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The term “legal highs” covers a broad and rapidly changing category of substances. For buyers, understanding what that term actually means legally and what protections and risks come with it is essential before making any purchasing decision.

This is not a simple landscape. Regulations vary significantly between countries, and even within them. What is permitted in one jurisdiction may be prohibited in another. What is sold openly in one country may fall into a legal grey area across the border.

Here is what buyers genuinely need to know.

The phrase “legal high” is a colloquial term, not a regulatory category. It generally refers to substances that are designed to produce psychoactive effects and are sold in a way that positions them as not being controlled under existing drug laws.

These substances are more formally known as New Psychoactive Substances, or NPS. According to the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), which operates the EU Early Warning System on new psychoactive substances, over 950 NPS were being monitored across Europe by the end of 2023. In 2024, European countries identified 20 new cannabinoids alone.

The defining feature of NPS is that they are created or marketed to stay ahead of existing legal controls. When a substance is scheduled or prohibited, producers often make slight chemical modifications and bring a technically different product back to market. This creates a constantly evolving regulatory challenge for governments and a genuine information gap for consumers.

Across the European Union, regulation of NPS operates at two levels: EU-wide frameworks and individual national laws.

At the EU level, the EUDA’s Early Warning System identifies new substances as they appear. Once a substance is formally assessed and determined to pose sufficient risk, it can be subject to EU-wide control measures. This process has been strengthened in recent years following new legislation that expanded the agency’s mandate.

At the national level, countries take significantly different approaches:

For buyers in France, this means the regulatory picture is stricter than in some neighboring countries. A substance that is sold openly in a shop in the Netherlands may not have the same legal status in France.

Understanding the regulatory environment leads to several practical conclusions for anyone considering purchasing these products:

If you are specifically looking to understand what is available for legal highs in France and the surrounding regulatory context, starting with a retailer who is explicit about product composition and compliant with applicable regulations is essential.

Express Highs provides detailed product information and laboratory documentation, offering customers a clear picture of what they are purchasing.

Regardless of legal status, harm reduction is a practical priority for any buyer. The NPS market presents genuine risks because:

Starting with the minimum possible dose, never combining with other substances without expert advice, and purchasing only from retailers who provide verified laboratory certificates are the foundational harm reduction principles in this space.

The “legal highs” market rewards informed buyers and takes advantage of uninformed ones. The regulatory landscape is complex and genuinely dynamic, but that does not mean buyers have no tools at their disposal.

Research the specific legal status in your country. Demand laboratory certificates with your purchases. Buy from retailers with transparent product information and real customer service. And treat any substance with limited research history with the proportionate caution that limited research history deserves.

Legal does not automatically mean safe. And illegal does not automatically mean dangerous. Understanding this distinction, and making decisions based on real information rather than marketing language, is what responsible purchasing in this market looks like.