The 'Grandfather of Cannabis Research'

This is Raphael Mechoulam, an organic chemist famed for his extensive work and research into the cannabis plant; particularly the functions of cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. You rpobably haven't heard of him, but his significance to everyone that uses cannabis has earned him the nickname: 'Grandfather of Cannabis Research'. Raphael and his research group were the first to isolate & synthesise cannabinoids Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC), cannabidiol (CDB), cannabigerol (CBG) and various others. This basically means that they discovered and proved the existence of cannabinoids, explaining the science behind the psychoactive effects & medicinal capabilities of the cannabis plant. He and his team of researchers became pioneers for the scientific study of cannabis. Another research project led to the isolation of the first endocannabinoid - they named it Anandamide - which was isolated and characterised by two of his postdoctoral researchers, leading to another ground breaking discovery. It was consequently unearthed that cannabinoids are found naturally in all mammals, so we are genetically pre-disposed to be able to absorb cannabinoids via the CB1 and CB2 receptors found in the brain at at various other points throughout the body.

Raphael Mechoulam has published over 350 scientific articles throughout his extensive career as a scientist. He was born in Bulgaria in 1930 to Jewish parents; eventually at age 20, he moved to Israel as a refugee after the Second World War, during which his parents survived concentration camps. He studied biochemistry for 8 years, achieving his Ph. D in 1958 at the Weizmann Institute in Jerusalem, before moving on to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he became Professor in 1972 and Professor of Medical Chemistry from 1975. In 1994 he was elected as a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences. He continues his invaluable research to this day at the incredible age of 87. Remember the name - without Mechoulam's work, the world's knowledge and understanding of the cannabis plant would be very limited and the development of cannabis culture would undoubtedly be decades behind where it is today.