Bonds That Tie: Chemical Heritage and the Rise of Cannabis Research

Book excerpt: This book traces the global chemical history of cannabidiol (CBD), which is a compound that originates partially from hemp (the fiber), marijuana (the popularized term for medicinal/recreational use), and cannabis (the species sativa). It also argues about the position that CBD is in today and the heritage established by chemists over the course of its development. Each term associated with the plant spans centuries of development and cross-culturally became an object of cultivation and commerce. Humans have explored cannabis’ complex chemical possibilities with the hope that it would offer pain relief or some type of mind-numbing portal to other existences. As such the trio and their many incarnations have been and will continue to be an integral part of the past, the present, and the future. Known as cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of the drug, it is one of some 100-plus known cannabinoids; offshoots of the original plant that are isolated and, in some cases, chemically altered. Just as with any supposed pharmaceutical marvel, chemists are at the center of this narrative. In order to understand its historical roots, central to CBD’s discovery was the efforts of scientists who worked in separate eras and regions. These included, Americans Roger Adams and Allyn Howlett, and the Bulgarian-born Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam, along with a throng of others. They influenced a generation of students and changed the face of cannabis research into the 21st century. What does its history tell us about the future of chemical products like CBD? This brief will explore the chemical heritage that formed across a complicated nexus of global events. These are the bonds that tie.