Government plans to ban HHC and place kratom plants on list of substances under review

The cannabinoid HHC will most likely soon be classified as a banned substance in the Czech Republic, making its possession a criminal offense. The government is expected to decide on the issue on Monday. It also plans to place three synthetic THC derivatives and plants of the genus mitragyna, from which kratom alternatives are derived, on a list of substances under review. If they are later confirmed to pose low risk, they could potentially be sold to adults under strict rules in the future.

The proposal stems from a draft regulation on the list of addictive substances. Both the government’s drug policy department and the Czech Chamber of Commerce oppose the HHC ban.

“The only consequence of reclassifying HHC would be an unjustified overreach of the law in the form of criminalizing users who cause minimal social harm and who possess small amounts of the substance for personal use,” the department said.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, the ban would also bring no benefit in protecting the public and would instead limit research into possible therapeutic effects.