European health authorities end up reacting country by country. After Austria or Switzerland (some companies, however, continue to sell it outside its borders), Finland prohibits the sale of products containing HHC, a derivative of hemp which is in a legal gray area and which is moreover increasingly present on the market, raising the concerns of regulators.
HHC products are now widely available in Europe, driven by the development of the “legal” synthetic minor cannabinoid market in the United States.
HHC is marketed as having near-similar effects to THC found naturally in cannabis. The process of making HHC has been known since the 1940s. It was originally made from THC but is now derived from CBD via different synthetic techniques.
A European subject
The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) looked into the subject at the end of last year, considering that hexahydrocannabinol was the first semi-synthetic cannabinoid reported in the European Union.
According to a small number of laboratory studies reported by the EMCDDA, HHC appears to have broadly similar effects to THC. The pharmacological and behavioral effects of HHC in humans have not been studied, although anecdotal reports from users indicate that its effects may be similar to those of cannabis.
“HHC is openly sold as a ‘legal’ substitute for THC and cannabis in a range of very attractive branded and unbranded products, some of which are sold as ‘legal drugs’. These include hemp vaporized or mixed with HHC – which looks and smells like “real” cannabis – as well as vapes and edibles. Marketing and advertising often make direct comparisons with the effects of THC and cannabis,” explains the EMCDDA.
Banned in Finland, but not in Sweden
In January, Finland therefore classified HHC as a psychoactive substance prohibited for sale. This classification prohibits the manufacture, import, sale, transfer and storage of HHC. However, the use and possession of these substances is not yet prohibited by current Finnish legislation.
In practice, this is a step towards the designation of HHC as an illegal drug, suggested Katja Pihlainen, senior inspector at the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea).
“These products are borderline legal. Even though they are made from industrial hemp, they often contain THC. Therefore, they are narcotics,” Mr. Pihlainen warned.
Estonia has already classified HHC as an illegal drug. Belgium and Hungary should quickly do the same.
In Sweden, for now, online shops continue to sell HHC-based products. According to Katja Pihlainen, Sweden has also started the process of banning HHC.
