Finland bans the sale of HHC products, Sweden follows

Scandinavian countries in Europe are taking steps to halt the sale of hemp-derived psychoactive compounds — most recently hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).

According to Chief Inspector of the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea), Katja Pihlainen, HHC products have flooded Europe and found their way to Finland. She said Finland recently classified HHC as a psychoactive substance banned for sale in the consumer market, and Sweden is following suit with its own plans to ban the compound.

Finnish newspaper Yle reports that Pihlainen noted that the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Member State authorities are concerned about the rise of HHC products on the European market. This prompts individual governments to act. Part of the furor involves the unknowns of vaporized “new” compounds, which in some cases produced effects other than consuming a compound.

Finland has already made changes. “Burning or vaporizing it can make it more harmful. We don’t know how that affects the body,” Pihlainen said. Pihlainen added that HHC first became popular in the United States after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp containing up to 0.3 percent THC, since the bill did not specifically address hemp-derived psychoactive cannabinoids such as Delta-8 or HHC.

Finland is taking the initiative in this regard. “If you want to ban HHC as a drug, all countries have to do it separately. Or do it some other way if you want to regulate it,” Pihlainen told Yle.

The EMCDDA explained why they are targeting hemp-derived compounds such as HHC. “HHC is openly sold 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 highs’. This includes hemp sprayed 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,” explained an EMCDDA document.

Selling and possession of drugs is strictly prohibited in Finland, including cannabis and hashish. “Anyone who possesses drugs, including hashish, is at risk of arrest and expulsion from the country or imprisonment,” the government said. “Drug trafficking is punished very harshly. Please note that Finnish customs regularly inspect mail coming from abroad and a person who receives a mail containing drugs (including medicines) runs the risk of being fined.”

Other Scandinavian countries are likely to follow Finland. According to Pihlainen, Sweden has also started a process to ban HHC.

What is HHC?

While delta-8-THC and other hemp-derived cannabinoids are “new” in terms of popularity, HHC was first synthesized by Roger Adams in the 1940s. Adams took Delta-9-THC found in Cannabis sativa and modified it to make HHC.

Adams and his team of students made discoveries that led to significant scientific advances. In 1940, Adams identified and synthesized CBD. Other discoveries include CBD’s relationship to cannabinol (CBN) and THC. He also synthesized CBN and THC analogues, including HHC.

Not all cannabinoids derived from hemp are created equal. HHC carts are reportedly more potent than traditional THC products like delta-8 and delta-9 THC, which can give users a stronger and more euphoric high.

But a growing call for crackdowns on cannabinoids that aren’t fully understood could pose a problem for the long-term viability of the psychoactive hemp market. HHC is rarely specifically addressed, but states that have cracked down on delta-8 THC and related products are likely to crack down on HHC as well.