HHC products in Malta

Abstract

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a semi-synthetic cannabinoid, has recently gained attention in the evolving cannabis market due to its legal status as an alternative to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in many jurisdictions. Although HHC was synthesized decades ago, its presence in consumer products has increased significantly in recent years. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of HHC containing products available in Malta prior to the enforcement of the Drugs (Control) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations in September 2024. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), six commercially available products claiming to contain HHC were analysed to identify HHC and related cannabinoids. GC/MS was selected due to its ability to separate complex cannabinoid mixtures and provide compound identification with high sensitivity and specificity. The analysis revealed discrepancies between product labels and actual cannabinoid content, highlighting concerns regarding product quality and labelling accuracy. While GC/MS was effective in detecting the (9R)-HHC isomers, limitations were noted due to certain instances where structurally similar compounds produced similar quality scores, making it more difficult to confidently distinguish between the different isomers. These limitations suggest that additional techniques, such as quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS), could improve analytical accuracy in future studies. Statistical analysis of the GC/MS results revealed that (9R)-HHC was consistently present, in contrast to (9S)-HHC across the tested samples. The study revealed a considerable amount of labelling inaccuracies and discrepancies between the product labels and the compounds identified through GC/MS analysis, raising significant safety concerns for consumers. These findings emphasise the urgent need for further research into HHC’s pharmacological effects, safety, and therapeutic potential. The study faced some limitations, including a small sample size mainly due to the legal prohibition of HHC products during the research period of the study, and the fact that each sample was analyzed only once, which reduced the statistical strength of the findings. Future studies with larger sample sizes and more advanced analytical techniques are crucial to ensure consumer safety and to provide a clearer understanding for the regulation of emerging synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC.