Ireland finally bans HHC 'but we must be vigilant about new drugs’

Widely available in Ireland in forms including e-cigarettes or vape pens and as edible jellies, cannabis substitute HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) has now been banned. Picture: iStock

The Government has been urged to remain vigilant and responsive to new drugs trends after it banned an addictive cannabis substitute which has been commonly sold in vapes or as edibles and which has been linked to serious medical episodes and psychosis in young people.

The classification of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) as an illegal drug, agreed by Cabinet on Tuesday, means the import, export, production, possession, sale, or supply of products containing HHC is now illegal, giving added powers of enforcement to gardaí.