Cannabis ( Cannabis sativa L.) is a remarkable example of a socially divisive topic confused by too many contrasting contemporary voices. On the other hand, sudden scientific revolutions are rare, and most advancements are the result of incremental developments, whose fil rouge through the history of knowledge deserves to be followed since both intellectually stimulating and predictive of future developments in the area. Raphael Mechoulam is considered the father of modern studies on Cannabis, his “Eureka moments” being the identification of ∆ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆ 9-THC, 1a) as the intoxicating agent of the plant, and the discovery of endocannabinoids, their endogenous analogues. With some notable exceptions like the heliocentric theory, radioactivity, and evolution, the generally tortuous and often colorful way in which scientific knowledge can emerge from random observations, faux pas, and serendipitous discoveries is largely overlooked in modern discussions, remaining relegated to specialized audiences or becoming summarized in a series of “Eureka moments” of inspiration by a single talented scientist. A comparative analysis of the contributions to the area by Adams and Todd highlights the transition between two generations of organic chemists, and the profound influence that the development of chromatographic methods of purification and of spectroscopic techniques of structure elucidation have played on the development of organic chemistry. The results of these studies include the structure elucidation of cannabinol ( 2a), and the preliminary structure elucidation of cannabidiol (CBD, 3a) and various semi-synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs). Significant contributions to the elucidation of the signature molecular scaffold of cannabinoids were provided by some of the finest organic chemists of their generation, like Roger Adams and the Nobel laureate Alexander Todd, and important studies of preeminent scientists like Robert Sidney Cahn and František Šantavý also deserve mentioning. Studies on cannabinoids that predate the identification of ∆ 9-THC as the intoxicating constituents of recreational cannabis by Raphael Mechoulam in 1964 are reviewed, critically analyzing the controversies and faux pas that have characterized the early research in this area.
0 kommentar(er)
