H4CBD, THCP… ANSM announces ban on CBD derivatives

The decision came down on the morning of Friday, May 24 : all products containing H4CBD, H2CBD, HHCPO, THCP, THCA and other derivatives will be banned and placed on the list of narcotics.

 

This new ban follows the one that was announced almost exactly a year ago, announcing the ban on HHC and its direct derivatives HHCO and HHCP.

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The announcement of the ban on neo-cannabinoids

It's been over a month and a half since the news was announced. At the beginning of March, the ASNM was considering a future ban on certain CBD derivatives.

 

This deliberation appears to have been completed on Friday, May 24th. As of June 3rd, the ANSM intends to prohibit:

 

• H2-CBD or dihydrocannabidiol or H2-cannabidiol
• H4-CBD or tetrahydrocannabidiol or H4-cannabidiol
• Any substance derived from the benzo[c]chromene nucleus, whether non-hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, or totally hydrogenated on ring A (defined as the unsaturated ring bearing the methyl group at position 9 of said nucleus in tetrahydrocannabinol), substituted or not at one of the following locations of the nucleus:
  • In position 1 by a hydroxyl group, esterified or not, or an alkoxy group
  • In position 2 or 4 by a carboxfunction
  • At position 3 by an adamantyl substitute or by an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cyanoalkyl, haloalkyl, cyanoalkynyl, haloalkynyl, or alkoxy chain, whether or not this chain is itself substituted by one or more alkyl substitutes, cyclic or non-cyclic, heterocyclic or non-heterocyclic, whether or not these rings or heterocycles are themselves saturated
  • Position 6 is affected by one or two alkyl groups
  • At position 9 by a ketone, alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkoxy function

 

In short, it seems that almost derivatives synthetic and semi-synthetic (THCP, THCB, THCJD, HHCPO…) are included in this new ban.

 

The only molecules remaining after this ban are CBD and CBN, due to their lack of habituation and dependence effects.

 

 

 

A new ban following poisonings

As TF1 info points out, this decision was based on " reports of consumption that resulted in serious effects " which alerted the authorities to the health risks of these molecules.

 

The article gives the example of this group of young people who "had to go to the emergency room after consuming candies containing THC and H4-CBD at a party" last December.

 

Here, the mention of THC as a basic product should be taken with a grain of salt because, as stipulated by European legislation which influenced French regulation, the concentration of THC should not exceed 0.3%.

 

However, as revealed by the ANSM, this case would not be an isolated case, since “Since September 1, 2023, 90 cases have been reported to the centers for evaluation and information on drug dependence-addictovigilance (CEIP-A) of which 40% led to an entry to the emergency room or hospitalization” which would represent 36 people hospitalized for poisonings involving CBD derivatives.

 

What are the risks for consumers who defy the ban?

 

According to the article in Le Parisien, from June 3rd, "A consumer will risk up to one year in prison and a fine of 3,750 euros, with the possibility of paying a fixed sum of only 200 euros."

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What is the future of the CBD market in France?

While a month ago Germany decriminalized cannabis, Belgium, through its Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, announced its intention to follow this path, and just a week ago Biden announced the reclassification of cannabis as a less dangerous substance (now classified among certain medications like those containing codeine), France announces the ban on CBD derivatives.

 

However, the "hole in the market" that François Braun, then Minister of Health, spoke of regarding the ban on HHC, is still present and finds itself vacant once again.

 

The question that remains is: like a hydra with its head cut off, will we see new products appear as we saw after the ban on HHC, or will consumers be content with CBD?

 

The answer is, of course, yes. After the ban, a whole host of new products appeared, foremost among them 10-OH-HHC, a byproduct of HHC. But there are also many cannabinoid mixes, such as THM, or even new molecules derived from mushrooms like muscimol.

 

Nothing is certain at the moment, but what is certain is that we will know soon and we will be sure to keep you informed on our blog!