small hit, wait for 10 minutes, and then assess how you feel before taking another.
Dabs, Shatter, and Distillate
Onset Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Bioavailability: 30-40%
HHC dabs, shatter, and distillate are all types of cannabis/hemp concentrates.
Dabs have a thick, oily consistency and are made by extracting specific cannabinoids from cannabis using a solvent.
Shatter is a hard, brittle concentrate that resembles yellow glass. It’s also made by solvent extraction, but other processes are used that make its consistency and color different from other concentrates.
Distillate is a thin, oily liquid concentrate. Per its name, it’s made by distillation, in which certain material is evaporated from hemp, decondensed, and collected.
All of these HHC concentrates can be taken in various ways, but the most common is through a dab rig: a water pipe that allows various cannabis concentrates to be made into vapor and inhaled.
It can be very hard to dose HHC through a dab rig. What we recommend is taking one small puff, waiting 10 minutes, and assessing how you feel before you begin using more.
If this is a consumption method you plan to use frequently, the right dose will become apparent after you try it a few times – just be sure to always start with a smaller amount to avoid serious side effects.
HHC Safety & Side Effects
HHC is safe to use, assuming the product you purchase is of high quality.
However, it may cause some adverse side effects:
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Increased appetite
- Insomnia
- Paranoia
- Rapid heart rate
- Red eyes
Many of these side effects can be avoided or minimized through careful dosing.
HHC to THC Conversion: How Much to Get the Same Effects?
HHC is about 3/4 as strong as delta 9 THC, but it also differs from THC in the nature of its effects. Whereas THC renders the signature euphoric, relaxing head high, HHC renders a euphoric, energizing, and uplifting high that’s spread fairly evenly across the mind and body.
That being said, a simple conversion formula you can use is: (your HHC dose) x (0.75) = your THC dose.
So if you were taking 10mg HHC and you multiply that by 0.75, you would get 7.5mg, which is the amount of THC you should take to get the same effect potency.
To do the opposite, simply divide your THC dose by 0.75 to get the amount of HHC you should take to get the same strength of effects.
Conclusion: Finding Your Perfect Dosage of HHC
Given that it is so new in the world of cannabinoids – or at least, the widespread use of it is new – HHC is still shrouded in some degree of mystery. There hasn’t been a lot of research done on it, and it’s not exactly clear when it may be more effective than other cannabinoids.
Nonetheless, we do understand a bit about how to use it based on people’s firsthand experiences. Our HHC dosage guide is based on our experiences and those of our customers. We hope that by passing on our experience, you can find your ideal dose of HHC, too!
Ready to explore products? Check out our guide to the best HHC gummies.
HHC Dosage: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions our customers frequently ask us about HHC dosage.
How should you dose HHC vs. Delta 8?
HHC is roughly ¼ stronger than delta 8 THC. If you’re already using delta 8, subtract about ¼ off your current dose to get an equivalent effect from HHC.
How long does it take HHC gummies to kick in?
HHC edibles, such as gummies, generally take 45 minutes to 1 hour to begin working. You’ll want to wait just over an hour before taking more HHC to avoid taking too much.
Can you take too much HHC?
Scientists haven’t identified a lethal dose of HHC. Generally, you won’t be taking enough HHC to seriously endanger your well-being (assuming you follow some sort of dosing guidelines). However, you can take more HHC than is comfortable, which can result in side effects such as anxiety, dry mouth, increased appetite, insomnia, paranoia, rapid heart rate, and red eyes.
What are the effects of 25mg HHC?
A 25mg dose of HHC will render a powerful uplifting, euphoric head high. For people who have taken THC before, this effect will be enjoyable. However, 25mg HHC might be too much for new users.
How much HHC should you take to get high?
For new users, 10mg dose of HHC is plenty to feel a head and body high. The benefit of HHC is that it’s less likely to cause anxiety and paranoia at higher doses than THC is.
