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What Is THCH?

Published September 27, 2022
What Is THCH? - Secret Nature

Even as far as the natural kingdom goes, cannabis is a remarkably complex plant. While we started studying cannabis seriously over 80 years ago, we’re still learning about new cannabinoids all the time.

THCH is one of the newest cannabinoids to hit the scene, but it’s already being classified among heavyweights like THCP and delta 9o. Learn what THCH is, where you can buy it, and whether it’s worth trying in this guide.

What is the cannabinoid THCH?

Tetrahydrocannabihexol (THCH) is a rare, natural cannabinoid that offers approximately 25 times the potency of delta 9 THC. First isolated in cannabis for the first time in 2020, THCH has nonetheless been known as an isomer of parahexyl, a synthetic cannabinoid, for decades. Before it was isolated in Italian FM2 hemp, however, it was not known that THCH naturally occurs in Cannabis sativa.

How is THCH made?

So far, any THCH you find online or buy for research purposes is synthetic since strains of THCH-rich hemp have not yet been bred. While THCH is inherently a natural cannabinoid, it is so rare that it evaded discovery for decades. It will be quite a while until THCH-rich hemp strains emerge — until then, we’ll need to content ourselves with synthesized alternatives.

When was THCH discovered?

THCH was discovered in 2020 as part of ongoing experiments into cannabis commissioned by the Italian government. Over the last decade or so, Italian researchers have tested and bred strains like FM2 and Carmagnola to tease out as-yet unexplored potential within the cannabis plant. Their efforts have been remarkably fruitful — thanks to the Italian government, the world is now aware of all-natural cannabinoids that vastly outstrip the potency of conventional THC.

What does THCH do?

There’s still a lot we need to learn about THCH and its effects. Based on initial research, however, THCH appears to offer the same sort of intoxicating effects as THC only at around 25 times the potency. Tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP), discovered just prior to the discovery of THCH, is believed to slightly outstrip THCH’s enhanced potency by offering around 30 times the effects of conventional THC.

In short, THCH will get you high. Very much so, in fact.

How is THCH different from THC?

In terms of physical structure, THCH and THC are nearly identical. Due to a few tweaked atomic bonds, however, “super-cannabinoids”' like THCH and THCP appear to elicit a much fuller response at the brain’s CB1 receptors than is offered by conventional THC. As a result, THCH offers a massively increased high over the level of intoxication offered by THC, potentially making THCH a more efficient option for habitual cannabis users.

Is THCH better than THC?

Comparing THCH and THC, it would be an oversimplification to consider one option “better” and the other “worse.” While it’s true that THCH appears to be quite a bit stronger than THC, there are other factors to take into consideration as well. Right now, for instance, THCH is very hard to come by. If you can find THCH products online, they aren’t usually remarkably expensive, but there’s a pronounced lack of product variety. 

With conventional THC, on the other hand, you have countless products to choose from. As the most popular cannabinoid and the substance still most commonly associated with “cannabis,” THC is abundant, and THC products are held to a growing consensus of acceptable product quality standards. If you buy THCH products online, check the ingredients, and make sure third-party lab reports are provided.

Is THCH synthetic?

THCH is inherently a natural cannabinoid, but because of its lack of abundance in hemp, it is synthesized for research or consumption purposes. As is usually the case when synthesizing cannabinoids that already exist in nature, the process of creating THCH is relatively natural and simple. Nonetheless, THCH products will continue to contain synthetic forms of this rare cannabinoid until it can be bred in cannabis in higher quantities.

Is THCH safe?

The cannabis plant has a clean track record of producing reasonably non-toxic substances, so it’s safe to assume that — even when synthesized — THCH will offer a greater degree of safety than, for instance, an inherently synthetic cannabinoid like Spice. With that said, scientific knowledge of THCH is still in its infancy, as is the online THCH market, requiring a greater degree of caution to ensure that you find a safe and high-quality product.

Is THCH legal?

We still don’t know exactly how the FDA and DEA intend to tackle the explosively growing online cannabinoid market, but for the time being at least, it appears the federal government has no intention of outlawing cannabinoids aside from delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Even when synthesized, THCH is usually considered “industrial hemp,” placing it in the same legal category as CBD, CBG, and other hemp cannabinoids.

Can you buy THCH online?

Yes, it’s becoming possible to buy THCH products online. However, the THCH market remains brand-new, and there hasn’t been enough time for natural competition to weed out lower-quality brands. Practice caution as you select your THCH products, and enjoy this latest chapter in the evolving saga of online hemp.

What types of THCH products are there?

Right now, the only types of THCH products you can usually find are THCH distillate and THCH vape carts. It may also be possible to find hemp flowers that have been sprayed with THCH distillate, but until the THCH market develops further, expect product variety to remain largely the same.

Summary: Is THCH worth trying?

Like many of the new, natural cannabinoids that have burst onto the scene over the last few years, THCH is certainly intriguing. We still aren’t quite sure how cannabis hid so many “sleeper” cannabinoids with potency levels far outstripping conventional THC.

All that’s clear is that people who like getting high are about to get a lot higher, and people who look to THC for relief are going to feel considerably better. As long as the evolving THCH market is guided to reward the best products and eliminate inferior options, there’s no reason you shouldn’t give this promising new super-cannabinoid a shot — though you might want to wait until some better products are available.

THCH FAQ

Learn more about THCH in the FAQ section below:

1. Is THCH natural?

Yes, even though most of the THCH on the market has been synthesized, tetrahydrocannabihexol is inherently a natural cannabinoid that occurs in certain strains of Cannabis sativa. As a substance that is naturally created by cannabis, THCH is in a separate category from inherently synthetic cannabinoids like THCO.

2. Is THCP stronger than THCH?

Yes, it appears that THCP is slightly stronger than THCH. The difference is negligible, though, and information on both cannabinoids remains highly limited. For comparison, though, THCP is believed to offer 30x the potency of THC while THCH appears to offer 25 times conventional THC’s potency.

3. What is the strongest cannabinoid?

So far, the title of “strongest natural cannabinoid” seems like it must go to THCP, which offers 3000% the potency of conventional THC. For close to a century, however, we believed THC was the strongest cannabinoid in cannabis, and before that, we thought the dominant cannabinoid in cannabis was CBN. How little might we still know about what cannabis is capable of?

4. Where can I find THCH for sale?

In isolate and distillate form, THCH is already widely available online. Most of these products are not consumer-grade, however, so caution is required when making purchases. THCH distillates and vapes are much more likely to be designed for human consumption than THCH isolate.

5. Where can I buy a THCH vape?

The first THCH vapes are starting to become available online. Just like other hemp products, you can buy THCH vapes online and have them shipped to your door. As a brand-new cannabinoid, though, there’s a lot of quality variation between THCH vapes, so it’s important to learn the hallmarks of a good product before you make a decision.

6. How do I find the best THCH cart?

High-quality THCH vape carts consist of high-quality hardware and include nothing inside aside from THCH-rich hemp distillate and strain-specific cannabis terpenes. THCH vapes should always come with third-party lab reports, and they should be made by reputable companies with lots of favorable customer reviews.

7. Can I buy THCH distillate online?

Yes, THCH distillate is the most abundant type of THCH product found online. THCH distillates vary considerably in terms of potency, purity, and quality, and only certain THCH distillate products are designed for human use. To find a high-quality THCH distillate product that will suit your purposes, buy from an established hemp brand, not a chemical manufacturer or a company that just set up business yesterday.

8. Is there THCH flower?

So far, we aren’t aware of any hemp flower products containing the super-cannabinoid THCH. It’s technically possible to spray THCH distillate on hemp flower, but it appears manufacturers are sticking to vapes cartridges and grams of distillate at the moment. As a cannabinoid that’s inherently associated with high levels of potency, it makes sense that THCH is being added to the most effective hemp and cannabis product types first.

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