Watch: Malta bans HHC products 'to protect children, public health'
Semi-synthetic cannabinoid products will be banned from Malta, the Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms confirmed on Friday.
Rebecca Buttigieg said the main aim behind the ban was to safeguard the public’s health and reduce children’s accessibility to the usually colourful but harmful products.
HHC, short for hexahydrocannabinol, is a semi-synthetic cannabidiol, which is extracted from low-THC cannabis (hemp) and is a popular cannabis substitute.
In recent months, products containing HHC - colourful gummy bears, cookies, and lollipops - were sold in stores across the country and on food delivery platforms. Unlike THC, which is regulated by law, there is a legal grey area around HHC.
Buttigieg said the difference between THC and HHC was that the latter was more harmful as it was semi-synthetic and not a natural product, like THC.
