Is HHC legal in France?

As in the United States, where the legalization of hemp has paved the way for the marketing of cannabinoids naturally present in hemp, but in very small quantities, and thus recreated synthetically, some products containing HHC, hexahydrocannabinol, are beginning to arrive in France. With one overriding question: is HHC legal in France?

What is HHC?

HHC was created in 1944 by the American chemist Roger Adams, when he added hydrogen molecules to delta-9-THC. This process, called hydrogenation, converts THC into hexahydrocannabinol.

While Adams created HHC from THC derived from cannabis, today HHC is generally derived by a process that starts with hemp.

How is HHC manufactured?

HHC can be manufactured in a multi-stage process. First, the CBD is extracted from hemp in isolate form. From there, things get a little more complicated.

HHC is created from CBD by a chemical reaction inside a chemical reactor using a catalyst. The details of this process are unknown, but toxic chemicals are probably involved.

The HHC contained in marketed products is therefore produced synthetically, with no traceability of the solvents involved or of what remains in the final product.

What are the effects of HHC on body and mind?

There is no consensus on the potency of HHC. The complication arises, in part, from the fact that when cannabinoid is manufactured, the end result is a mixture of two different types of HHC molecules: 9R HHC actively binds to the body's natural endocannabinoid receptors, while 9S HHC, due to its slightly different molecular structure, does not do so as well.

«The one that binds [to the receptors] produces similar effects» to delta-8 THC, but a much larger quantity is needed to achieve this, explains for example, Richard Sams of KCA Laboratories. «With a sufficient dose, we can observe effects similar to those of THC.

In other words, HHC can have similar effects on the body and mind as THC, but HHC is less potent, milligram for milligram, than THC. delta-8-THC. Delta-8-THC itself is generally considered to be half as potent as delta-9-THC standard.

Is HHC consumption safe?

Like all the new cannabinoids derived from hemp (delta-8, delta-10...), there is no standard dose and little or no research into the immediate or long-term effects of HHC consumption.

Since cannabinoids derived from hemp (including HHC) are not properly regulated in France, sellers of HHC products are not required to test the potency and purity of their products.

Is HHC legal?

And now we come to perhaps the thorniest question of all: is HHC legal?

Since June 2023, ANSM classifies HHC and two of its derivatives as narcotics. It is therefore not legal in France.

Prior to this, our analysis was that :

• HHC is originally a THC derivative. Its molecular structure is very close to that of the banned cannabinoid, and its psychotropic effects, however slight, could easily disqualify it from use.
• HHC has important similarities with K2 and Spice synthetic drugs. There is no traceability of production or composition after solvent manufacturing.

July 2022 addition: it could be that the molecular structure of HHC places it in the category of cyclohexylphenols, thus qualifying HHC as a narcotic, since cyclohexylphenols are classified as narcotics. However, we have not yet received exact confirmation of this proposal. If this were the case, as the sale of narcotics is illegal in France, the sale of HHC would also be illegal.