Renowned scientist and cannabis research pioneer, Raphael Mechoulam, passed away on September 2, 2021, at the age of 90. Mechoulam was a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is widely regarded as the father of cannabis research.
Mechoulam was born in Bulgaria in 1930 and moved to Israel with his family when he was a child. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1958 and went on to conduct groundbreaking research on the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabis.
In 1964, Mechoulam and his team were the first to isolate and identify delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. This discovery paved the way for further research into the effects of THC and other cannabinoids on the human body.
Mechoulam’s research also led to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system, a complex network of receptors and neurotransmitters that plays a crucial role in regulating many physiological processes, including pain, mood, appetite, and sleep.
Throughout his career, Mechoulam was a vocal advocate for the medical use of cannabis and worked tirelessly to promote its legalization and destigmatization. He believed that cannabis had enormous potential as a medicine and that its therapeutic benefits should be made available to all who could benefit from them.
In addition to his work on cannabis, Mechoulam also made significant contributions to the fields of natural product chemistry, lipid chemistry, and neurochemistry. He received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Israel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 and the Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences in 2012.
Mechoulam’s passing is a great loss to the scientific community and to all those who have benefited from his groundbreaking research. His legacy will live on through the countless scientists and researchers who continue to build on his work and explore the many potential applications of cannabis and its compounds.
- SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
- PlatoAiStream. Web3 Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
- Source: Plato Data Intelligence: PlatoData