HHC was first discovered by cannabis chemist Professor Roger Adams at the University of Illinois in 1940. Similar to cannabinol (CBN), HHC has been found as a degradation byproduct of Delta-9 THC. Other similar hexahydrocannabinols have been isolated from Cannabis sativa plants.
HHC is produced in greater concentrations through the hydrogenation of cannabis extracts. Hydrogenation is a similar process of turning vegetable oil into margarine to prolong the shelf life of baked goods. The process involves adding hydrogen to saturate double bonds of THC isomers at the molecular level, producing the saturated HHC compound with a longer shelf life and less susceptibility to heat, UV light, and oxidization.