Does HHC Show Up on a Drug Test?

hhc is one of the newest cannabinoids available today - which means there are still tons of question marks surrounding it, including the concept of an hhc drug test.

so does hhc show up on a drug test? the answer might surprise you. in theory, no - hhc itself does not show up on a drug test. that’s because hhc isn’t what standard drug tests are screening for. they’re looking for thc - or more specifically, thc metabolites.

now, this is where things get tricky. hhc can cause you to fail a drug test, because it converts into the same types of thc metabolites that you’d end up with if you consumed a basic delta 9 thc product. 

long story short: steer clear of any cannabis products if you have a drug test coming up!

but you should celebrate once you pass that drug test with flying colors. come on back to five for thc edibles, thc seltzers, thc capsules, and everything in between. find your new favorite way to catch a buzz today. 

what are drug tests looking for?

it helps to understand what drug tests are actually screening for and what they're not. that’s the crux of our hhc drug test conversation today.

what are thc metabolites?

your liver breaks thc down into metabolites, the most important being thc-cooh (carboxy-thc). this is the compound that urine drug tests actually look for. 

thc-cooh is fat-soluble, so it lives in your body's fat tissue and slowly releases over time. that's why thc can show up on a test days or weeks after your last dose. the metabolites hang around long after the effects wear off. how long they’re detectable all depends on the drug test itself.

different types of drug tests

you’re probably well aware that most workplace drug tests involve peeing in a cup. but there are actually a few other tests you may have to take, especially for legal purposes:

• urine tests: the most common by far. screens for thc-cooh. detection window of 3-30 days depending on frequency of use.

• blood tests: shorter window, less common. detects active thc for 1-2 days (casual users) up to a week (heavy users). mostly used for roadside dui drug testing.

• hair follicle tests: the longest detection window. can pick up metabolites from up to 90 days back.

• saliva tests: fastest turnaround. detects thc for 24-72 hours. becoming more common for workplace screening, especially after incidents that take place in the workplace. 

none of these are specifically designed as an hhc drug test, but all of them can potentially flag hhc's metabolites. that’s where things get interesting…

does hhc show up on a drug test?

so, does hhc show up on a drug test or not? the answer isn't a clean yes or no - there are a few things you need to know. 

hhc itself doesn’t show up on standard drug tests

the kind of drug tests most employers use screen for thc-cooh, not hhc. so does hhc show up on a drug test in the technical sense? not directly. but your liver converts hhc into metabolites that look similar enough to thc-cooh to trip a positive result. 

is there an hhc drug test specifically?

no. as of now, no commercially available hhc drug tests specifically target hhc or its unique metabolites. the risk comes from cross-reactivity since hhc metabolites look enough like thc metabolites to flag a standard drug test. 

so, for all intents and purposes, know that consuming hhc could cause you to fail a drug test. trying to explain to your employer or the lab that you don’t use thc - you use hhc - isn’t going to make a difference, either. 

understanding hhc metabolization

hhc (hexahydrocannabinol) is basically a hydrogenated version of delta-9 thc. it has the same backbone, slightly different chemical bonds. your liver's cyp3a4 enzymes break it down into metabolites that closely mirror what thc produces. 

this is what makes the hhc drug test question so relevant: standard panels can't reliably distinguish between thc and hhc metabolites once your body has processed them. so does hhc show up on a drug test? not the molecule itself, but its metabolites absolutely can, and that’s all that matters.

so will hhc cause me to fail a drug test?

like we said from the start, it’s very likely you’ll fail a drug test after using hhc products. the real question is how long those metabolites linger in your system. when will you be able to pass a drug test after using hhc?

as you can imagine, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. totally depends on these factors:

how often you're using it

the more often you take hhc, the longer it’s likely to stay in your system for. intuitive enough, right?

the relationship between these two variables exists because hhc is fat-soluble — it dissolves readily in fat. once it’s been cleared out of the bloodstream, any excess hhc you’ve consumed gets sequestered away in your body’s fat cells. if you’ve been taking hhc daily, the odds are good your body has stored up a significant amount of it. this stored hhc can slowly leach back out into the bloodstream, even if you’ve stopped taking the cannabinoid entirely! consider abstaining for 2-3 weeks prior to your next drug test if possible. 

if you’re only been dabbling in hhc by taking it once or twice per week, on the other hand, your body will likely be hhc-free within just one week. 

your age

your body’s metabolism naturally slows down as you get older. metabolic rate peaks in your 20s, slowly decline until your 60s, and declines slightly faster after that. the slower your metabolism, the slower you’ll process hhc. a dose that takes the 22-year-old three days to process may take the 67-year-old a full week to process and eliminate. 

your enzymes

your body’s general metabolic rate also plays a role in its enzymatic activity. people with naturally fast metabolisms may process hhc faster than those with slow metabolisms. here’s a deeper look. 

specialized enzymes get to work breaking down hhc from the very moment it hits your bloodstream. cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) enzymes break hhc down in your liver, converting it into even more active metabolites. research shows that different people have slightly different baseline cyp3a4 levels, leading to slightly faster — or slightly slower —  hhc breakdown. the higher one’s enzymatic activity, the faster hhc will be cleared from the system. it’s possible that this type of enzymatic activity upregulates in response to consistent thc or hhc use, but once again, more research is needed. 

your delivery method

the way you take hhc plays a surprisingly large role in how long it stays in your system. fast onset time usually equals fast elimination. the faster hhc gets into your liver, the faster it’ll leave. once again, pretty intuitive.

• hhc vapes: instantaneous absorption, very fast elimination

• hhc topicals: fast absorption, ultra-fast elimination

• hhc tinctures/oils: fast absorption, fast elimination

• hhc edibles: slow absorption, slow elimination

hhc enthusiasts who want to make their lifestyle compatible with drug testing can possibly do so by prioritizing vapes and topics over other products. these products deliver hhc into the bloodstream quickly enough to afford your body plenty of time to clear it out. 

your dose

here’s one more painfully obvious factor affecting how long hhc stays in your system: your dose. higher doses of hhc can take exponentially longer to leave your system than lower doses do. your liver’s enzymes can only break down so much hhc at once! 

the medications you’re taking

are you taking any prescription medications? if so, you should know that these medications can affect hhc’s bioavailability, half-life, and overall nature. 

scientists call this concept metabolic competition. in other words, some prescription meds interact with the very same liver enzymes that hhc does. these enzymes can’t necessarily process both substances at the same time. 

metabolic competition can be problematic for several reasons. hhc that’s metabolically ‘blocked’ may last for much longer than you expected, leading to practical issues and problems with drug testing. meanwhile, medications that are metabolically blocked can become stronger and more effective — possibly so effective that you overshoot your optimal dose and end up experiencing side effects. 

cyp3a4 is one of the most ubiquitous liver enzymes, so the above possibilities aren’t especially rare. cyp3a4’s activity also means it’s difficult to project whether a substance will metabolically compete with hhc or not. be sure to talk to your doctor before trying hhc if you’re currently taking prescription medication. 

so how long will hhc stay in my system?

since hhc is so chemically similar to delta-9 and delta-8, however, we can make an educated guess. like these other cannabinoids, hhc may:

• have a half-life of roughly 30 minutes

• stay in your system for between 3 and 30 days

• remain detectable on drug tests for between 3 and 30 days

our rule of thumb is to always err on the side of caution and give yourself more time to get clean than you think you need. the moment you suspect a drug test coming up, stop using hhc - or any other cannabis prodcuts, for that matter. you’d rather be safe than sorry!

final words on the hhc drug test

in closing, does hhc show up on a drug test? while initial reports said no, new research seems to be saying yes. on that note, don’t hesitate to stock up on all the good stuff here at five for once you’ve passed your drug test. from thc gummies to thc tincture and more, there’s something for everyone!

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