Cannabis sweets will no longer be sold in kiosks.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis is suspending the sale of gummies containing cannabis in kiosks and convenience stores.

According to his decision, which is expected to be published in the Government Gazette one of these days, all products containing the substance HHC (hexahydrocannabinol), a “famous” cannabinoid in recent years, change their category and join drugs. This means that they must be removed from available points of sale.

HHC jellies, available in a variety of flavors, are very popular with teenagers and young adults. It has already been recorded several times that their use has caused side effects. For example, about two months ago, a 20-year-old man experienced severe dizziness and vomiting after consuming cannabis sweets, as a result of which he went to the Salamis Medical Center with symptoms of poisoning and was transferred to Tzanio Hospital.

“One of the first resolutions I signed was to clarify that these cannabis jellies sold in kiosks are dangerous and contain a narcotic substance. The product has been classified as a narcotic substance and must be immediately withdrawn from all points of sale. These jellies are not intended for children to be freely bought like chewing gum,” Mr Georgiadis said in a TV interview with Action24 this morning.

The topic of “edible cannabinoids” is being addressed by competent food safety authorities in many countries around the world. The most recent case concerns Irish authorities, who issued a warning about a year ago after a series of hospitalizations.

Hexahydrocannabinol – synthetic cannabinoid. That is, it is not of plant origin, but is prepared in a laboratory. It comes in various forms: in oil, to extend the life of flowers, and in foods such as fruit-flavored gummies and the famous jellies, which are especially popular with children. The substance HHC is a “relative” of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Each form of HHC has a different duration of action. For example, gels last from half an hour to two hours.

HHC is created through a process known as hydrogenation. Hydrogen is injected into another substance to force the hydrogen molecules to become part of the molecular structure of the original substance. This process is used in many foods. For example, it is used to process vegetable oil into margarine. The substance is also used to convert raw vegetable oil into hydrogenated vegetable oil to extend its shelf life.

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