Europe 1 / Photo credit: HANNES P ALBERT / DPA PICTURE-ALLIANCE VIA AFP 12:00, 09 May 2023, modified at 12:01, 09 May 2023
It is already nicknamed "the legal joint" in specialized shops. It is indeed possible to legally obtain HHC, a synthetic cannabis derivative. And this synthetic molecule with effects close to THC worries health professionals. Should we be wary of it? Europe 1 takes stock.INTERVIEW
This is the new darling of shops dedicated to CBD. A synthetic derivative of cannabis, "HHC" - abbreviation for Hexahydrocannabinol - is over-the-counter while it has the same effects as THC, the active ingredient of cannabis, which is prohibited in France. What makes them different? Why is HHC not yet classified as a narcotic? Is it dangerous? For Europe 1, Dr. Philippe Batel, psychiatrist and addictologist, returns to the vagueness that accompanies this synthetic molecule.
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Marketing strategy
"In fact the major success of this drug is its attractiveness and the marketing presented in this way. In reality, we do not know exactly what is going on. A priori, there are few psychotropic effects but rather effects of relaxation, feeling of well-being. So yes, it is a kind of THC, but a priori less powerful, "says the specialist. There are nearly 150 cannabinoids. And for the moment according to the doctor, there is a legal vacuum that leaves doubt about HHC and its classification as a "drug".
"It is classified as a narcotic in several European countries, such as Finland, Estonia and Austria, but not yet in France. We really want there to be a common public health policy around drugs at European level," laments the doctor. Because if the effects are little known scientifically, there are a number of undesirable, or at least worrying, side effects that have been reported, he recalls.
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Worrying side effects
"We have cannabinoid effects: a certain disinhibition, a decrease in the state of consciousness. And so, you can take a number of risks, such as driving a vehicle. But we have specific trials that have been reported, which are cardiac effects including tachycardia, "describes Philippe Batel.
These effects may be accompanied in more rare cases by an increase in anxiety but also digestive disorders and nausea. We are therefore far from the promise of relaxation offered by HHC sellers. Not to mention the risks of dependence and overdose, monitored very closely by the health authorities. All call for vigilance.