When baker Sayan Cassar began to forget bread in the oven and burn it to a crisp he realised that a drug he was taking – which looked inconspicuously like cannabis – could have been seriously messing with his brain.

The 37-year-old has been in the bread business for 20 years and knows exactly how long a loaf takes to bake to perfection. But, after he smoked a weed-like drug that included a substance known as HHC, he started to notice that not only was he losing track of time but his brain had started to erase memories completely.

“It was horrific. I would put the loaves in the oven and, within 15 minutes, I would completely forget I ever put anything in there, until I start getting whiffs of the smell of burning bread, panic, rush to the oven and realise, to my surprise, that there were loaves of bread there which were all burnt to a crisp,” he told Times of Malta.

“On other occasions I would go to the supermarket, buy groceries, get back home and forget I ever went. Within an hour or two of returning from the shop, I would remember I needed groceries and make plans to head to the supermarket again.”

Substance available over the counter

Cassar had just started smoking HHC (Hexahydrocannabinol) – a synthetic cannabinoid that’s similar in structure and effects to THC (commonly known as weed) but which, unlike regular cannabis, was not regulated by law and, despite its often-harmful effects, was available to buy from websites, via courier delivery or over the counter from several shops till last month.

Effects like those suffered by Cassar raised concern among NGOs, Malta’s cannabis authority and the government and, two weeks ago, Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg announced the semi-synthetic substances have finally been banned from Malta to safeguard the public’s health and reduce children’s accessibility to the usually colourful but harmful products.

Cassar, who also hosts an online podcast, recalled first smoking the substance last January. It looked like normal weed, which he would sometimes smoke recreationally, and admits he was fooled into thinking it could not have been more harmful. It was also cheaper and much more accessible online, making it even more alluring.

“Sometimes, I would type messages on WhatsApp and close the application without pressing ‘send’. People would later text again to see why I haven’t replied and that’s when I would usually realise what happened.”

When he tried to stay away from it, he developed intense anxiety and other severe withdrawal symptoms, and his ADHD and his initial reluctance to seek help made it worse, he admitted.

But when he did finally go to Sedqa, he managed to overcome it and control it with the help of professionals and has been clean since.

Sayan Cassar has made it his mission to use his experience as an eye-opener to other people. Photo: Facebook/Sayan Cassar

Drug existed in legal grey area

Unlike THC, which occurs naturally in cannabis plants, HHC is created through a chemical process. HHC can produce similar effects to THC, including feelings of euphoria, relaxation and altered perception, but more research is needed to understand its long-term effects on human health.

In recent months, products containing HHC – colourful gummy bears, cookies and lollipops – were sold in stores across the country and on food delivery platforms.

Earlier this year, Health Minister JoEtienne Abela had already expressed concern about it and Church organisations had called on the government to ban the semi-synthetic drug, while the Authority for Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) previously expressed “great concern” that the product was sold openly in shops.

HHC negatively impacts people around you and it’s not fair on them... All you need is love and the people around you. You don’t need anything else in life- Sayan Cassar

Speaking to Times of Malta, ARUC executive chair Joey Reno Vella said the substance has been known to exist for more than eight decades in scientific circles but no documented human pharmacological or toxicological studies have been conducted yet.

“The surge in the commercial scale importation of semi-synthetic and synthetic cannabinoids is a matter of grave concern, particularly when considering that these products are most of the time manufactured, packaged and labelled under dubious conditions,” he said.

“The availability and marketing of semi-synthetic cannabinoid products, especially in the form of food items, poses risks to public health and exposes young persons and tourists visiting Malta to unnecessary and potentially unknown health risks.”

ARUC also set up a consultative committee with the superintendence for public health and representatives from the police, the customs office, the health department and the toxicology department to discuss addressing the issue, which has now culminated in a legal ban.

All HHC products will be banned from Maltese markets, Equality Permanent Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg confirmed last week. Credit: Matthew Mirabelli/Shutterstock

Packets contained contradictory messages

OASI Foundation, along with Caritas Malta and researchers at the University of Malta, had also been working on the issue since this time last year, when they began shopping for the sweet-like products and testing them to establish what substances they contained.

OASI chief executive Noel Xerri said in some cases the product packaging had warnings reading “not for consumption” and “this product can be harmful to health if consumed” but, on the same packet, a few lines down, the product was described as “delicious” and “tasty” gummies that “offer a balanced dose of HHC in every bite”.

Xerri said THC and HHC have very similar effects on the brain, except that one had been controlled and the other was not yet until now.

The ban is a step in the right direction- OASI chief executive Noel Xerri

“Twenty other European countries had already banned it and we felt we should push to outlaw it in Malta as well,” he said.

“The ban is a step in the right direction because it clearly sends out the message that the substance is harmful.”

Cassar, meanwhile, has made it his mission to use his experience as an eye opener to other people.

“HHC negatively impacts people around you and it’s not fair on them,” he said.

“All you need is love and the people around you. You don’t need anything else in life.”