Sniffy energy powder: why France banned its sale in July 2024

By Manon, CBD specialist at Deli Hemp Pro

On 25 July 2024, France's health minister, Catherine Vautrin, signed an order halting the sale of Sniffy, a white “energy powder” designed to be snorted. The product had been sold online and in some tobacconists for a few months, and it caused an outcry. Here is what happened on the French market and what the episode tells retailers, including those outside France who follow the continent's largest CBD market.

Where did Sniffy come from?

Sniffy was a white powder presented as an energy booster. Health professionals and the authorities quickly denounced it as a serious threat to young people's health. Critics saw it as a deliberate attempt by the tobacco lobby to draw young people towards potentially addictive habits.

The brand claimed the product was “fully compliant with the law”. Its look, and the fact that it was snorted, told a different story, because they imitated an illegal and very dangerous practice.

How did France ban Sniffy?

After several weeks of consultation and procedure, the health minister signed the order on 25 July 2024. It relied on article L521-17 of the French Consumer Code, which allows the authorities to suspend the sale of a product when it presents a “serious or immediate danger” to consumers.

The minister's main fear was that a white powder taken through the nose would become a “very bad habit” among young people and expose them to a high risk of addiction. The decision was welcomed by many in the trade, including the national confederation of tobacconists, which had firmly opposed the product.

The measure was taken in July 2024. If you are considering any similar product, check its current status in France and in your own country before ordering.

A controversial launch for a supposedly innovative product

Sniffy arrived on the French market with plenty of noise. It came in several appealing flavours and was sold online and in some tobacconists as a product to boost performance and concentration. It found an audience quickly, especially among young adults looking for new sensations.

Its bulk sale attracted some resellers, drawn by the promise of a new product with strong sales potential. The same novelty set off the alarm among health professionals and the authorities, who warned straight away of the risks for young people.

How French tobacconists reacted

In France, tobacco is sold through licensed tobacconists, known as buralistes. Their national confederation represents 23,000 outlets across the country. Its president, Philippe Coy, said it was “unthinkable for the network to sell this product”, because of the obvious parallel with a narcotic.

Many tobacconists asked about it confirmed that they had refused to stock Sniffy, out of caution and on ethical grounds. As one of them put it, nobody really knew what the law would say.

What retailers can take from the Sniffy affair

Sniffy was not a CBD product, but the lesson applies to any shop that sells hemp or wellness goods. A product can be “compliant” on paper and still be pulled within weeks if its presentation evokes drug use or targets young people. Before listing a new product, look at how it is consumed and how it is marketed, not just at its ingredient list.

The same caution applies to hemp. The status of flowers, resins and other hemp products varies between countries and can be much stricter than in France, where our products comply with French law (delta-9-THC ≤ 0.3%). In the UK, the status of hemp flower is still contested, so check the rules for resale before ordering.

The ban concerned Sniffy specifically. To see the energy products Deli Hemp currently lists, browse our energy products category.