Naphtali Lander

On the Therapeutic Possibilities of Some Cannabinoids

Cannabis has been used as a therapeutic agent since ancient times. Li (1974) and Rosenthal (1971) have described its use by the ancient Chinese and in medieval Arab society. Walton (1938) and more recently Mikuriya (1973) have summarized the medical use of cannabis in Europe during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In spite of the very promising and rather non-toxic effects of the drug, its use rapidly declined due to the notorious variability of crude cannabis preparations. The advances made since the determination of the structure of cannabidiol in 1963, the isolation in pure form and structure elucidation of delta-1-THC in 1964, and the development of various synthetic routes during the middle sixties (Mechoulam, 1973) have clarified the chemistry and pharmacology of the cannabinoids and have made possible initiation of research into the use of pure natural or synthetic cannabinoids as drugs.

Base-catalysed double-bond isomerizations of cannabinoids: structural and stereochemical aspects

Base-catalysed double-bond isomerization offers a convenient, high-yield route to a variety of new cannabinoids, as well as to compounds of this group which are accessible with some difficulty. By this route we have obtained optically active Δ2-tetrahydrocannabinols and Δ3-tetrahydrocannabinols, the Δ6-isomer of cannabidiol, and other novel cannabinoids.

Formation of ortho-menthenes by acid-catalysed ring opening of pin-2-ene derivatives

Several pin-2-ene derivatives substituted at C-4 were prepared. ortho-Menthenes were produced from these by cleavage of the 5,C-bond in reactions which proceed through C-4 carbocations.