Cannabis research in Israel

Before delving into cannabis research in Israel today, we feel it is important to understand the background and history of the cannabis plant as a medicinal plant  around the world. We will first explore how the active chemicals in cannabis were first classified and isolated and the initial uses of the plant and its chemicals as a remedy. Then, in the second and third parts of this overview, we will explore marijuana research in Israel in the past and in the present respectively.

Cannabis sativa research: modern classifications & use as remedy

There exists evidence of historical use of medicinal marijuana in ancient civilizations such as the Chinese, the Egyptian and the Hebrew civilizations.[note]www.antiquecannabisbook.com[/note][note]www.ancient-origins.net[/note][note]www.herbmuseum.ca[/note] These old societies discovered the naturopathic qualities of the cannabis plant. But in the modern era it only began to draw scientific attention in the 18th century when the first research was conducted.

The first modern classification of cannabis was made by the Swedish botanist Carl von Liné in 1753. He was familiar with European hemps, wildly cultivated at the time, for the use of its fiber when making ropes, clothing and paper. Von Liné named the plant Cannabis Sativa L. (L. Stands for Liné). He accidentally considered the specie to be a monotypic one, thinking there is no other variations of the plant. But Liné was proven wrong just a few years later, when the French biologist, Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck defined a new species of marijuana. According to Lamarck, the Cannabis Indica Lam. (Lam stands for Lamarck) is less suitable for fiber use, but has greater influence as a psychoactive substance[note]www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis[/note].

A few decades later, in the 19th century, William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, a young Irish physician, was the first one to introduce medicinal marijuana to modern western medicine. O’Shaughnessy conducted a cannabis experiment in the 1830s, first testing his preparations on animals, and then administering it to his patients as a remedy in order to help them treat muscle spasms, stomach cramps or general pain[note]www.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Brooke_O’Shaughnessy[/note].

Moving further in the pages of history, THC and CBD (the main active components in cannabis) were first identified by the American Dr. Roger Adams. In the 1940’s Adams was a member in a group of specialists convened by the FBN (Federal Bureau of Narcotics) in order to study the cannabis plant. From 1940 through 1949, he and his associates carried out 27 studies on marijuana and they were published in the American Journal of Chemistry. He isolated Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and even wrote a patent on the isolation of CBD.[note]National academy of sciences, Roger Adams[/note] [note]Patent US2304669 – Isolation of cannabidiol,1942[/note]

Adams’ research on exploring the structure of marijuana was groundbreaking but also did not dig very deeply. It did not receive the recognition it merited, probably due to the political context in which the study was carried out. Harry J. Anslinger, the FBN commissioner, subscribed to the political agenda regarding prohibition of cannabis use and also had little sympathy towards Adams. Marijuana was not very popular at the time, and Adams was in the wrong place in the wrong time, at least when it comes to researching and studying cannabis. His work was basically lost in the pages of history, but still, it paved the way for another promising scientist, Professor Raphael Mechoulam from Israel, some 20 years later [note](2007),Conversation with Raphael Mechoulam. Addiction, 102: 887–893.doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01795.x[/note]

Marijuana research in Israel prior to the medical cannabis revolution.

According to Professor Mechoulam, research of the cannabis plant was not very active when he began his research (neither in Israel nor abroad), for two main reasons. First of all, (unlike cannabis sativa) coca and opium were already isolated and structured in their pure form at the time. The availability of pure materials such as coca and opium, made biochemical, pharmacological and clinical work with them possible. Cannabis on the other hand, never had its active constituents isolated in a pure form, and there was little to none modern biological and clinical work done on its composition. Secondly, since cannabis was an illegal substance, it was not easily available to scientists and research laboratories. [note]Ibid[/note]

Mechoulam overcame these obstacles by getting 5 kilograms of confiscated Lebanese hashish from the Israeli police. In present day Israel it would probably not be as easy as it was back then. At the time, Israel was a small country, and one phone call from Mechoulam’s Administrative director in the Weizmann institute, to his friend, the head of the investigative branch of the police, was enough in order to get the hashish and start his study. Mechoulam and his colleagues, Dr. Y. Shvo and Dr Y. Gaony, decided to try and study the plant with a new spectrometric method (one that was not available for Roger Adams when he has done his explorations of the plant). They were able to isolate the active constituents of cannabis in pure form and define their structure [note]Ibid[/note].

Mechoulam then continued his research and discovered the human Endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids bind to receptors in different areas of the brain and vital organs. This relationship triggers different reactions that can cause diverse effects ranging from anti-inflammatory benefits to paranoia. In the 1990’s Mechoulam and his team discovered the chemical Anandamide. Anandamide is characterized as a fatty acid neurotransmitter and has been linked to helping suppress cancer cell proliferation and other different benefits [note]www.cannabis.info[/note].

Present cannabis research in Israel-
Studies, research centers and trends.

Mechoulam’s work opened the door to countless researchers all over the world. He practically built the foundations of modern medicinal cannabis research as we know it. There is no wonder why he was baptized “the grandfather of marijuana”. Mechoulam’s research, combined with the Israeli medical cannabis revolution, ignited by Tikun-Olam in the early 2000s, led many physicians in Israel to start and consider the use of the illegal plant as a form of treatment. This was done in dozens of clinical trials, trying to produce scientific and medical evidence that would support all the research that has been done in the past.

Today there are studies  dealing with a variety of aspects in the medical cannabis field in Israel. For example, in 2018 alone, there are studies underway on the effects of cannabis on Crohn’s disease, cancer, epilepsy, autism and other conditions. The Hebrew University, one of the leading academic institutes in Israel, has a multidisciplinary center on cannabinoid research. It integrates and coordinates the research activities of a few laboratories at the Hebrew University. The center conducts a variety of studies and research on medicinal cannabis, focusing on subjects such as cancer, immunity, metabolism, neuroscience and pain.

The Technion, another key player in the Israeli academic arena, also has a dedicated cannabis research center. It is working to create the first and largest integrated cannabis database. With both clinical data on patients, and also data on the marijuana usage history of patients in Israel and abroad. It also conducts different studies about the influence of marijuana on cancer, epilepsy and other conditions. Compared with the cocoon that it was when Mechoulam started his research in the 1960’s, Israel medicinal cannabis research is a thriving butterfly.

Growers collaborate with different researchers across Israel’s medical centers in order to develop strains that target specific medical conditions. Entrepreneurs come up with new startup ideas searching for marijuana solutions, both for growers and for consumers. Farmers invest in cannabis farms for medical use and even the legislator predicts a change in the regulation of the plant. The new cannabis reform is suppose to draw a new standard for medical grade marijuana. Thus starting to look at it as a remedy and not only as a dangerous narcotic.