The 2018 Farm Bill effectively legalized hemp across America. Not long after, companies began synthesizing intoxicating compounds from CBD. Products with “Farm Bill-compliant” hemp-derived cannabinoids like HHC, delta-8, and THC-P exploded in popularity in places without legal weed.
The unregulated nature of the market and questions about the safety of such compounds have led to some states enacting prohibitions. Recently, United Nations (UN) officials moved to ban one of these compounds—with the United States noticeably silent.
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As first reported by Marijuana Moment, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to designate hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) as a Schedule II substance under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This 1971 treaty is essentially the international version of the Controlled Substances Act, placing psychoactive drugs into one of four “schedules” in order to dictate policy.
Schedule I is the most restrictive and includes cannabis, LSD, and MDMA. Schedule II drugs include GHB, amphetamine, and now, HHC.
HHC is a naturally occurring minor cannabinoid, but most products with the compound are chemically converted. It produces a high much like regular THC and is especially popular in places where cannabis is still illegal. However, concerns over the safety of synthesized compounds like HHC have been raised, likely supporting the UN ban. Little is known about the long-term effects of these cannabinoids, and mysterious by-products have been detected post-production.
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Representatives from dozens of UN member states voted in favor of designating HHC as a controlled substance—except the U.S. They abstained from the vote, as well as a separate move to place carisoprodol, a muscle relaxer, on the Schedule IV list.
Officials gave no reason for their abstention but noted in a statement that “both of these substances are already controlled in the United States, at levels that will allow the United States to meet its international obligations arising from the CND’s decisions today.”
Technically, HHC is not a part of the Controlled Substances Act. However, the Drug Enforcement Agency did call out the compound in a 2023 letter, asserting, “HHC does not occur naturally in the cannabis plant and can only be obtained synthetically, and therefore does not fall under the definition of hemp.”
Despite this warning, HHC products are widely available online and in smoke shops across America. It’s unclear whether the UN vote will force a crackdown on the compound in the U.S., but producers and consumers alike should be aware of the policy shift.
