On March 12th, during the 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) was added to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The CND vote follows the World Health Organization’s recommendation that HHC be added into Schedule II. The CND action, which required 36 votes, passed comfortably with 49 votes. Notably, the United States abstained. Placement of HHC in Schedule II mandates that all signatories of the 1971 Convention (roughly 184 countries) restrict HHC’s use to only scientific, medical, and industrial purposes.
HHC is a semi-synthetic, hydrogenated derivative of THC. The hydrogenation process introduces hydrogen molecules to THC, resulting in HHC sharing many of the psychoactive effects of THC. While several U.S. states have laws restricting such substances, others do not. Furthermore, businesses selling HHC products in the Fourth and Ninth Circuits may be legally allowed to do so under the 2018 Farm Bill– depending on if their states prohibit HHC via legislation or regulation.
CND’s scheduling of CND aligns with a DEA letter issued to Attorney Rod Kight in 2023, stating the Administration’s belief that synthetic cannabinoids are schedule I substances. However, given HHC’s semi-synthetic nature, the U.S. government’s obligation to regulate HHC
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