Do you know who discovered THC in the cannabis plant? Professor Raphael Mechoulam discovered THC over 50 years ago. Raphael Mechoulam is a scientist in Israel. I find it odd that people around the world can name celebrities that smoke marijuana almost instantly, or maybe name a seed breeder or two, but hardly anyone knows who discovered THC.
Professor Raphael Mechoulam is the father of marijuana science, and in an indirect way, the father of medical marijuana. Professor Mechoulam has received the Israel Prize for Chemistry, and even received recognition from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse by winning a ‘Discovery Award’ in 2011. The United States federal government of course doesn’t recognize marijuana as having any medical value, but I’ll save that for another article.
Even though Raphael Mechoulam has a PhD already, he can add another one to his resume. Per documentary maker Zach Klein’s website:
“In deep appreciation of an eminent scientist who studies the chemistry of plant-derived materials and their medicinal functions, a discoverer of the active agent in the cannabis plant, tetrahydrocannabinol, and endogenous cannabinoids in the human brain, whose ground-breaking research has laid the foundation for cannabinoid research globally; In recognition of a multi-faceted researcher whose work encompasses both basic and applied research, ranging from the chemical analysis of natural products to their psycho-physiological effects on the human body, from the discovery of receptors and materials in the human brain to the development of therapies for chronic diseases and the alleviation of suffering; With esteem for an academician who has mentored a new generation of researchers who will follow in his footsteps, including the founder and faculty of the School of Pharmacy at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and for serving in key academic positions, including rector of the Hebrew University, president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and head of the Natural Sciences Section of the Israel Academy of Sciences; And in acknowledgement of the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Israel Prize for Chemistry, whose scientific contribution serves as an example for others,
by conferring upon him the degree of
DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE HONORIS CAUSA
with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto”
