Japan's health ministry has prohibited the sale of 38 products, including gummy candies and cookies, which contain substances that are similar to a recently banned cannabis-like chemical compound.

The ministry on Thursday ordered the ban on the sale of the 38 products at stores nationwide and online.

The ministry banned the sale, possession and use of products that contain HHCH in Japan from December 2 after the compound was designated as a regulated drug.

The HHCH ban was prompted by reports of people falling ill after eating gummy candies that contained the compound.

However, the production and distribution of substances that are similar to HHCH, such as HHCP and THCPO, have not been regulated.

The health ministry says it has knowledge that since the start of November, ambulances were called out at least six times after people consumed products believed to contain HHCP and THCPO.

The ministry concluded that the production and distribution of these substances need to be regulated. This led to its decision to prohibit the sale of the 38 products that are believed to contain HHCP, THCPO and some other cannabis-like compounds.

The health ministry is planning to implement a comprehensive ban of all compounds with a similar chemical structure to HHCH as early as the beginning of next year.