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Raphael Mechoulam - The Godfather of THC
by Clint
Raphael Mechoulam is the discoverer of the active component in cannabis, THC, and substances in the brain which imitate its activity, and he is the pioneer in research of the cannabis substances and their therapeutic qualities.
Professor Mechoulam (born 1930) is a professor at the Department of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who has been in the forefront of Cannabis research for over 40 years. Although research into the psychoactive components of Cannabis began before the start of the 20th century, it was not until 1964 that Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, then a young researcher, identified delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as the most active compound. The dicovery opened the way for a new research field, the study of cannabinoids, natural and synthetic. Since its isolation in 1964, thousands of scientific studies have been written about THC.
Prof. Mechoulam and his team at the Hebrew University have continued to study the substances in cannabis and the metabolites created by them in the body. He has synthesized similar substances with various effects on the body, which are now in development by medicine production companies. In 1990 the cannabinoid receptor, the "lock" into which cannabinoids fit, activating the specific biochemical events, was discovered. This of course intensified the search for the cannabinoid-like brain molecule that binds to the cannabinoid receptor.In 1992, Prof. Mechoulam and his team identified a natural brain molecule that binds to the cannabinoid receptor. They called it anandamide, from the Sanskrit word for "eternal bliss". While the substance mimics the action of THC, interestingly, it doesn't look anything like it. Additional natural anandamides have since been found and it is speculated that a family of receptors may exist.
One thing is certain: the pace of cannabinoid research has picked up and the field is entering a new and exciting era!
One thing is certain: the pace of cannabinoid research has picked up and the field is entering a new and exciting era!
Medical Use
Professor Mechoulam has tested and recommended the use of cannabis and cannabinoids in various treatments:
Professor Mechoulam has tested and recommended the use of cannabis and cannabinoids in various treatments:
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Appetite enhancement for cancer and AIDS patients
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Prevention of vomiting during cancer chemotherapy
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According to recent researches - reduction of tumor growth for cancer patients
Mechoulam is part of the faculty at the medical school and at Hadassah Hospital (Jerusalem), where they use THC for a variety of things, but this has to be approved in every single case by a committee at the hospital. This has proved effective in several cases:
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Fighting chronic hiccups
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Treating Tourettes Syndrome, a very nasty neurological disease.
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Treating multiple sclerosis
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Preventing children undergoing cancer chemotherapy from vomiting, and helping with the terrible situation associated with treating children for cancer. According to him, "They're happier, and the families are happier, so we've been very glad about it".
Other future uses seen by Prof. Mechoulam:
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neuroprotection
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treating neuropathic pain (of a nervous system disease)
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suppression of memory for people with post-traumatic stress disorder
Views
From an interview to the Journal of the International Hemp Association, 1994: "Research in the last 20 years has shown that Cannabis differs from most other illicit drugs - it is not a major addictive agent and it seems to act through mechanisms which are quite different from those of the opiates and cocaine. Hence investigations in this field may lead us into understanding of very basic problems in biology such as memory and emotions. There are few tools for work in these areas and any additional one may be of great importance. The National Institute of Drug Abuse of the USA which is the major granting agency in the field of drug abuse is looking into cannabinoids with great interest now and this will be of considerable help. I would like to mention that the United Nations which has a huge budget devoted to drug abuse prevention does not support research at all. This is a strange situation and probably reflects the background of the officials dealing with drug abuse at the UN level. They view drug abuse as a social problem with little value of research for the solution of this problem. Too bad."
From an interview to the Journal of the International Hemp Association, 1994: "Research in the last 20 years has shown that Cannabis differs from most other illicit drugs - it is not a major addictive agent and it seems to act through mechanisms which are quite different from those of the opiates and cocaine. Hence investigations in this field may lead us into understanding of very basic problems in biology such as memory and emotions. There are few tools for work in these areas and any additional one may be of great importance. The National Institute of Drug Abuse of the USA which is the major granting agency in the field of drug abuse is looking into cannabinoids with great interest now and this will be of considerable help. I would like to mention that the United Nations which has a huge budget devoted to drug abuse prevention does not support research at all. This is a strange situation and probably reflects the background of the officials dealing with drug abuse at the UN level. They view drug abuse as a social problem with little value of research for the solution of this problem. Too bad."
Team Spirit
From an interview by David Jay Brown, 2005: "We've been lucky to work in a field where originally there wasn't anyone else, so we could work on our research slowly, without any major competition. Now it's a field in which there is a large group of very good people working... Though one always hears about competition between scientists, I haven't seen it that much in this field. We are a large group that is working without really competing, and we are exchanging information all the time. So it's a pleasure to be working in such a field. Maybe it has something to do with ananda".
From an interview by David Jay Brown, 2005: "We've been lucky to work in a field where originally there wasn't anyone else, so we could work on our research slowly, without any major competition. Now it's a field in which there is a large group of very good people working... Though one always hears about competition between scientists, I haven't seen it that much in this field. We are a large group that is working without really competing, and we are exchanging information all the time. So it's a pleasure to be working in such a field. Maybe it has something to do with ananda".
Trivia
Prof. Mechoulam's wife, Dalia, was actually the first person to make "space cookies".
In the spirit of her husband's research of cannabis in the 60's, she used some for cookies meant to test effects of cannabis ingestion, and created the world's first space cookies.
Prof. Mechoulam's wife, Dalia, was actually the first person to make "space cookies".
In the spirit of her husband's research of cannabis in the 60's, she used some for cookies meant to test effects of cannabis ingestion, and created the world's first space cookies.
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