Xavier Laqueille is a psychiatrist and head of the addiction department at the Sainte-Anne psychiatric center in Paris. He regrets that since the ban on hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) in June 2023, synthetic cannabis derivatives with the same psychoactive effects (THCPO, H4CBD, THCV) have thrived in regulatory uncertainty. And warns of the dangers for the unwary consumer.
What new molecules are being sold in CBD stores that circumvent HHC regulations?
Synthetic cannabinoids are laboratory-made molecules that mimic the effects of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, on brain receptors, with very different results. HHC, for example, is a synthetic molecule made from hydrogenated THC. Since the ban in France, new molecules that are easily derived have emerged. In other words, we simply added a few atoms to the molecule. This is why we end up with different product names with the same psychoactive effects being sold legally in stores that sell CBD. And since the classification is done molecule by molecule and not by molecule family, authorities are still trying to ban them.
How are these synthetic neocannabinoids obtained?
Some derivatives are 100% synthesized in the laboratory, others are of semi-synthetic origin: we take a natural substance contained in hemp and modify it, as was the case with hydrogenated THC, to produce HHC. Ultimately, we are just reproducing the history of drugs: synthesized natural substances that mimic effects on brain receptors. With the only exception that neocannabinoids do not go through the legal and regulated drug circuit. We are swimming in the middle of a gray area.
Are synthetic derivatives more effective than cannabis?
What sets them apart is precisely that they are stronger than THC. THC is a molecule that has a long elimination half-life – about 28 days in the body – because it binds strongly to lipids and fats, especially in the brain, and causes significant release phenomena in the organism. A user who regularly inhales cannabis will have traces of THC in their body for up to a month after ingestion. Neocannabinoids have a shorter elimination half-life but a much stronger effect.
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