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As you know, on May 29, the French National Agency for Medicinal Products (ANSM) announced that CBD derivatives on sale at the time would be classified as narcotics. No sooner said than done, but no sooner banned than replaced.
Less than two weeks after the ban came into force, new CBD derivatives are already emerging to circumvent the ban.
Today, we present one of them, 10-OH-HHC. You've heard of it: it's a cousin of HHC. You're probably wondering how it could possibly be legal? Or what are its characteristics?
Follow the guide as we continue our cannabinoid roadshow!
HHC, a relative of 10-OH-HHC, was discovered in 1944 by Roger Adam. It is a hydrogenated form of THC, naturally present in minute quantities in cannabis.
In France, HHC opened the way to a market for CBD derivatives. It was legal for a while before being placed on the list of narcotics on June 12, 2023. It is now illegal in France and several other EU countries.
10-OH-HHC is not exactly what you'd call a cannabinoid. It' s a metabolite of HHC, one of the possible results of HHC oxidation by the P450 cytochrome enzymes found in the liver.
In other words, it is one of the molecules created by the body after the consumption of HHC. In isolate form, it appears as a syrupy yellow liquid reminiscent of honey.
The discovery of Hydroxy-hexahydrocannabinol (10-OH-HHC), or 10 hydroxy Hexahydrocannabinol, is fairly recent, dating back to 1980. It was discovered by a team led by Raphaél Méchouam at the Israel Institute for Biological Research. This first discovery is one of the few known studies on this compound.
Having succeeded in synthesizing THC, the researchers went on to synthesize 10-oh-HHC and studied its effects on Rhesus monkeys. They demonstrated that the compound produced psychoactive effects as early as 0.5 mg/kg.
Although synthesized and studied in the 1980s, 10-OH-HHC was not fully isolated until 2015, by a group of researchers working at the University of Mississippi under the direction of Professor A. Ahmed. This research, aimed at testing the antimicrobial activity of hydrogenated HHC compounds, concluded that 10-OH-HHC had moderate antimicrobial activity, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Leishmania donovani and various strains of Plasmodium falciparum.
To obtain 10 OH HHC, laboratory technicians must first create HHC by hydrogenating the result of CBD terpenulation. In simple terms, this involves reacting a CBD molecule with a terpene to create THC, then hydrogenating the THC to obtain HHC. Finally, HHC is oxidized by the addition of 10 groups of oxygen atoms linked to hydrogen atoms, known as hydroxyl (oh) groups. The result is 10-0H-HHC.
As yet, very little is known about the compound, as very little research has been done on it. Most of the information we have today comes from the two studies we cited above and from consumer reviews.
What we do know is that 10 OH HHC is not very stable. It has low bioavailability (a relatively small percentage of the product consumed is processed by the body) and a short half-life in the body. In other words, its action rapidly loses more than half its activity in the body.
According to available studies, this compound has a strong influence on CB1 and CB2 receptors. This would result in psychoactive activity quite similar to that of HHC, but with a shorter duration.
User feedback seems to confirm the results described in these studies. They describe sensations quite similar to hhc, namely:
They also report a faster onset and shorter duration of action than HHC.
The 10 OH HHC has only just been launched on the market, and is not yet widely available in e-tailers. Because it's new, it's perfectly legal for the time being, since there's no legislation governing its consumption in France or other EU countries. But that doesn't mean it will remain so in the long term.
In terms of risks and effects, it's still too early to say, given the limited data available. Nevertheless, given that this compound is naturally present in the body, some would tend to think that it would have a better safety profile than other compounds such as HHC or HHCPO. But it should not be forgotten that, like all CBD derivatives, 10-OH-HHC is the result of complex chemical manipulations, which can represent a risk if not carried out meticulously.
As we surmised at the conclusion of our article on the May 29, 2024 ban on CBD derivatives, this decision, which is supposed to protect the consumer, merely prolongs the cat-and-mouse game we're seeing in the CBD world.
It's a safe bet that 10-OH-HHC is only the first of the new molecules that will replace the old CBD derivatives, since the suppression of supply doesn't really impact demand. And as long as demand exists, supply will sooner or later come to satisfy it.
We hope this article has enlightened you about this new compound, and if it has, don't hesitate to visit our blog to learn more about the ever-changing world of CBD!