ARUC warns against use of semi-synthetic 'HHC' cannabis products

The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) has voiced its concern on the availability of semi-synthetic cannabis products widely available on the market.

“ARUS has noticed with great concern that semi-synthetic cannabinoid products, called hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), HXC or THC-Mix, are available in Malta, with various products such as flowers, hashish, high potency extracts, and food items such as gummies sold openly in various shops and via food delivery couriers,” it said in a statement.

MaltaToday was the first to report on the growing availability of such products. HHC products in every form, from cookies to gummy bears and brownies, can be bought also be bought from food delivery platforms with no restrictions.

ARUC has no legal remit to regulate these products. Indeed, HHC whose scientific term is hexahydrocannabinol is not regulated by law despite its psychoactive qualities because it contains less than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

It emphasised on Monday that these products are not regulated under ACT No. LXVI of 2021 and are not found naturally in the cannabis plant.

“Since the production of HHC does not necessarily comply with ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’, contaminations either with extraction residues or synthetic by-products could pose unforeseen risks. In addition, traces of heavy metals originating from the catalyst used for the hydrogenation might also be present,” the statement read.

In the coming weeks, the ARUC will be setting up an expert multi-disciplinary Consultative Committee, including dialogue with other EU countries experiencing a similar phenomenon, to better discuss challenges and solutions linked with emerging semi-synthetic cannabinoid products.

In view of the unregulated nature of these new psychoactive substances and the absence of studies on the health effects of HHC, the ARUC advises the public to be wary of synthetic and semi-synthetic low THC products and to recognise the unknown and potentially heightened health risks when consuming semisynthetic products such as HHC.

Wide availability of HHC products

Today, HHC products in Malta have become increasingly accessible to local and foreign users, with numerous outlets even selling them on the main food courier platforms, Bolt and Wolt. These products are also increasingly present in several retail shops, with a 24-hour vending machine in Żejtun also selling a wide variety of HHC goods.

The lack of regulation means children can potentially buy the products, which come in attractive packaging that can be easily mistaken for normal edible products.

The substance is currently present in 20 EU member states and is not controlled in most of them, however, its sale was banned in France last June.

HHC’s local popularity is also evident in the fact that some outlets are finding it difficult to keep up with their demand, according to one retail worker who spoke to this newspaper.