Is HHC legal? No: a controlled drug in France since 13 June 2023
By the Golden High teamUpdated 9 November 202610 min read
Neo-cannabinoids
Is HHC legal? No: in France, HHC, or hexahydrocannabinol, has been classified as a controlled drug by the ANSM since 13 June 2023, and it has been under international control since 6 December 2025. It's a cannabinoid made in a lab by hydrogenation, sold freely in 2022 as flowers, resins and vapes. Here's what it really is, what you risk today in France, what we know about its effects, what's still sold under that name, and what replaced it.
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Is HHC legal in France? No, since 13 June 2023.
HHC is classified as a controlled drug. Producing, selling, possessing and using it are banned in France, just like THC. Here's how it got there.
May 2022
HHC is first detected on the European market. In France, it's sold in shops and online, often presented as "legal".
12 June 2023
ANSM decision: HHC and two derivatives, HHC-O (acetate) and HHC-P, are added to France's list of controlled drugs.
13 June 2023
Comes into force: production, sale and use become illegal in France.
3 June 2024
New decision: the ANSM lists the whole family of benzo[c]chromene-core cannabinoids, including HHCPO, THCP, THCA, H4-CBD and H2-CBD.
March 2025
The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs adds HHC to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
6 December 2025
International control comes into force. According to the UNODC, HHC is the first semi-synthetic cannabinoid placed under international control.
In France, using or possessing HHC exposes you to the penalties for controlled drugs, which were tightened in 2025 and 2026:
Key takeaway: a product sold in France today as "HHC", "HHC-P" or "HHC-O" is a controlled drug, however it's presented. There's no tolerated HHC level.
The definition
A cannabinoid made in a lab.
HHC is a molecule from the cannabinoid family. Tiny traces of it are found in the cannabis plant, but all the HHC that circulated commercially was semi-synthetic: you start from a hemp extract (in practice, CBD), turn it into THC, then add hydrogen atoms to the molecule. That step, hydrogenation, gives the product its name: hexa-hydro, six extra hydrogens.
The result is very similar to THC, the molecule behind the psychoactive effect of cannabis. That's exactly what made it a commercial success, and what led to its ban.
- Full name: hexahydrocannabinol.
- Origin: semi-synthetic, made from hemp CBD.
- Effect: psychoactive, close to THC.
- Status in France: controlled drug since 13 June 2023.
Where HHC comes from
A molecule from 1940, a product from 2022.
The first synthesis of HHC was described in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams, who was trying to identify the active compounds in cannabis. For eighty years, the molecule remained a lab curiosity.
It resurfaced in the early 2020s, first in the United States and then in Europe, where the European drugs agency (EUDA, formerly EMCDDA) first spotted it around May 2022. In less than a year, it was reported in 20 member states and Norway. Its commercial pitch fitted in one sentence: it wasn't on any list of controlled drugs.
9R-HHC
One of the molecule's two forms. It's the one that binds well to CB1 receptors in the brain and carries most of the psychoactive effect.
9S-HHC
The "mirror" form, much less drawn to these receptors. Seized products contained both forms in varying proportions, between 1:1 and 2:1.
In practice: two products sold as "HHC 90%" could have very different effects depending on the share of each form. That was one of the problems with this market.
What the sources say
HHC effects: close to THC, with reported incidents.
There's no clinical trial of HHC in humans. What we know comes from lab research, analyses of seized products and reports from French addiction monitoring centres. Here are the most solid benchmarks.
EUDA · 2023 technical report
The European agency describes an effect comparable to cannabis, pointing out that the composition of products on sale was highly variable and often poorly labelled.
ANSM · June 2023
The French agency concludes there's a risk of abuse and dependence equivalent to cannabis, and reports adverse effects: shaking, vomiting, anxiety, bad trips, confusion, dizziness, tachycardia, chest pain, blood pressure spikes.
Pharmacology studies · 2023-2024
Published research confirms that 9R-HHC activates CB1 receptors the way THC does, while 9S-HHC is clearly less active.
ANSM · early 2024
Several hundred poisonings are recorded among users of products containing synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids (HHC, HHC-O, H4-CBD, H2-CBD and others). This led to the second wave of bans in June 2024.
EUDA · European report 2025
HHC has been reported in 27 European countries and is controlled in at least 22 member states; by the end of 2024, 24 semi-synthetic cannabinoids had been identified in Europe.
In other words: HHC wasn't a "gentle" or "legal" version of THC. It was a psychoactive product, dosed at random, about which there was very little data. References at the bottom of the page.
The risks
What made this market dangerous.
- Unpredictable doses. The ratio between 9R and 9S changed from batch to batch, and so did the strength of the effect.
- Manufacturing residues. Synthesis uses solvents and metal catalysts; a poorly purified product can contain them.
- Unreliable labels. Analyses of seized products found molecules other than those advertised, including far more potent synthetic cannabinoids.
- Documented adverse effects. Those listed by the ANSM, with ER visits for tachycardia, fainting or panic attacks.
That's also why a product's origin and lab analysis matter as much as the molecule itself. We cover this in our article on ADB-Pinaca, a synthetic cannabinoid found in products sold as something else.
HHC in France in 2026
HHC resin, HHC vapes: what's still around.
Three years after the ban, "HHC resins", "HHC flowers" and vapes are still around, mostly online. On forums, the same question keeps coming up: where to find it, or which molecule "does the same"? Two dead ends.
- An HHC resin sold in 2026 is a controlled drug in France, sold outside any control.
- What it really contains is uncertain: according to the ANSM and Anses (June 2025), 8 out of 10 products analysed in a 2023 study didn't contain what was advertised.
- Rising poisonings. The two agencies have recorded several hundred poisonings since early 2024 linked to products sold as "CBD" that contained other substances.
- Risky vapes. A French DGS-Urgent alert in June 2026 reports around 500 cases between early 2025 and late April 2026, mostly linked to vape liquids containing synthetic cannabinoids.
Replacements sold as "new" are no better: they're multiplying in Europe, and France's family-wide classification of June 2024 covers many of them. The case of 10-OH-HHC, often searched together with the word "banned", is covered in our article on 10-OH-HHC: not being named by the ANSM doesn't amount to authorisation.
Drug testing: HHC may or may not make some tests react; see HHC and saliva tests. Never drive after a psychoactive product.
Against THC and Delta-P
Three names, three situations.
| THC | HHC | Delta-P (Golden High) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Natural, found in cannabis | Semi-synthetic (hydrogenation) | CBDX-based range, under 0.3% THC |
| Status in France | Controlled drug (tolerated under 0.3% in hemp) | Controlled drug since 13/06/2023 | Products sold in shops, lab-tested |
| Effect | Psychoactive | Psychoactive, close to THC | Stronger than CBD |
| Traceability | — | Poor, random labelling | Strength shown on every product |
What Delta-P is, its molecule and its framework are explained on our dedicated page: the complete Delta-P guide. And if you're looking for the difference with THC specifically, we've covered it in Delta-P vs THC: what's the difference.
And now?
What took HHC's place.
The HHC ban emptied the shelves of some shops. Some fell back on other semi-synthetic molecules, several of which were banned in turn in June 2024 (THCP, H4-CBD, HHCPO). Others, like us, chose products whose strength is shown and lab-tested.
We told the story of this shift in HHC banned: what replaced it? On the resin side, fans of soft textures are turning to products like Jaune Mousseux Delta-P, with its strength shown; all our resins are in the Delta-P hash collection.
Check the strength
A serious product shows its cannabinoid level and stays under 0.3% THC.
Ask for the analysis
Every batch should be traceable to a certificate of analysis from a third-party lab.
Start low
A moderate strength, a small amount, and time between doses. Never before driving.
Your questions
What people ask us about HHC.
Is HHC legal in France?
No. HHC was classified as a controlled drug by an ANSM decision of 12 June 2023, in force since 13 June 2023. Producing, selling, possessing and using it are banned, and use can lead to a €500 on-the-spot fine since 20 August 2026.
Is HHC banned across Europe?
It's controlled in at least 22 member states according to the European Drug Report 2025, and since 6 December 2025 it has been listed in Schedule II of the 1971 UN Convention, which requires signatory countries to control it.
What are the effects of HHC?
Reported effects are close to THC's, because its active form (9R-HHC) acts on the same receptors. The ANSM recorded adverse effects: shaking, vomiting, anxiety, bad trips, confusion, dizziness, tachycardia, chest pain, blood pressure spikes.
Can you still buy HHC resin?
Not legally in France. A resin sold as "HHC" there is a controlled drug, and its real composition is uncertain: health authorities report many products containing substances other than those advertised.
What's the difference between CBD and HHC?
CBD is a natural hemp cannabinoid, not classified as a controlled drug. HHC is made from CBD that's transformed and then hydrogenated in a lab; it's psychoactive, close to THC, and has been a controlled drug in France since 13 June 2023.
What are HHC-P and HHC-O?
Two HHC derivatives: HHC-P, with a longer chain, and HHC-O, the acetate form. They were classified as controlled drugs in France at the same time as HHC, on 13 June 2023.
Does HHC show up on a saliva test?
Roadside tests look for THC. Reactions with similar molecules are possible, but data on HHC is limited. The only reliable rule: never drive after using a psychoactive product.
Is Delta-P the same as HHC?
No. Delta-P is the name of our range, CBDX-based, under 0.3% THC. It's neither HHC nor THCP. It's all explained on our dedicated Delta-P page.
Sources
The references cited in this article.
- ANSM (2023). The ANSM classifies hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and two of its derivatives as controlled drugs (in French).
- ANSM (2024). The ANSM adds new cannabinoids to the list of controlled drugs (in French).
- ANSM and Anses (2025). Rise in poisonings caused by CBD products containing other substances; Vidal (2026), Synthetic cannabinoids in young people: how to identify, refer and report (DGS-Urgent of 11 June 2026, in French).
- EMCDDA / EUDA (2023). Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and related substances — Technical report; EUDA (2025), New psychoactive substances: the current situation in Europe (European Drug Report 2025).
- UNODC (2025). CND decision on international control of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and carisoprodol enters into force.
- ACS Chemical Biology (2023). Studies pertaining to the emerging cannabinoid hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).
- Légifrance. Law no. 2026-798 of 18 August 2026; French Highway Code, Article L235-1 (in French).
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