Professor Raphael Mechoulam was a world-renowned organic chemist and pioneer in cannabinoid research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1930, he immigrated to Israel in 1949 where he earned his M.Sc. in biochemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1952. After completing his Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute in 1958 with research on steroid synthesis and postdoctoral studies at the Rockefeller Institute in New York, he joined the faculty of the Hebrew University in 1966. He rose to become a full professor in 1972 and was appointed to the prestigious Lionel Jacobson Chair for Medicinal Chemistry in 1975, later serving as the university's Rector from 1979 to 1982.
Mechoulam's groundbreaking research in the 1960s revolutionized our understanding of cannabis chemistry, as he was the first to isolate delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, and cannabidiol (CBD), the most medically significant non-psychoactive compound. His seminal 1964 paper 'Isolation, structure and partial synthesis of an active constituent of hashish' published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society marked the beginning of modern cannabinoid science and has been cited extensively over decades. Beyond plant cannabinoids, he co-discovered the first endocannabinoid, anandamide, revealing the body's own cannabinoid system and fundamentally changing our understanding of neurochemistry. This work catalyzed an entirely new field of medical research with profound implications for pain management, neurology, and immunology, leading to numerous therapeutic applications now being developed worldwide.
Throughout his career, Professor Mechoulam mentored generations of scientists and helped establish The Hebrew University Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research in 2017, cementing his legacy as the founding father of modern cannabinoid science. His extensive publication record of approximately 470 scientific papers has shaped research directions across multiple disciplines including pharmacology, neurology, and medicinal chemistry. Despite officially retiring in 2000, he remained actively engaged in research until his passing, continuing to lead a laboratory with post-doctoral researchers at the Hebrew University. His pioneering work continues to inspire global research efforts, with the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids now being explored for conditions ranging from chronic pain to epilepsy, demonstrating the enduring impact of his visionary contributions to science and medicine.
