Cannabis: Game over for HHC, now banned from sale
HHC's grand finale!
As announced by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) on June 12, the production, sale, and use of this synthetic cannabis are now prohibited in France. This ban therefore affects the HHC molecule as well as two of its derivatives; hexahydroxycannabiphorol (HHCP) and HHC-acetate (HHCO), which are now classified on the list of narcotics.
HHC had been freely marketed in France for over twelve months; the government, with the support of health professionals, decided to act quickly.
François Braun, the former Minister of Health and Prevention, had insisted on the "highly addictive" nature of HHC and its "significant psychotropic effects," during an interview on France Info on May 15. Actions followed.
HHC shows great similarities with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the famous cannabis molecule known for its psychotropic effects, which, it should be remembered, is strictly prohibited from production and marketing in France. Only products based on cannabidiol (CBD) are authorized, if and only if their THC level remains below 0.3%.
This measure is therefore not surprising: even before the announcement of the HHC ban by the ANSM, many doctors denounced the great similarity between this synthetic cannabis and THC, drawing a parallel with the harmful and publicly known effects of THC.
The harmful effects of HHC
The ANSM justifies its decision by stating that the consumption of HHC or its derivatives "exposes individuals to risks such as: tremors, vomiting, anxiety, 'bad trips', mental confusion, discomfort, tachycardia, chest pain, and blood pressure spikes." The intensity of these symptoms varies depending on the quantity and HHC content of the products consumed, which is not always specified by manufacturers.
Before its ban, HHC could be found online or even on the shelves of CBD shops; declined like CBD, in the form of flowers, e-liquid, resin, oil, or even candies. This had been described as a "classification loophole" by François Braun at the time. An explanation refuted by some specialized jurists.
This is the case of Yann Bisiou, a research professor at Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier. For him, "There is no legal vacuum. It is merely a pharmacological uncertainty about the nature of this product, which needs to be resolved as quickly as possible." Within the European Union, some countries like Finland and Austria had already taken the lead by banning HHC. France is now joining this list, whose ranks are expected to grow in the coming months.
