Officials at the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), as well as police and public health officials are currently undergoing a coordinated effort to confiscate the current stock of HHC in certain commercial shops in the country, as the Legal Notice 238 of 2024 which bans the substance came into force.

CEO of ARUC Joey Reno Vella and Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg gave a media briefing explaining the legal notice which bans HHC (hexahydrocannabinol), and the evaluation of the current situation which led to the ban.

Buttigieg said that HHC is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid that has recently emerged as a deceptive alternative to cannabis and THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis. HHC is not naturally derived, and has not been studied for its effects on humans, Buttigieg said.

She said that these products, which included vape products, cannabis flowers sprayed or mixed with HHC, pre-rolled joints, oils and tinctures, and edible sweets such as gummies, marshmallows and lollipops, were being aggressively advertised, particularly through bright and fun packaging, to attract minors and youths.

Buttigieg said that the Authority appointed a technical committee which included representatives from the Superintendence of Public Health and the police, and evaluated the situation, taking actions based on the aims of the European Drug Agency.

"The legal notice was needed so as to not let the abuse continue," Buttigieg said, adding that there is still a "completely false" idea that the few shops which opened and sold HHC products were as a result of the reform on the responsible use of cannabis.

Buttigieg said that the new legal notice does not, in any way, affect the licensed Cannabis Associations, which the Authority regulates. Quality-tested and quality-assured cannabis will continue to be distributed to members of these associations.

She said that the main aim is to protect and safeguard public health, and thanked the Authority for the proactive approach it took on.

"This is another clear proof of ARUC's mission, to not let the country become a jungle," she said.

Buttigieg said that ARUC's aim is not to promote use to cannabis, but to address an existing reality. She continued that the authority is working on harm reduction approaches, awareness campaigns, and providing information to the public.

Vella said that the aggressive marketing of HHC products are deceptive to youths and minors, presented in attractive forms which make it seem innocuous.

Brightly coloured packaging as well as products such as gummies, lollipops and marshmallows were tactics clearly designed to target younger, inexperienced consumers, which made it seem harmless or less intoxicating than cannabis, Vella said.

Easy availability and no quality or age restrictions posed a significant public health risk, Vella continued. HHC operated in a legal grey area, which urgently needed the ban to close that loophole and protect public health.

The packaging of these products also hold little information about the contents of the product, and scant warnings about its potential health risks, Vella said.

Vella said that these products could be potentially contaminated with harmful contaminants, posing a potential long-term risk to public health.

He said that through the legal notice, which has been effective as from 27 September of this year, HHC is considered like any other psychoactive drug.

The legal notice also bans these substances: HHC - 0, HHC - P, H4-CBD, THC-P, HHC-H, Delta 8-THC-P, THC - B, 9-OH-HHC, and Delta 8-THCH, which are very similar substances being continuously developed, Vella said.

The CEO said that the authority is currently undergoing efforts to enforce the ban, by confiscating existing products in stock in all shops, as well as ensuring that no further stock comes in.

Vella also said that the Authority is looking into evaluating the legislation to include and provide quality-controlled and tested cannabis resin in the legislation, as current users are having to resort to the illegal market.

He also said that ARUC is looking into the possibility of on-site consumption of cannabis, a change which cannot be done without negotiations and discussions with stakeholders.

Buttigieg said that as the legal framework Malta adopted for the responsible use of cannabis is a first of its kind, the authority is constantly learning through experience and feedback to carry out evaluations of the law.

She said that HHC products were undermining ARUC's function, and preoccupations from NGOs as well as evaluation of these products led to the Authority taking on the proactive approach of banning such substances.