People selling cannabinoid gummies containing hexahydrocannabihexol (HHCH) could face a fine of up to NT$200 million (US$6.33 million) for contravening the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (依食品安全衛生管理法), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
HHCH has a similar structure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical compound commonly found in marijuana. Consumption of food containing HHCH can lead to hallucinations, nausea and other discomfort.
The substance’s hazardous effects on human health came under scrutiny recently after several people in Japan were reported to have experienced discomfort after eating HHCH gummies made by a manufacturer in Osaka.
Photo: CNA
Tokyo yesterday listed HHCH as a substance that is subject to government control, and banned people from possessing, using and selling it from Saturday next week.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its Tokyo office had received requests for emergency assistance from Taiwanese who had consumed candies containing HHCH.
From Saturday next week, people in Japan could face legal consequences if they own or consume food containing the substance, the ministry said.
While THC is listed as a category 2 drug and class 2 controlled substance, HHCH, a derivative of THC, is not a controlled substance in Taiwan, FDA Deputy Director-General Cheng Hwei-fang (陳惠芳) told a news conference in Taipei.
“The Ministry of Justice’s Controlled Drugs Review Committee would determine whether HHCH should be listed as a narcotic. Once it is listed as a narcotic, we would consider listing it as a controlled substance that can only be used in scientific experiments,” Chen said.
Even if HHCH is not regulated as a drug or a controlled substance, food manufacturers are banned from using it as an ingredient or importing or selling it before it is determined safe to consume, Chen said.
Those who use, sell or import the substance can be fined NT$60,000 to NT$200 million in accordance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, she said.
“Because HHCH has not yet been listed as a controlled substance, people can bring in small amounts of food containing HHCH for self-consumption. Customs would not intercept it, but selling it is a breach of the act,” Chen said.
The Japanese government decided to regulate HHCH as people can experience nausea, confusion, contractions and epileptic seizures, and it can cause brain damage in children who consume the substance, said Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海), head of the department of clinical toxicology at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
Taiwan should intensify inspections of travelers returning from Japan, Yen said.
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