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.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
RSS