HHC drug used by vaping Mayo teens is now illegal

The Minister for Health announced today that HHC is now illegal in Ireland.

The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, has announced that a drug called HHC (Hexahydrocannabinol) is now categorised as a Schedule 1 controlled drug Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.

READ MORE: Legally available cannabis being widely used by Mayo teens

This means that the import, export, production, possession, sale, and supply of products containing HHC is now illegal.

HHC is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid that has similar effects to cannabis and has been commonly sold as e-cigarettes or vape pens, in herbal mixtures, oils, edible jellies and cakes and as tinctures.

The urgency and impact of HHC was highlighted by The Mayo News in May. 

Welcoming the news, Mary Cannon, professor of psychiatric epidemiology and youth mental health at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI), and consultant psychiatrist in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, told The Mayo News that lessons need to be learnt.

READ MORE: Drug being used in vapes made illegal after people suffer psychotic episodes

“This is great news, but they need to be able to react faster in the future. They need to be more nimble. They need to be more aware of what's coming through”

Prof Cannon has previously been critical of the delay in banning the substance and is calling for an early warning system as a way of reacting faster the next time.

The consultant psychiatrist says there is “strong evidence this substance can lead to psychosis.” Not only that, it can it can be a very severe psychosis.

“It’s a very agitated psychosis and could be a harm to themselves and others as they lose touch with reality. That’s why they are ending up in the emergency department,” she said.

Recent information shows HHC was the second most common substance, after cannabis, for teenagers accessing addiction services in Ireland. According to Professor Cannon, 25 percent of referrals were for addiction to HHC. This shows that “young people are taking a chance here with their mental health.”

A Mayo teen, who shared his story of addiction with The Mayo News, has also welcomed the news but warns that “there'll be a gap in the market now” and notes how head shops were replaced by HHC and believes “if it happened before, you know it can happen again.”

He thinks there should be “a blanket ban and all psychoactive substances.”