France Prohibits Synthetic Cannabis HHC from Today
From today onwards, France has put a ban on products containing Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a molecule derived from cannabis, which has until now been freely available for sale in France. This was announced on Monday by France's National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).
The decision was made after a study found HHC "represents a risk of abuse and addiction equivalent to the risk of cannabis," according to an ANSM press release.
HHC, which appeared on the United States drug market towards the end of 2021, was first detected in Europe in May 2022 during a customs seizure, reports the observatory. Within eight months, it had been detected in over 70% of EU member countries. Several European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and the UK) have recently prohibited it.
Following the initial identification of HHC in Europe, two other synthetic types of cannabis were discovered on the continent: HHC-acetate (HHCO) and Hexahydrocannabiforol (HHCP).
"We made the decision to include Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and its two derivatives – HHC-acetate (HHCO) and Hexahydrocannabiforol (HHCP) in the list of narcotics. Therefore, their production, sale, and usage are prohibited in France as of 13 June 2023," ANSM clarified.
France's Health Minister, Francois Braun, earlier announced the impending ban, "From tomorrow, the consumption and sale of HHC will be prohibited. My ministry is mobilised to protect the health of the French and to combat addiction," he tweeted.
The decision by ANSM was substantiated by the work of evaluative and informational centres regarding drug addiction and dependency. This work revealed that "the chemical structure of these products is close to Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9 THC), classified as a narcotic," according to ANSM. The molecule has been known to scientists for a long time, but health authorities in various countries – in Europe and the United States – have noticed that it is increasingly being sold online or in regular shops. Its effects are not well-known, but drug experts tend to consider it similar to the effect of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance at the root of the psychoactive effects of cannabis.
It's worth recalling that in a recent report prepared by Australian universities on the popularity of different drugs worldwide, Europe holds the lead: Spain is first in terms of cannabis consumption, followed by Croatia, the Netherlands, France, and Slovenia.