At the October 26-28 CannX, the 5th International Medical Cannabis Conference, there was a celebration of the life of Hebrew University’s Prof. Raphael Mechoulam, honouring him for his achievements and discoveries on the verge of his 90th birthday, which occurred on November 5, 2020.
This year, the conference, dubbed CannX Virtual 2020, took place online, with researchers, health professionals, scientists, startups, entrepreneurs, agricultural experts, and investors meeting virtually in live sessions and interactive networking opportunities to discuss innovation and the latest developments in the field of medical cannabis.
Prof. Mechoulam gave the keynote speech at CannX and was interviewed in an honourary session by Dr. David (Dedi) Meiri, an Israeli researcher and assistant professor who heads the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research at the Technion-Institute of Technology.
Below you will find:
- A Look Back: A timeline of his life
- A photo gallery of Prof. Mechoulam at CannX
- A video of the Full Celebration of Prof. Mechoulam’s 90th Birthday from CannX on Monday, October 26th
- The video documentary “The Scientist“, a candid exploration of his life and research
- Insightful quotes from Prof. Mechoulam on cannabis and his hopes for the future
Prof. Mechoulam – A Look Back
Since the inception of his research in the 60s, Professor Mechoulam has been nominated for over 25 academic awards, including the Heinrich Wieland Prize (2004), an Honorary doctorate from Complutense University (2006), the Israel Prize in Exact Sciences – Chemistry (2000), the Israel Chemical Society Prize for excellence in research (2009) and EMET Prize in Exact Sciences – Chemistry (2012).
Gallery: Prof. Mechoulam at CannX
Full Celebration of Prof. Mechoulam’s 90th Birthday from Monday, October 26th
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The Scientist
“The Scientist” is a documentary that traces the story of Mechoulam from his early days as a child of the Holocaust in Bulgaria, through his immigration to Israel, and his career as the chief investigator into the chemistry and biology of the world’s most misunderstood plant.
Dr. Mechoulam ascertained that THC interacts with the largest receptor system in the human body, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). He then found that the human brain produces its very own Cannabis – a chemical that they named anandamide after the Sanskrit word ananda, “bliss”.
“I believe cannabinoids represent a medical treasure waiting to be discovered.“
“I have spent most of my life decoding the mysteries to be found within this incredible plant. The collective work on the plant has currently led to identifying a major physiological system, the endocannabinoid system, which appears to be involved in numerous human illnesses. I would like to see my colleagues forge ahead with their investigations, advancing even further the acceptance and integration of cannabinoids, in particular cannabidiol, its derivatives and the specific CB2 agonists, in traditional medicine.“
– Prof. Raphael Mechoulam