For more than a year, in specialized shops or on the Internet, it has been very easy to obtain a cannabis derivative called HHC. It is available over the counter and its effects are believed to be similar to those of THC.
The three letters of HHC stand for Hexahydrocannabinol. And to be even more precise, it is a synthetic cannabinoid obtained by hydrogenation. Its molecular structure is close to THC. A legal vacuum surrounds this substance. It is not on the list of narcotics in France, but Finland and Austria have just banned its trade.
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“I’ll do it for you at 10 euros per gram!” In Paris, a CBD shop, an authorized derivative of cannabis, has also been selling HHC for more than a year from 3 to 13 euros per gram. The owner places it in plain view on the counter and the customer is notified. “You have a small sign that gives some indications on the HHC”explains the seller where he writes that “unlike CBD, HHC causes psychotropic effects similar to those of THC”.
Honestly, I don’t know what I’m smoking”
HHC “is almost as potent as THCwarns the merchant. For my part, I would not consume it regularly. HHC, to me, is a real chemical.” Because concretely, the product corresponds to a CBD flower where chemicals are added to it. “Either we vaporize it or we dip the flower directly in a bath of HHCexplains the seller. You also have vapes, that is, you will vape HHC. There are also HHC-based oils or candies.”
In terms of traceability, the owner of the CBD shop assumes that these products come from the Czech Republic, but it is not “not sure” and he doesn’t know “absolutely not” in which laboratory they are made. If we compare with the CBD, the HHC represents half of the sales of the shop which has not been checked so far by the authorities. “If you look at the law, it’s not allowed, but it’s not illegal”explains the trader who, despite his doubts, continues to sell it.
“I’m in the same situation as a tobacconist or a liquor store. I know very well that if I don’t sell it, it’s my competitors who will simply sell it.”
A seller of HHC in Paris
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Juliette*, 34 years old, has been using HHC for six months without really knowing what she is consuming. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m smokingshe acknowledges. I was a cannabis smoker with THC for years and then saw that there was this HHC which was apparently a bit stronger than CBD so I wanted to give it a try. It is, indeed, stronger, it looks a lot like cannabis. A little mental euphoria, we will have the body which relaxes. I’m a little surprised it’s legal. Afterwards, it suits me because I’d rather go buy something in the store than have to call dealers and do illegal things. Me, I say to myself as much as possible: let’s legalize cannabis.”
“We have very little information and vigilance must continue”
A legalization of cannabis which is not on the agenda in France, and now the HHC is starting to be in the sights of the authorities. We contacted the Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (Mildeca). She claims to have been working for several weeks “in close cooperation with the health authorities to specify the exact legal status of this molecule, the risks associated with its use and, if necessary, its classification on the list of narcotics”.
The general direction of health holds the same speech. Today, scientific knowledge about HHC is very limited. No large-scale study has been conducted. There are still the few lifts in the field. “We have had calls, in particular from users, in relation to the effects that they consider to be psychoactive effectsdescribes Anne Batisse, in charge of health monitoring at the addictovigilance center in Paris. For the moment, what we have been told is rather psychiatric complications, so of the order of the ‘bad trip’, it is basically anxiety attacks. We have very little information and therefore vigilance must continue.”
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Direction, another shop, this time in the 10th arrondissement of Paris where only CBD is sold. “And we won’t do HHC”, says Mathieu Bensa, co-founder of Chanvrier Français, which has 25 stores in France. He asks the authorities to “rule as they did on CBD”.
“There is no problem if we are shown the benefits of HHC and ensure that it is not harmful or addictive or psychotropic. For now, we do not know and when we do not know , it is precautionary principle.
Mathieu Bensa, co-founder of Le Chanvrier Français
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The Union of CBD Professionals is on the same line, in a press release dated July 25, 2022, it calls on its members and consumers “not to buy, sell or consume HHC-based products”.
*Name has been changed