An Interview with Dr. Raphael Mechoulam

Smart Publications

Raphael Mechoulam, Ph.D., is the Lionel Jacobson Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he has been working on cannabinoid chemistry (a term he coined) for over forty years. Throughout this time Dr. Mechoulam and colleagues have made some of the most important contributions to the field of cannabinoid research. His lab was the first to identify and synthesize delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. This discovery in 1964 (with Dr. Yehiel Gaoni) opened the door to a whole new field of medical research that began exploring, not only the therapeutic potential of THC (marketed as Marinol in America), but other natural and synthetic cannabinoids as well, and offered exciting new insights into how the brain functions.

It turns out that the brain actually has a whole family of cannabinoid neurotransmitters and receptors. Just as the active compound in opium (morphine) led to the discovery of the endorphin (endogenous morphine) system in the brain, the active compound in cannabis (THC) led to the discovery of the brain's endocannabinoid system. Later Dr. Mechoulam and colleagues identified the THC metabolites and, more recently, along with Dr. Lumir Hanus and Dr. Shimon Ben-Shabat, he discovered a second endocannabinoid known as 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG). These findings have profoundly advanced our understanding of cannabinoid systems.

Endocannabinoids function as neuroprotective agents. They are part of the brain's reward system, and they help with the reduction of pain.

Vigorous exercise stimulates the release of anandamide, and the sense of euphoric well-being that comes with a healthy workout—what jogging enthusiasts refer to as a "runner's high"—is due to elevated levels of endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system in the brain is also believed to help mediate emotions, consolidate memory, and coordinate movement. In fact, cannabinoid receptors are found in higher concentrations than any other receptor in the brain, and the endocannabinoid system acts essentially in just about every physiological system that people have looked into.