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H4CBD is a brand new cannabinoid on the market. It is made from CBD and is said to be up to 100 times more potent on CB1 receptors than CBD. H4CBD is not a derivative of HHC or THC and is therefore described as the legal alternative to THC.

Both come from the hemp plant. However, H4CBD and HHC are different. H4CBD is a hydrogenated form of CBD. HHC, however, is a hydrogenated form of THC. Hydrogenation is a chemical process, an example of which is the production of margarine, but the process is also used in the production of H4CBD. In simpler terms, additional hydrogen atoms are attached to a starting material. In the case of H4CBD, the starting material is the cannabinoid CBD. H4CBD is believed to exhibit greater activity at the CB1 receptors than CBD.

Scientists in Todd's group have known about H4CBD since the 1940s, but it's only recently that this hydrogenated form of CBD has come into the spotlight. As CBD has reached incredible levels of popularity that no one would have previously imagined possible, the demand for more alternatives that may offer even better benefits has increased tremendously. Furthermore, in 2006, scientists discovered that H4CBD has a binding affinity to the CB1 receptor and that H4CBD has stronger anti-inflammatory biomarkers than conventional CBD. Simply a stronger CBD in certain areas. Rather than thinking of H4CBD and CBD as rivals, consider the advantages of each: CBD could be the weaker, all-natural option, while H4CBD would serve as a more optimized, stronger alternative. As modern cannabinoid research continues to advance rapidly, both CBD and H4CBD will surely play central roles.

In general, CBD has a lower affinity for the CB1 receptors. The CB1 receptor mediates the effects of endogenous cannabinoids as well as exogenously administered cannabinoids in the central nervous system and is therefore a component of the endocannabinoid system. You can find out more about this in our blog post. However, in combination with four hydrogen atoms (hence the name H4CBD), the affinity of CBD to the CB1 receptors apparently increases considerably, making the new cannabinoid H4CBD more psychoactive. H4CBD has a 100-fold greater binding affinity for the human CB1 receptor (Ki = 145 nm) than CBD (Ki = >10 µm), putting it in the same range as CBN in terms of its psychoactive potential, perhaps slightly stronger. Although H4CBD is 100 times more psychoactive than CBD, its psychoactive properties are still less than THC and HHC.

Products containing fully hydrogenated H4CBD have a low and undetectable THC content. Therefore, it is legal in all countries where CBD is legal.

Ben-Shabat, S., Hanuš, L.O., Katzavian, G., & Gallily, R. (2006, January 6). New cannabidiol derivatives: synthesis, binding to cannabinoid receptors, and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory activity. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 49(3), 1113–1117. Retrieved from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jm050709m Laprairie, RB, Bagher, AM, Kelly, MEM, & Denovan-Wright, EM (2015, October). Cannabidiol is a negative allosteric modulator of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. British Journal of Pharmacology, 172(20), 4790–4805. Retrieved from https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.13250 Morales, P., Reggio, PH, & Jagerovic, N. (2017, June 28). A review of the medicinal chemistry of synthetic and natural derivatives of cannabidiol. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 8. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2017.00422/full