A month after the prohibition of Hexahydrocannabinol, this chemical substance derived from cannabis, new products are already on the market. But they are not without risks, reminds a doctor on franceinfo.
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It was last June 13, the authorities were banning HHC, a molecule derived from cannabis whose effects are similar to those of the plant. It appeared as a legal alternative for consumers. But this synthetic product was considered as dangerous as cannabis itself.
>> “It will make people come back to cannabis”: traders and consumers react to the ban on HHC in France
When the ban was announced, specialty stores were robbed, as one store manager said on condition of anonymity: “It went very quickly. I still had a fairly large stock, it was emptied in two hours”. This manager did not have to look long for a product to sell instead: her suppliers very quickly offered her an alternative. “I received an email telling me not to worry, that a new variety was coming to replace HHC, another molecule with almost the same effects”.
Immediately on sale, immediately banned?
This molecule mentioned by suppliers is H4-CBD, a synthetic product derived from CBD and chemically modified. “There is nothing natural in these products”, admits the trader. After some research on the substance in question, she ends up placing an order, aware that the duration of legality of these goods remains limited: “I’m sure that in six months it will also be banned. The manufacturers and the authorities are playing cat and mouse. We are just the middlemen. I am selling this new substance because there is a big demand.”
“There are a lot of customers who prefer to buy this kind of product in a store rather than buying a gram or two of cannabis from a dealer”.
A seller of H4-CBDon franceinfo
These products, H4-CBD or THCP, are cannabinoids, reminds the doctor Nicolas Authier. They act on our perceptions and our nervous system: “They are bad copies of the chemical structure of THC, CBD, or both. Beware of the risks!” risk of dependence and addiction, but also of “neuropsychiatric or cardiovascular complications. This is what brings some users to the hospital. These substances have not been studied enough, so the consumer becomes the guinea pig and generally, the manufacturers forget to tell you”, says- he.
The ANSM, the drug agency, ensures that these substances are already under enhanced surveillance. The expertise must deliver its conclusions before the end of the year.