What Are HHC Vapes, and What Are Their Effects?

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Dear Stoner: I'm about to go to Poland for a college program. I'm not bringing anything with me, and don't know how much time I'll have to find weed there. The guy I'm staying with says his friends vape HHC, and that HHC is pretty much THC. Is that safe?
Headed Abroad

Dear Headed Abroad: It's time to roll up your sleeves and do some good ol' fashioned grass hunting on vacation, because vaping HHC ain't it. Without knowing much about Poland's cannabis scene, I can almost certainly say that the HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) that your Polish friends are vaping is synthetic. Why? Because multiple peer-reviewed sources say that cannabis produces extremely small amounts of HHC, but HHC is easy to create by chemically altering hemp-derived CBD, similar to Delta-8 THC.

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Many of us hit vapes without a second thought, but what's really inside of them?

Unsplash/Elsa Olofsson

Not only are HHC products in Europe and America often filled with synthetic cannabinoids, they also go untested. And some of these products have been found to be filled with some nasty stuff. From non-THC substances to extreme amounts of synthetic HHC or THC — a quick way to ruin your cannabinoid tolerance — these products can really mess you up long-term. Resist any peer pressure and find another way, one that doesn't involve three letters you've never heard of.

Herbert Fuego is the alias of a longtime Westword staffer. Send him questions through [email protected]