Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), present in various products sold in CBD shops, is now classified as a narcotic and prohibited for sale in France due to a risk of addiction equivalent to that of cannabis.
- The ANSM has placed hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a chemical made from natural cannabinoids, on the list of narcotics because of a risk of abuse and dependence equivalent to that of cannabis.
- Two of these derivatives, HHC-acetate (HHCO) and hexahydroxycannabiphorol (HHCP), have also been placed on this list.
- Their production, sale and use in particular are prohibited in France from June 13, 2023.
Gummies, oil, resin, spray, e-liquid… hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is present in many products advocating relaxing properties. But this chemical substance – made from natural cannabinoids and known to have the same psychotropic effects as THC – has just been classified as a narcotic product by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).
Hexahydrocannabinol: now a narcotic product prohibited for sale
The ANSM has decided to include HHC on the list of narcotics “due to a proven risk of abuse and dependence equivalent to that of cannabis”. She adds in a communicated published on June 12 that two derivatives of the substance, HHC-acetate (HHCO) and hexahydroxycannabiphorol (HHCP), have also been placed there.
The decision of the organization was based on studies, carried out by the centers of evaluation and information on the pharmacodépendance-addictovigilance (CEIP-A). These confirmed the risks that these synthetic derivatives of cannabis can cause as well as their addictive potential. The measure is accompanied by a ban on the production, sale and use of these substances in France from June 13, 2023.
HHC: what are the health risks of synthetic cannabis derivatives?
The consumption of these synthetic derivatives of cannabis has been linked to an increase in several disorders such as:
- tremors;
- vomitings ;
- anxiety;
- bad trips;
- mental confusion;
- discomfort;
- tachycardias;
- chest pain;
- an increased risk of long-term abuse and addiction.
The intensity of these effects seems to vary depending on the HHC content, which is not always specified or exact on products sold online or in specialty stores.
“The monitoring carried out by the national addictovigilance network (CEIP-A) indicates that the consumption of HHC is currently increasing in France, sometimes without the knowledge of users who think they are consuming another product, such as CBD”specifies the ANSM in its press release.
