On March 12th, during the 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) was added to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The CND vote follows the World Health Organization's recommendation that HHC be added into Schedule II. The CND action, which required 36 votes, passed comfortably with 49 votes. Notably, the United States abstained. Placement of HHC in Schedule II mandates that all signatories of the 1971 Convention (roughly 184 countries) restrict HHC's use to only scientific, medical, and industrial purposes.
HHC是四氢大麻酚（THC）的一种半合成氢化衍生物。氢化过程向THC引入氢分子，使HHC具有与THC相似的多种精神活性效应。尽管美国部分州立法限制此类物质，但其他州则未作限制。 此外，根据2018年《农业法案》，在第四和第九巡回法院辖区内销售HHC产品的企业可能具有合法性——具体取决于所在州是否通过立法或法规禁止HHC。
CND’s scheduling of HHC aligns with a DEA letter issued to Attorney Rod Kight in 2023, stating the Administration's belief that synthetic cannabinoids are schedule I substances. However, given HHC's semi-synthetic nature, the U.S. government’s obligation to regulate HHC (as discussed below) may conflict with the 2018 Farm Bill’s exclusion of hemp and its derivatives from federal control. Should the Attorney General schedule HHC pursuant to treaty obligations, it may raise concerns regarding the unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority to a foreign body.
接下来，联合国秘书长必须正式将此列管决定通知所有成员国，特别是美国国务卿马可·卢比奥。根据1971年公约，第二类列管分类将在通知发出后180天生效。 根据《美国法典》第21编第811(d)(2)条规定，鲁比奥国务卿须立即通知卫生与公众服务部（HHS）的罗伯特·肯尼迪部长。若肯尼迪部长经与司法部长帕姆·邦迪协商后认定，现行针对HHC的管控措施不足以履行1971年公约义务，则：
- 肯尼迪部长将建议邦迪司法部长根据《美国法典》第21编第811(a)和(b)款，启动程序将HHC列入《管制物质法》的适当管制名录；或
- 若肯尼迪国务卿不同意日程安排决定，则可要求卢比奥国务卿在180天内通知联合国秘书长，表明美国有保留地接受该决定，并请求联合国经济及社会理事会进行复审。
If, however, Attorney General Bondi, after consultation with Secretary Kennedy, determines that scheduling proceedings will not conclude within 180 days of Secretary Rubio being notified of the scheduling change, then Attorney General Bondi--after consulting with HHS and allowing for public comments on the temporary scheduling recommendation--must issue a temporary order to place HHC under Schedule IV or V of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Whether HHC goes to Schedule IV or V in that scenario depends on which schedule is more appropriate to fulfill the U.S.'s obligations under the 1971 Convention.
重要的是，根据《美国法典》第21编第811(d)(3)(C)条，邦迪司法部长有权发布列管令，且无需考虑前文所述并由《美国法典》第21编第811(a)及(b)条要求的认定或程序。
Assuming Secretary Kennedy and Attorney General Bondi adhere to 21 U.S.C. § 811 and complete a review of HHC, or at a minimum, order that HHC be added to a CSA schedule, then the process, and HHC's ultimate placement, could provide valuable insights into the broader cannabis scheduling debate. We will continue to monitor this development, so stay tuned for updates.
