The Ultimate Guide to HHC Vape Carts

HHC, or hexahydrocannabinol, is a naturally occurring cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. 

It only occurs naturally in minuscule amounts but can technically be extracted from both hemp and marijuana plants. 

That’s not how most HHC carts are made, though. It would take tons of weed to produce just one dose of HHC — so most companies use an isomerization process to convert other cannabinoids like CBD or delta-9 THC.

Like many other cannabinoids, HHC is not new — in fact, it was first discovered in 1979. We just didn’t have a good way of isolating it until recently.

Now, grey, black, and above-ground brands are churning out HHC products left, right, and center. Many claim this cannabinoid is more energizing — like a sativa; others claim it’s slightly milder and comes with fewer side effects.

We can’t vouch for any of these claims, but we do find the effects to be comparable to classical delta-9 THC.

Related Guides: What is HHC? | HHC vs. THC

HHC: Specs & Technical Details:

• Active Ingredient: HHC (hexahydrocannabinol)
• Level of Risk: Low
• Most Common Side-Effects: Anxiety, rapid heart rate, confusion
• Duration of Effects:  4–6 hours
• Legality: Grey area (legal in roughly 50% of the US)

How & Where to Buy HHC Carts Online

Sourcing HHC isn’t difficult — plenty of brands are selling their own version of HHC carts, gummies, or distillates these days. The problem is finding brands that are selling clean HHC.

The chemical conversion process required to make this cannabinoid can introduce some pretty nasty chemicals. This isn’t uncommon in the supplement space, but it’s important for manufacturers to do a thorough job of removing these compounds before chucking them in a cartridge and shipping them off to consumers.

Here are 5 brands we can vouch for that are selling high-grade HHC (we’ve confirmed with lab tests and will remove anything from this list if we see failed tests in the future):

1. Area 52 Hyperdrive HHC Carts

Area 52 makes its carts from hemp sourced from California and Colorado with CO2 extraction, meaning the end result is free from solvents. 

Extracts are put inside CCELL cartridges with ceramic heating elements and glass walls for optimal vaporizing temperatures while avoiding wicks that could leech heavy metals. 

In short, Area 52 has created a safe cart that delivers consistent results and is part of many a stash. 

Likes & Dislikes Area 52:

• ✅ Very potent and flavored with cannabis-derived terpenes.
• ✅ High-end CCELL hardware.
• ​​✅ Clean and safe extraction methods (third-party tested).
• ❌ Popular product sells out fast.

Area 52 Hyperdrive HHC Cart Specs:

	Score	Notes
Tripsitter Ranking	10/10	High-end carts with a
Trust Score	10/10	Transparent production process and well-known company.
Dosage	1000 mg	HHC, terpenes.
Taste	10/10	Three flavors: Northern Lights (Indica), Super Sour Diesel (Sativa), and Wedding Cake (Hybrid)
Cost	$60	Premium price point and product.
Sold By	Area 52	Ethical, legal entity.

2. Budpop HHC Vape Cartridges

Budpop isn’t about flashy advertising or complicated cannabinoid blends. Instead, they’ve built a respectable reputation by producing simple, cost-effective products consumers can enjoy without breaking the bank. 

Budpop doesn’t mess around with additives and puts its products through lab testing. With a handful of flavors and free shipping, these carts are worth checking out.

Likes & Dislikes Budpop:

• ✅ Decent price point for the quality.
• ✅ Multiple options available for HHC blends and flavors.
• ​​✅ No chemical or artificial additives.
• ❌ Cartridge quality could be better (leakage, cracking, & metal components).

Budpop HHC Cart Specs:

	Score	Notes
Tripsitter Ranking	7/10	Decent brand with an established reputation
Trust Score	7/10	Fairly popular on Reddit
Dosage	800 mg	HHC distillate
Taste	7/10	Strawberry Gelato, Pineapple Express, Fruity Cereal
Cost	$40	Reasonable price for the quality.
Sold By	Budpop website	Legal California operation.

3. TRE House Live Resin HHC Carts

The TRE House Live Resin HHC carts are available in two tasty flavors: “Grape Ape” and “Watermelon Zkit.”

Both flavors contain one gram of HHC live resin with the addition of plant-derived terpenes and flavors. All of TRE House’s products are made from US-grown hemp, are Farm Bill-compliant, and come with up-to-date certificates from third-party lab testing. 

These carts are reasonably priced, produce a mild high, and taste pretty good. If you’re looking for a legit HHC cart that’s guaranteed to send you to space, TRE House is a good brand to look at. Even if you don’t enjoy these vapes, TRE House provides a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Our only caveat with this product is that it’s being sold as live resin — but based on the taste and construction of this cartridge, we highly doubt that claim. It’s more likely a combination of HHC distillate with terpenes, which does NOT equate to a true live resin product.

Likes & Dislikes TREHouse:

• ✅ Backed by a 60-day money back guarantee.
• ✅ Exceptional array of product options made using HHC.
• ​​✅ Solid reputation for providing decent, cost-effective products.
• ❌ Known hardware issues

TRE House Live Resin HHC Cart Specs:

	Score	Notes
Tripsitter Ranking	8/10	Excellent value overall.
Trust Score	6/10	Legitimate company. Inexpensive products raise questions of quality.
Dosage	1000 mg	“Live resin” HHC
Taste	7/10	Two flavors: “Grape Ape” & “Watermelon Zkit”
Cost	$17	Extremely cheap compared to others.
Sold By	TRE House	Legitimate cannabinoid brand with a range of products.

4. Canna River HHC Cartridges

Canna River is a well-known brand that produces Delta 8 and HHC products. The prices are very low, and the quality reflects this, but at least this is an accessible option. 

Only a few products are available from Canna River, but the number and variety of flavors available makeup for it.

Boosting Canna River is their commitment to testing each batch of product and posting all results on their website in an organized fashion, a task few brands prioritize. 

Likes & Dislikes:

• ✅ All third-party labs are available on the company website.
• ✅ Surprisingly low price for what you get.
• ​​✅ Tons of flavors available.
• ❌ You get what you pay for (low cost but also lower quality).

Canna River HHC Cart Specs:

	Score	Notes
Tripsitter Ranking	7/10	Lab tested and cheap.
Trust Score	6/10	Lab-tested and cheap.
Dosage	1000 mg	Pure HHC
Taste	9/10	Over a dozen flavors.
Cost	$15	A cheaper option on the market.
Sold By	Canna River	Popular brand known for low cost.

5. Mellow Fellow HHC 1mL Vape Cartridge

Founded by a cannapeneur, chemist, and pharmacist, Mellow Fellow has a long list of products that have been popping up everywhere. 

With in-house extraction methods and unique flavors, Mellow Fellow has bounced back from online drama implying lab tests were suspect. 

Because Mellow Fellow performs safety testing and puts HHC extracts into quality hardware, they still have a spot on this list.

Likes & Dislikes Mellow Fellow:

• ✅ Sturdy construction of the vape cartridge.
• ✅ Blended with cannabis-derived terpenes.
• ​​✅ Wide range of flavors available for all HHC cart options.
• ❌ Scandal over potency of past products.

Mellow Fellow HHC Cart Specs:

	Score	Notes
Tripsitter Ranking	6/10	Good low-cost HHC carts
Trust Score	6/10	Accusations of faulty testing, but does run labs.
Dosage	1000 mg	HHC and terpenes.
Taste	7/10	Sour Diesel, Pineapple Express, Strawberry Cough, and others
Cost	$18	Low price.
Sold By	Mellow Fellow Website, dispensaries.	Legal, Florida-based operation.

Tips For Vetting HHC Carts Before You Buy

The first step is to check reviews on social media, Reddit, and other trusted websites. If there’s a major issue with the brand or a particular product, it won’t take much digging to find out what it is.

Trustpilot is another good source for vetting companies you’ve never ordered from before. Reddit can be a good place to look, but beware, some subs are sponsored or run by brand owners. Always find several opinions and look at lab reports yourself rather than trusting rumors.

Lab reports are the other major factor to consider. These tests look for signs of contamination and are performed by third-party companies that do not have a relationship with the manufacturer. Any reputable HHC cart supplier will list these lab reports directly on their website for every new batch they have ready.

Full-panel lab tests include: 

• Pesticide testing
• Mycotoxin testing
• Residual solvent testing
• Microbial contamination testing
• Heavy metal testing
• Total cannabinoid testing

What Are HHC Carts Made With?

HHC carts are a type of cartridge, either disposable or reusable, containing HHC and potentially other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavorings.

Carts are attached to various vapes and are filled with e-juice, which is typically a combination of:

• Propylene glycol (PG)
• Vegetable glycerin (VG)
• Terpenes and/or artificial flavoring
• Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are extracted from hemp and can undergo multiple synthesis steps to become a compound like HHC. 

These active compounds are blended with other e-liquid ingredients and placed in a cart compatible with a specific vape.

Vape batteries heat up a coil that vaporizes the e-liquid, cannabinoids, and flavorings within for inhalation.

HHC vs. THC: Key Similarities & Differences

HHC is an isomer of THC — which means it shares a virtually identical chemical structure but with just one minor difference.

All forms of THC — delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and delta-9 THC feature a double bond in the molecular structure. Delta-8 has this bond on the 8th carbon, delta-9 on the 9th carbon, and delta-10 on the 10th carbon. HHC simply has this bond removed entirely. It’s hydrogenated, which means hydrogen is added to remove this double bond — making the molecule much more stable. 

In terms of potency, HHC is comparable to delta-9 THC, albeit about 10–20% weaker. Delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC are only about half as strong as HHC.

Where HHC truly stands out is in its shelf-life. Hydrogenation helps stabilize the core molecule, allowing it to resist degradation for much longer than any other form of THC. The true shelf-life of this compound remains unknown but is believed to remain viable for over 50 years. 

What’s The Dose of HHC?

The dose of HHC is roughly half of Delta 9 THC [1].

The research is on animals, and anecdotes online are less clear about the difference in strength.

For a cart, the dose will depend on a few factors:

• How concentrated the e-liquid is with HHC
• The voltage a battery is set to 
• How powerful and charged a battery is
• Type of coil (ceramic is ideal for cannabinoids)

All these factors determine how much e-liquid is burned off every pull, creating a fairly complex equation for what an HHC cart dose is.

Figuring out how much HHC is in one ml of e-liquid and then what conditions burn one ml of e-liquid is the way to get an exact number here. 

All that said take a small, short hit, wait to see what happens, and adjust until you find your sweet spot.

Dosage Breakdown for HHC Carts:

• Microdose: 2 mg
• Threshold: 10 mg
• Standard: 20 mg
• Heavy: 40+ mg

What Does HHC Feel Like?

HHC is comparable to THC, although some connoisseurs claim to notice subtle differences. There are also many reports of tolerance with HHC building very fast.

Predicting exactly how anyone will react to cannabinoids is tricky, as they have unique effects on everyone.

In general, HHC will create effects like:

• Euphoria
• Lethargy
• New ideas
• Reflection
• Increased appetite
• Anxiety
• Paranoia

These effects are dose-dependent, with lower doses perhaps helping with relaxation and sleep, while too high a dose can make one paranoid.

How Long Does HHC Last?

HHC carts kick in within seconds of being inhaled. Some suggest HHC is shorter in duration than D9, but it is best to be ready to spend 4–6 hours above baseline.

The intensity and duration depend on tolerance, dose, and quality of the product.

The shelf-life of HHC is believed to exceed 50 years — a true apocalypse-ready cannabinoid.

How Many Puffs Can I Get From an HHC Cartridge?

A 1-gram cart is estimated to have 300 hits but how long an HHC cart lasts depends on the concentration along with how long your inhales last. The 300 estimate assumes an inhalation of about 2 seconds total, with at least 3 seconds in between inhales. Longer and more frequent inhales will yield fewer puffs.

Some carts are bigger, and others might have higher concentrations of cannabinoids, requiring fewer hits. 

Temperature settings also affect how quickly you can burn through carts. Higher temperatures provide more vapor but are less efficient and will burn through the tank more quickly than lower temperature settings.

How Strong is HHC Compared To Other Psychedelics? 

Even though HHC is about half the potency of THC, it shouldn’t be treated casually, especially if you have no tolerance to cannabis or are trying cannabinoids for the first time. 

HHC carts are easy to overdo. Pay careful attention to the duration of inhales and cart concentrations. You’ll be surprised how hard and fast a vape can hit if you haul on it for just a minute or two.

HHC can give you very long, intense, and overwhelming experiences, like any other “alt-noid,” although it is not as potent as psychedelics like DMT (dimethyltryptamine), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), or psilocybin.

Risks & Side-Effects of HHC Carts

HHC isn’t officially studied in humans, and there are some risks with inhaling aerosols from THC vapes. 

Vaping nicotine is widely regarded as less harmful than smoking cigarettes, but we don’t know as much about vaping cannabinoids and the additives involved.

There have been concerns in the past about the additives to e-liquids. In 2019 and 2020, thousands of people were hospitalized, and 68 people died from what may have been adulterants in cannabinoid e-liquid [2]. 

Analysis after the fact suggested some carts contained vitamin E acetate, which was found in the lungs of hospitalized people. Vitamin E acetate turns into a harmful ketene gas when burned, but it’s also possible other substances were involved [3].

While it’s not foolproof, try to choose products that have certificates of analysis (COA) showing their potency, are free of contaminants, and have good isomer ratios (covered below).

Side Effects of HHC & Vaping

The side effects of HHC are similar to THC:

• Anxiety
• Dry mouth
• Impaired memory
• Impaired motor skills
• Increased heart rate
• Nausea
• Paranoia
• Red eyes
• Sweating or Chills
• Tremors
• Vomiting

Again, there isn’t any research on HHC carts, but some vaping side effects include:

• Cough
• Digestive issues
• Heart disease
• Lower lung capacity
• Lung disease popcorn lung 
• Vapers tongue vape flavor disappearing suddenly

Legality of HHC Carts

Newer and semi-synthetic cannabinoids like HHC are not well known and often lack specific laws saying they are legal or illegal. For the most part, around the world, HHC exists in a legal grey area. 

In the United States, HHC is technically allowed under the 2018 Farm Bill, which permits products with less than 0.3% dry weight of Delta 9 THC. 

Some states are passing specific laws against cannabinoids like HHC, such as:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Maryland
• Colorado
• Michigan
• Massachusetts
• Delaware

Health Canada treats HHC as an ‘intoxicating cannabinoid,’ which they define as cannabinoids binding to CB1 receptors. This makes HHC legal and subject to government regulations.

In Europe, HHC was not well received, and many areas are issuing bans on the substance. This is changing monthly, so it’s best to check your local laws. 

How Do HHC Carts Work?

An HHC cart will usually be activated by pressing and holding a button or inhaling and a sensor activating the vape. Concentrates will respond to a variety of voltage settings, but because each blend is different, this may take a bit of experimentation.

When activated, the battery heats up an electric coil, which vaporizes the e-liquid, which turns into aerosols.

Once inside the lungs, HHC is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, creating psychoactive and physical effects.

Ingredients: What’s Inside an HHC Cart?

Besides HHC extract, e-liquid will probably be a mixture of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) along with artificial flavors. Sometimes, terpenes are blended for additional flavors and effects. 

The above are the basics, but studies of vapes showed a lot more going on in e-liquid. Johns Hopkins analysis showed over 100 unidentified chemicals in e-liquid [4]. 

In California, Researchers found over 100 terpenes and natural products, 19 different cannabinoids, and other compounds (which could be toxic when vaped) like Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT), Vitamin E acetate, and Polyethylene Glycols [5].

How Does HHC Work?

HHC has been studied for decades, but never in humans. However, experiments in the lab have shown it does bind to CB1 receptors in the endocannabinoid system [6]. This is the same mechanism of action all forms of THC use to induce a distinct psychoactive high.

HHC actually has two isomers (9S and 9R), which are similar chemical structures but with rearranged atoms, just like delta-9 and delta-8.

The HHC in carts will generally be a mixture of both compounds, known as 9R and 9S. 9R has similar binding efficacy to Delta 9 THC (around 85%), creating psychoactive effects at the CB1 receptor in the endocannabinoid system, while 9S is t to be less than half as active as 9R [7].

Different products will have a wide variety of ratios of each isomer, making potency a bit harder to gauge, although variances in this ratio could explain some carts not hitting. Lab reports can detail the ratio of 9R to 9S. 

Just like Delta 9 THC, HHC is a chemical structure that can act as a precursor to other natural or synthetic cannabinoids like:

• HHC-P (Hexahydrocannabiphorol) — There is currently a single paper published on HHC-P, but its chemical structure and online anecdotes suggest it is more potent than HHC and Delta 9 THC [8].
• HHC-O (Hexahydrocannabinol-O-acetate) — We couldn’t find any research on HHCO. This compound is completely synthetic and not found in the raw cannabis plant.

Potential Health Benefits of HHC

There could be medical benefits to HHC, but more studies are needed on humans. 

At the moment, evidence exists for HHC and related compounds in some animal or lab-based studies for:

• Cancer [9]
• Alzheimer’s [10]
• Inflammation, antioxidant effects [11]

FAQs: HHC Cartridges

Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about HHC.

1. Do HHC carts get you high?

Yes, HHC will get you high. In the lab, HHC has been demonstrated to bind with CB1 receptors in the same way as delta-9 THC.

2. Will HHC show up on a drug test?

Some researchers have detected HHC in salvia, urine, and blood. However, these methods are not widely available to law enforcement [12].

Studies have shown that a decent number of carts contain a greater variety of cannabinoids than advertised. So, to stay on the safe side, it’s best to avoid HHC if you have an upcoming drug test.

3. Can dogs smell HHC carts?

Yes, drug dogs can smell HHC carts, and the dogs can’t distinguish between cannabinoids.

We don’t recommend you fly with cannabinoids. A significant amount of products contain other cannabinoids than advertised, so you could be traveling with a controlled substance. 

4. What is the shelf life of HHC carts?

HHC carts can last up to a year in a cool, dark environment for up to a year. If exposed to light and heat, HHC will degrade faster. The potency and flavor of a cart will also degrade over time, though.

5. What are the differences between disposable and reusable HHC carts?

Disposable carts are, as the name suggests, disposable and are thrown out when empty. These carts are convenient and, when done right, optimize the vaping experience by finding optimal combinations of HHC oil, coils, and batteries.

Reusable carts can be refilled with HHC oil and often attach to different batteries, typically with a 510 thread.

6. Why is my HHC cart leaking?

The best way to avoid leaks is by storing a cart in a cool, dry place. When carts get too warm, they tend to leak. 

To troubleshoot leaks, first check that all parts are tightly connected and seals are in the proper position. Check for clogs and tinker with airflow settings. Some carts may have cotton wicks that need to be cleaned.

Pay attention to hardware. It’s possible a cart has been damaged or is of poor quality.

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