HHC products banned from sale in Finland
Europe's health authorities are reacting on a country-by-country basis. After Austria or Switzerland (although some companies continue to sell it outside its borders), Finland bans the sale of products containing HHC, a hemp derivative that is in a legal grey area and is increasingly present on the market, causing concern among regulators.
HHC products are now widely available in Europe, driven by the growing market for «legal» synthetic minor cannabinoids in the USA.
HHC is marketed as having near-similar effects to THC, found naturally in cannabis. The HHC manufacturing process has been known since the 1940s. It was originally made from THC but is now derived from CBD via various synthesis techniques.
A European issue
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) looked into the matter 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 effects broadly similar to those of 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 sold openly as a «legal» substitute for THC and cannabis in a range of highly 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 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 are not yet prohibited under current Finnish legislation.
In practice, this is a step towards designating HHC as an illegal drug, suggested Katja Pihlainen, Senior Inspector at the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea).
«These products border on the legal. Even if they're made from industrial hemp, they often contain THC. Therefore, they are narcotics,» warned Pihlainen.
L’Estonia has already classified HHC as an illegal drug. Belgium and Hungary are expected to follow suit shortly.
In Sweden, for the time being, online stores continue to sell HHC-based products. According to Katja Pihlainen, Sweden has also begun the process of banning HHC.
San Francisco Allows «Cannabis Cafés»
Kenya Denies Rastafarians the Right to Use Cannabis
German patients prefer medical cannabis with a high THC content
Curaleaf Is the First to Register Medical Cannabis Products in Spain
South Australia is working to identify more water-efficient hemp varieties
Massachusetts voters will vote in November on whether to repeal the legalization of cannabis
[Le trois-feuilles] The 2026 World Cup Provides a Global Showcase for Legal Cannabis
Wyoming Rejects the Reclassification of Cannabis
Medical Cannabis: The third edition of Science in the City will be held in Paris on September 28 and 29, 2026
Italian courts continue to weaken the ban on CBD flowers in Italy
-
Cannabis in France4 weeks agoFrance Sets July as the Deadline for the Widespread Adoption of Medical Cannabis
-
Cannabis in Europe2 weeks ago
Bosnia and Herzegovina Continues to Roll Out Medical Cannabis Following Its Legalization
-
Cannabis in France2 weeks ago
France Submits the Long-Awaited Decree on the Reimbursement of Medical Cannabis to the Council of State
-
Cannabis in the U.S.2 weeks ago
The DEA Begins Hearings on the Federal Rescheduling of Cannabis
-
Cannabis in Ireland3 weeks ago
The Irish Parliament recommends decriminalizing all drugs
-
Business4 weeks ago
Sanity Group is expanding its presence in Switzerland through a distribution agreement with Astrasana
-
Cannabis in France4 weeks ago
50th Anniversary of the ’Call of the 18th Joint«: What’s in Store?
-
Cannabis in France4 weeks ago
Medical Cannabis in France: What the First Major Study Reveals About Its Actual Impact
Dominique Potier
13 April 2023 at 9:23 p.m.
I think banning hhc is a huge mistake! In fact, hhc has nothing in common with thc - I myself use hhc and it has nothing to do with thc, which is a real narcotic - hhc is not a narcotic, far from it, but rather a relaxant. You just have to follow a few rules, such as not driving after taking hhc, and taking it in the evening when you're at home to get a better night's sleep! Stop banning everything!
RNL32
16 April 2023 at 11 h 32 min
You're smoking something whose long-term effects nobody knows about, not even the Russians who put it on the market.
You're free to screw up your health on your own, but not to make sure it's safe when no one else knows.
Enjoy it, it's forbidden in a few months. You'll be able to fall back on a number of other molecules, each more toxic than the last.
RNL32
16 April 2023 at 11 h 29 min
There are still many molecules similar to HHC being sold. RAF, H4CBD, you name it, they all use a dubious hydrogenation process.
This is a very serious subject and these products are extremely harmful and powerful, even if they don't look it.
I invite you to read the article in Le Dauphiné in which the head of the company selling RAF declares that he is «creating increasingly dangerous and harmful products until they are legalized».
It's a bad sign for the well-being promised by this very company.
Sincerely, a bitter guy.