Czech Senate Approves Restrictions On Sale Of Kratom And HHC Products

The Czech Senate passed amendments this week proposing new limits on the sale of kratom and HHC products. The amendments are now heading to the office of President Petr Pavel. If signed into law, the sale of these products would be allowed only to adults and in specific stores starting December, writes Radio Prague International.

Kratom, a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia that can produce effects similar to opioids, is currently legal in the Czech Republic and has been used to treat chronic pain and opium dependency. It is often sought as an energy booster, mood enhancer and pain reliever. In higher doses, the herb can induce sedation and pleasure.

Even though there's a lack of conclusive scientific research on kratom's safety and efficacy, a ban on it is not being considered because of its medical applications.

"At the moment, we do not have any regulation on the sale of kratom, for example, and my 14-year-old son can buy it completely unregulated in the convenience store next door," Senator Karel Zitterbart said. "We also know that repression does not work. Repression would only shift the sale of some of these substances to the black market. So what makes sense is regulation."

Senator Roman Kraus, chairman of the senate committee for healthcare also commented on the amendment, "The goal is the strict regulation of the market, but not the prohibition and criminalisation of either sellers or users. And just on a side note, I would like to say that it is estimated that in one year, about 200 to 300 tons of kratom will be sold in the Czechia, so this shows the importance of this amendment and the protection of public health."

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Only In Specialized Stores And For Adults

HHC products are also being restricted because of their wide availability due to the lack of proper regulation around it. A semi-synthetic cannabinoid, HHC, is a hydrogenated form of THC. To bypass the law and offer psychoactive products to buyers some chemists are using legal THC from hemp. Sellers of HHC products claim it provides euphoric sensations as well as mental and physical relaxation. HHC can be found in the form of dried flowers, resins, oils and vaping concentrates.

In January, primary-school children in Karlovy Vary were poisoned by sweets infused with HHC.

Because of the brief history of HHC consumption, scientific studies about its safety and effects are limited, and more and more countries are beginning to ban these products.

With the new amendments, products containing kratom and HHC would be available only in specialized stores, and couldn't be sold in vending machines. The packaging should not appeal to children. Online sales would also be restricted with special focus on the verification of customer's age. The Ministry of Health needs to analyze and approve all of these products before sale.

Cannabis Debates

These amendments come at the times of discussions on how to regulate cannabis products. In August, the governing coalition confirmed it supports cannabis cultivation, but not the establishing of a regulated marijuana market. However, former National Drug Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil doesn't believe that the game is over for full legalization and continues to push for it.

He recently commented on the ministry's proposal to allow personal home grow of a maximum three plants, while at the same allowing the grower to keep 50 grams of dried cannabis, which, according to experts, is unrealistic. Fifty grams is much less than what usually one plant provides. Vobořil told Novinky.cz that the proposal is "good from a symbolic point of view, but will not work in practice."

Meanwhile, a recent study conducted by the researchers from the Faculty of Business Economics at the University of Prague concluded that the country could be missing out on hundreds of millions of euros annually if it doesn't establish a regulated marijuana market. As per the report a "comprehensive model," incorporating self-cultivation, cannabis clubs and a fully commercial market, could result in “total net social benefits of CZK 5.5 billion (218 million euros; $242 million) per year.

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