The news from June 2023 has nothing to do with CBD itself, but with one of its main competitors in many European CBD shops: HHC or hexahydrocannabinol.
HHC, a semi-synthetic cannabis derivative, has been classified as a drug and banned in France because of its addictive potential. The decision was taken by the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines, which added HHC and two of its derivatives to the list of narcotics. The French health authorities took this decision based on what they consider to be possible dangers of HHC, including adverse effects and the risk of abuse and dependence.
Legal status of HHC in France
HHC banned in France in June 2023
France has banned the semi-synthetic cannabinoid HHC and two of its derivatives, HHCO (HHC acetate) and HHCP (hexahydrocannabiphorol), moving them to its list of narcotic substances. From 13 June 2023, the production, sale and use of these substances are strictly prohibited in the country.
France thus joins other European countries that have recently banned the sale of HHC, such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
The measure was taken by the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) after weighing up several studies on this new cannabis-derived compound. Research shows that HHC carries a risk of abuse and dependence similar to that of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis. A report on HHC by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, presented in April 2023, two months before the French ban, also considered that HHC had a potential impact on health and society.
What is HHC?
HHC is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid that is produced chemically from the cannabinoids of the cannabis plant. It is found in tiny amounts in hemp seeds, although the HHC sold commercially is obtained artificially through the chemical transformation of CBD extracted from hemp.
HHC products are mainly sold online and in cannabis and CBD shops, and come in the form of CBD flower (sprayed with HHC), vape liquids, hash (and other cannabis resins), oils and gummies. The concentration of HHC in these products varies and can reach up to 99% purity, depending on the form and brand.
Although this synthetic cannabinoid was first described in the scientific literature in 1940, it was first detected in Europe in May 2022, in a food product sold “for sleep” that was seized by the Danish police.
Dangers of HHC according to the French addiction monitoring centre
Monitoring by the French national addiction monitoring network (CEIP-A) reports the risks attributed to HHC use, which are: tremors, vomiting, anxiety, “bad trips”, mental confusion, malaise, tachycardia, chest pain and blood pressure spikes. The intensity of the adverse effects depends on the dose of the drug taken.
The same body warns that HHC use had increased in France, sometimes without users knowing, as they believed they were taking CBD.
The HHC business
Even though HHC has intense psychoactive effects, the substance remained in an uncertain legal position that allowed it to be sold. Many traders took advantage of this, seeing the new substance as an opportunity to cash in. Customers looking for psychoactive effects turn to this “unregulated” substance (which, because it was so new, took time to be regulated; today it is controlled and banned in many countries).
We have seen this phenomenon in several European countries, not just France. In his post on cannabis in Prague, journalist Lukas Hurt told us that most CBD shops in the capital had switched to selling HHC. As a new substance, HHC operated in a grey area for months, until many countries began to control and ban it.
However, in some countries, the legality of HHC depended on how it was presented. In Spain, where the sale of cannabinoids for oral use is not permitted, any sale was restricted to products for topical or external use, which is why you could not find HHC sweets in the country. Today HHC is controlled and banned in many countries, and in Spain it has been since April 2025 (Order SND/380/2025). At Cannactiva we do not recommend buying HHC or other semi-synthetics: they are synthetic in origin, their traceability is doubtful, and serious cases have been reported; if anyone still wants to do so, they should check the law in their country very carefully, because it is dangerous.
Ban on the sale of HHC in French cannabis shops
The HHC ban has caused controversy. Over the last few months, HHC has become popular in several shops specialising in the sale of CBD (cannabidiol). But, unlike HHC, the sale of CBD is legal in France. This is largely due to CBD’s low toxicity and safety of use, according to numerous scientific studies and research. What’s more, CBD doesn’t get you high and numerous studies support the view that CBD is not addictive.
The news of the ban did not surprise French cannabis shop owners, who had already anticipated the measure and had stopped ordering HHC products weeks earlier. However, some retailers are considering running sales to clear their stock before fully complying with the ban.
Following the European drug observatory’s report, presented in April 2023, it was foreseeable that other European countries would join the HHC ban in the months that followed, and so it has proved: in Spain it has been banned since April 2025.
Frequently asked questions
When did France ban HHC?
In June 2023, joining Austria, Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Since then, the list of European countries banning it has kept growing.
Is HHC legal in Spain?
No. HHC has been banned in Spain since April 2025 (Order SND/380/2025), and the UN added it to Schedule II in March 2025. More on what HHC is.
What is the difference between HHC and CBD?
HHC gets you high and is semi-synthetic; CBD is non-psychoactive, natural and legal (although in some countries, such as the UK, hemp flower is controlled even with low THC). We compare them in differences between CBD and HHC.
