O’Shaughnessy’s • Winter 2015/16 —53— Zach Klein’s new documentary: Raphael Mechoulam is ‘The Scientist’ By Fred Gardner “All those that took the THC Many of us who get interested in can- nabis as medicine get very interested and were affected. But, surprisingly, want to learn more about how it works. they were affected differently.” One of the first facts you pick up is that the chemical structure of THC was worked out The hashish from which Mechoulam iso- and published in 1964 by Israeli pharma- lated THC and CBD in the early ‘60s had cologists Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel been obtained from the police in Jerusa- Gaoni. lem. Bringing it back to his lab on a bus, Less well known is the sweep of Mechoulam drew inquisitive looks and Mechoulam’s career. He has been conduct- remarks from fellow passengers puzzled ing and guiding research all by “this very unusual smell.” His reminis- these years, the central figure in a vibrant cence is brought to life in The Scientist by worldwide entourage. the formidable Swiss-based cartoonist Ivan Zach Klein’s beautifully filmed documen- Art. tary The Scientist reviews Mechoulam’s Mechoulam shows Klein (and us) a glass role in discovering and elucidating the Five kilos of hashish in Raphael Mechoulam’s police station to his lab in 1963. The ride column like the one he and Gaoni used all endocannabinoid system, and proposing briefcase drew inquisitive looks and com- took 15 or 20 minutes, Mechoulam tells Zach those years ago to separate out “10 or 12 clinical applications. ments as he transported it from a Jerusalem Klein in The Scientist. Graphic by Ivan Art. compounds” from their hashish. Of those Klein, 46, is one of those people who get compounds, only one was found to be ac- very interested in . His 2009 docu- “A scientist should try to find worth following.” tive. (Activity was defined as having a se- mentary Prescribed Grass told the story of In 1962 Mechoulam applied for a grant topics of importance.” dating effect on monkeys). Tikun Olam, ’s pioneering medical from the US National Institutes of Health. That one active compound, Mechoulam cannabis collective (a group Klein helped In response to Klein’s first question, “But NIH wrote me back,” he tells Klein, explains, “now named delta-9 tetrahydro- organize). Mechoulam observes (in the mildest, paraphrasing: “The topic you’re interested cannabinol —THC— causes, essentially, In The Scientist Klein plays the curi- sweetest tone of voice) that cannabinoid in, namely the constituents of Cannabis sa- all the hashish-type cannabis type effects.” ous Everyman who questions Mechoulam medicine “is not being used as much as it tiva, is not a relevant topic for the U.S. It’s With basic safety having been estab- about cannabis and how it works in the should be in the clinic. It is of great prom- not used in the U.S. When you have some- lished in the medical literature going back body. (Klein’s face is handsomer and more ise in the clinic [meaning ‘in the treatment thing more relevant, ask us for a grant.” centuries and confirmed at the monkey expressive than Everyman’s.) The inter- of patients’]. Maybe this film can push it About a year later, Mechoulam got a colony, the logical next step was an experi- views are conducted in the pleasant Jeru- forward a bit.” phone call from a high-ranking NIH phar- ment with humans. salem apartment where Raphi and Dahlia Klein asks why, at the start of his ca- macolgist who was interested in cannabis. “We had a few of our friends take 10 Mechoulam have lived since 1966, and in reer, Mechoulam chose to study the active “All of a sudden they had a change of mind. milligrams of pure THC on a piece of cake Mechoulam’s lab at Hebrew University, compound(s) in cannabis. So I asked them what happened. Well, ap- my wife prepared,” Mechoulam recalls. and in his car as the scientist drives to and Mechoulam replies, “Well, a scientist parently someone high up —an important “And five took only the cake without the from work, and at a meeting of the Inter- should try to find topics of importance... person, maybe a senator— had called NIH THC, and we compared the effects. national Canabinoid Research Society (a “Doing research in a small country with and asked, ‘What does Cannabis do?’ “None of us had ever used cannabis be- group Mechoulam helped organize). a very limited budget, my philosophy was “It seems that his son had been caught fore. As a matter of fact very few people Klein occasionally carries a potted can- that one should try to find out topics that smoking pot. He wanted to know if mari- juana destroyed his mind. They didn’t had used cannabis at that time in Israel.” know anything about marijuana... “All those that took the THC were affect- “So the pharmacologist came over and ed,” Mechoulam tells Klein. “But surpris- asked if I was still working on it and I said yes, we had just discovered the active com- pound and we had a large amount —about 10 grams of THC.

“I was supported financially by the National Institutes of Health. And they never, never interfered with my research.” ingly, they were affected differently. Some “So he said, ‘Please give us the 10 grams said, ‘Well, we just feel kind of strange, in and we’ll do a lot of pharmacology in the a different world. We want to sit back and U.S.’” Mechoulam complied. “So he got enjoy.’ the world’s supply of THC, took it to the “Another one said ‘Nothing happens’ — nabis plant —a signature prop, like Charlie are not being pursued by the major groups U.S. —actually, he probably smuggled it but he didn’t stop talking all the time. A Chaplin’s cane. throughout the world. We cannot compete because I don’t think he had a license to third one said, “Well, nothing’s happened. Although Mechoulam’s manner is gentle with them... We should try to find —by take it to the U.S. But then of course no- But every 15, 20 seconds he would burst and undemanding, he is making a strong studying the literature, by thinking about body was looking for THC, it was not a out laughing.” plea in The Scientist: cannabis-based med- important projects— we should follow known compound. So he took it to NIH One of the participants experienced anxi- icines should be made available to patients. research pathways that were not being and for the next couple of years most of the ety. Mechoulam says. “She felt, I believe, He does not point an angry finger at any followed by major groups. Nobody was research on THC in the U.S. was done with that her psychological guards... are break- agency or entity that has impeded progress working on cannabinoid chemistry. So we materials supplied by us —those grams ing down and all of a sudden she was open —he shrugs in bemused disappointment. thought at that time that this was a project that they took. to everybody. So she really got into an “And for many years —nearly 45 years— anxiety state. I was supported financially by the National Mechoulam observes, “These effects are Institutes of Health. And they never, never well-known today. People are differently interfered with my research.” continued on next page

Early Human Experiment conducted by Mechoulam involved “a delicious cake” baked by his wife Dahlia with portions containing 10 milligrams of THC (and an unspiked cake for control purposes). Five of the Mechoulams’ friends ingested THC in a social setting, and their responses were carefully observed. These responses ran the now familiar gamut ranging from pleasant continued on page 68 social disinhibition to unpleasant anxiety. Illustrations by IvanArt. —54—O’Shaughnessy’s • Winter 2015/16

The Scientist from previous page affected. In some cases we definitely see Like most Bulgarian Jews, the anxiety attacks. Most do not [experience Mechoulams emigrated to Israel after anxiety]. Most just feel kind of a little bit World War Two. After a stint as a land sur- disoriented. Just maybe a little bit sedated. veyer, Mechoulam spent three years in the Maybe a little bit open to discussion and army, which had him doing research on socially open to whatever is being dis- insecticides. He got his PhD degree from cussed.” Hebrew University “on the topic of natural Note Mechoulam’s use of “maybe” and products related to biological problems.” “I believe.” He abjures strong assertions After doing post-doctoral research at and tends towards understatement, as if his the Rockefeller Institute in Manhattan, knowledge is provisional. Mechoulam took a position at the Weiz- mann Institute in Rehovot, which is where Aviva Breuer, part of the team that isolated “It’s not just he discovered he and Gaoni isolated the compounds in . THC... but he continued to have hashish. Mechoulam joined the Hebrew University faculty in 1966. such a vision for the next step and the next step and the next step.” Receptor and agonist CBD reducing epileptic seizures was report- The Scientist is subtitled Are we missing —Mahmoud ElSohly ed in the journal Pharmacology in 1980, but something? —which is the last sentence in resulted in no follow-up research with an eye a book Mechoulam compiled, Cannabi- Promoting research towards drug development. noids as Therapeutic Agents (1986). Klein Klein filmed Mechoulam attending a asks Mechoulam to explain what he had in meeting of the International Cannabinoid animals and it worked. Trials took place in mind. “Plant ,” Mechoulam Lumír Hanuš (left) joined the search for the Research Society in Freiburg, Germany, in Sao Paolo. They had about 10 people who says, “had been evaluated in the test tube, endogeneous cannabinoid(s) in 1991. At right the summer of 2012. “I feel that Dahlia has had epilepsy that could not be affected by they had been evaluated in animals and is Ester Fride, who worked with Mechoulam. to be next to me if I want to survive on a the known drugs. We started giving them to a certain extent in human patients. But trip,” he comments over footage of them high doses of —200 mg per nothing was known at that time about the boarding a plane. day... mechanism.” Among Mechoulam’s colleagues in- “We were happy to note that indeed they terviewed in The Scientist is Mahmoud had no seizures while they were taking “Receptors are made for com- ElSohly, famous for growing the marijua- cannabidiol. And it was published. And pounds that we produce, not be- na that the U.S. National Institute on Drug nothing happened afterwards. So far, 34 Abuse (NIDA) provides to researchers. years later, this is the only publication of cause there is a plant out there.” ElSohly tells Klein that Mechoulam has cannabidiol in humans against epilepsy.” never rested on his laurels, is always seek- In 1988 the finding of a cannabinoid re- ing to advance research. “It’s not just he ceptor in rat brain by Allyn Howlett and discovered THC... but he continued to have colleagues at the St. Louis University such a vision for the next step and the next School of Medicine was characterized by Mechoulam as “a major, major discovery William A. Devane proposed the name step and the next step.” “ananda”—the Sanskrit word for bliss— for In addition to the ICRS, Mechoulam was —the first indication that THC acts ona the endogenous cannabinoid. a charter member of the more clinically receptor.” oriented International Association for Can- Undoubtedly, Mechoulam points out, nabinoid Medicines. “Meetings are useful “Receptors are made for compounds that in many ways,” he tells Klein. “People we produce, not because there is a plant out there.” So the next challenge for scientists learn what other people are doing and go- Moreno and Rosa Mechoulam ing to do... People from different aspects of was to find the body’s own endogenous a topic talk to each other and maybe some- “I was very well aware...” cannabinoids. thing new comes out.” Raphael Mechoulam was born Novem- “In my lab there were three collabora- ber 5, 1930 in Sofia, Bulgaria, where his tors who contributed a lot in this research,” father was a physician in private practice Mechoulam tells Klein, as he enters a room “So the field kind of told us: and also head of the Jewish Hospital. “I where two of those collaborators —Lumír ‘Try it on epilepsy.’” was a child during the war,” Mechoulam Hanuš and Aviva Breuer— are still at the tells Klein. “So I was very well aware of bench. Ideas also come from a respectful read- what was going on.” Hanuš explains that he came from ing of centuries-old texts. “Mechoulam When severe anti-Jewish laws were en- Czechoslavakia 23 years ago “just for one Delta-9 THC molecule (left) will fit into a recalls his role in advancing a Brazilian acted, Mechoulam says, the family moved year, and got a little bit overextended.” Al- cannabinoid receptor pocket (structure at right). The receptor was first identified in study of CBD as a treatment for epilepsy, to a series of small villages where a doctor ready working with Mechoulam as of 1991 Allyn Howlett’s lab at the University of St. telling Klein (and us) of “an Arab story was Bill Devane, who played a key role in was needed and respected. “But at some Louis School of Medicine. Illustrations by from the 15th century and it says that one point somebody decided that my father Allyn Howlett’s lab when the receptor was Ehud Graph from The Scientist. of the Arab leaders had epilepsy. A physi- should be taken to a concentration camp,” identified. cian came over and gave him cannabis and Mechoulam says. Dr. Mechoulam was re- “We initially worked on brains of pigs,” it cured him. But he had to take it for his leased, apparently in appreciation for his Mechoulam says of the search for the en- entire life. heroic usefulness after a fire destroyed the dogenous cannabinoid. “It is generally “So the field kind of told us: ‘Try it on camp. accepted that the organs of pigs and the epilepsy.’” “Luckily,” Mechoulam goes on, “the Bul- organs of humans are somewhat closely re- In other words, from Mechoulam’s POV, garian Jews were not killed. The conditions lated. And probably pigs and humans are it was not his original insight that canna- were bad enough, but Bulgarian Jews were also somehow closely related. Well, I’m binoids would have anti-seizure effects, it not killed. My uncle saved them...” And not sure that the pigs will be very happy to was a logical conclusion from reading his with a twinkling eye, Raphael Mechoulam be related to humans, but that’s something scientific ancestors. What a modest way tells Klein how his uncle [Dr. Bonko Levy] else. to describe his role! And how revealing saved the Jews of Bulgaria from the Na- “So we wanted to work on pig brains and about insight itself! zis’ extermination camps. We won’t spoil pig brains are not so easy to get in Jeru- The Brazilian study, Mechoulam goes it. You’ve got to watch this lovely movie salem.” A butcher was found in Tel Aviv on, was conducted after “we first tried it on for yourself. who supplied the brains readily at first, but began charging as he realized that his new customers had an ongoing need for the ma- Anandamide molecule (left) in the vicinity of a CB1 receptor pocket, into which it will fit. terial. “Each time when we came to buy it again, the price was higher,” Hanuš recalls. “At the end it was very expensive.” Devane explains how he would take a thin slice of the brain material “and put it over a silica sand column and separate a text continued on next page

‘Minor’ cannabinoids and other compounds in the vicinity of the receptor influence how it gets activated: the “entourage effect.” O’Shaughnessy’s • Winter 2015/16 —55—

The Scientist from previous page

Heather Bradshaw: A cannabinoid field Allyn Howlett: We’ve got a lot of re- Mary Abood: For several years I was Roger Pertwee, professor of Pharmacol- was starting to really come online and there search going on because we know now that ogy at the University of Aberdeen, confirmed researching a motor neuron disease, Amyo- was this big connection with endogenous there are CB1 and CB2 receptors in those that anandamide produced by the body be- trophic Lateral Sclerosis and was able to haved like plant-produced THC. cannabinoids and exogenous cannabinoids types of cells that either help degrade the show that THC was actually protective in and pain. My PhD was in female reproduc- bone or help rebuild the bone. the mouse model of ALS. The mice that were few fractions and test them [radioactively tive pain. Now we’re actually understanding In this day and age women are living be- given THC lived a little longer.” tagged] for how they bound to the receptor. some of the mechanisms of why women ba- yond menopause and men well into old age. And I thought, ‘Oh, it won’t take long.’” sically have taken cannabis for thousands of We’re going to think about how to preserve But when Hanuš’s year at the lab came years for reproductive pain. those bones so they can last another 40 years to an end, the endogenous cannabinoid still after menopause. hadn’t been isolated. “So we asked Pro- An entourage of investigators fessor Mechoulam to extend,” Hanuš tells In addition to directing research in his Mechoulam arranged for a clinical trial Klein. own lab, Mechoulam —all these years— led by pediatric oncologist Ava Abramov. Other scientists were seeking to identify has been disseminating ideas and encour- “Obviously children cannot smoke. We the endogenous cannabinoid. Devane says agement worldwide. The Scientist includes had children that were not even one year Mechoulam “thought we might be scooped a montage of ICRS investigators acknowl- old. She dropped THC in olive oil under by some other lab.” But he kept Devane edging Mechoulam’s guidance —a small the tongue two or three times a day, small and Hanuš on the project and in 1992 they cross-section of the many he has helped. It doses, during the anti-cancer treatment. isolated a small amount of compound they was Mechoulam who inspired Ethan Russo Aaron Lichtman: “We’re trying to dis- cover how the world works. In our case, identified as arachidonoyl ethanolamide. and Vincenzo DiMarzo to think in terms of After a week she told me ‘I’m entourage effects —compounds acting in how cannabinoids work and how the brain “It was only like a few droplets concert— instead of single molecules. It not going ahead with that. I works.” in the end of a little test tube,” was Mechoulam who urged Itai Bab to ex- know exactly who is getting the Devane remembers. plore the role of endogenous cannabinoids THC. I know exactly who is not in bone, and Ester Fride to study their role getting it.’ “It was only like a few droplets in the end in the birthing process and breastfeeding. of a little test tube,” Devane remembers. Mechoulam notes matter of factly that “In the begining we wanted to do a dou- The steps to confirm that the newly dis- nowadays “a huge number of researchers ble-blind study. Some of the children got covered compound did indeed have the are involved in investigating this system the THC, some other children got only the properties that define a cannabinoid were from many aspects... A very serious group olive oil. After a week she told me ‘I’ m not carried out by University of Aberdeen of researchers has recently published a pa- going ahead with that. I know exactly who pharmacologist Roger Pertwee. per saying that the endocannabinoid sys- is getting the THC. I know exactly who is Devane, who had studied Eastern phi- tem is involved in essentially all human not getting it.’ losophy, proposed that the newly identi- diseases.” “There was a complete separation. Those fied cannabinoid should be named for that didn’t get it continued to vomit. So Itai Bab explained to Klein that mineral- the Sanskrit word for bliss, ananda. “Al- “Hashish for Children?” she went ahead doing an open study. She ized bone is continually broken down by though some people do not agree with me,” Klein reminds Mechoulam, “In 1995 you gave THC —pure THC— under the tongue osteoclasts (resorption) while osteoblasts Mechoulam tells Klein, “in Hebrew there had an idea of testing THC on children.” about 400 times [during the course of a continually form new bone tissue. He and are not too many names for happiness. For It had long been known, Mechoulam re- child’s treatment]. And at the end we had Mechoulam developed semi-synthetic ver- sorrow you can find a lot of names, but... sponds, that cannabis reduces the nausea complete —complete— block of vomit- sions of oleoyl serine, an “endocannabinoid- not for extreme happiness.” brought on by anti-cancer drugs. Chil- ing, a complete block of nausea by a small like” fatty acyl amide present in bone. One, Because the compound was an ethanol dren given these drugs “vomit and want to amount of THC. We did not cause any psy- HU-671 (the HU is for Hebrew University), amide, and amide fit nicely behind the San- vomit —nausea— choactivity, nothing. was found to increase bone density in a skrit root, the endogenous cannabinoid was they’re really in So here we had a com- mouse model by decreasing resorption and dubbed “anandamide” —a name that says a bad shape. And plete therapeutic effect stimulating bone formation. Bab died in Oc- something about its effect and its chemical they cry all the and we published that, tober 2014. structure. time and their par- and again, essentially ents are in a bad nothing happened. Finito, shape. Luckily, that was it. It’s still not most little children being used in children.” can be cured of Klein repeats the con- the cancer. But the ventional challenge: “And treatment is abso- you think it’s a good idea The 1992 paper by Devane et al an- lutely difficult.” to use it for children?” nouncing the “Isolation and Structure of continued on next page a Brain Constituent that Binds to the Can- nabinoid Receptor” had been cited 4,342 times as of 2014. “They don’t cite it any more,” Mechoulam tells Klein, uncom- plainingly, “because it’s considered such Andreas Zimmer breeds the genetically mod- a well-known thing, an obvious thing.... ified mice used by cannabinoid researchers. They mention that anandamide does A and Mechoulam wants to see studies involving B and C.” human patients. “Mice are nice animals,” he tells Klein, “but they’re definitely not hu- mans.”

Manuel Guzman: We know that cannabinoids can exert anti-tumor actions in animals. Not Vincenzo DiMarzo: Raphe basically only in brain tumors but in many different types of tumors. We know that cannabinoids spoke to me about this entourage idea and he act not only by inducing cell death but by inducing cell death through that specific mecha- made a very nice comparison between a poli- nism called apoptosis. We know that cannabinoids can tackle other processes of cancer cell tician going alone or as head of a delegation. growth. such as angiongesis, metastasis, cell cycle, etc. I was convinced that one should only test We did a trial with nine volunteers that had a very malignant form of brain cancer, glio- pure compounds with one target, whereas blastoma multiforme. And we observed some positive effects of cannabis on survival of the Javier Fernandez-Ruiz has found that can- it’s the combination of the compounds some- patients and also on tumor growth, based on magnetic resonance imaging and also based on nabinoids may benefit Huntington’s and times that can do the trick. the measurement of biomarkers of tumor progression.” Parkinson’s Disease patients. —56—O’Shaughnessy’s • Winter 2015/16

The Scientist from previous page

Mechoulam has no misgivings. “Well, “Though we have done quite a lot in the patients. So maybe if it is well researched us has a slightly I believe it’s an excllent idea because we field of cannabinoids and endocannabi- in the future, we should know how to help different level help those children that suffer. But I have noids, we have not done enough in clini- these patients... We are lucky that cannabis of these com- no influence on oncologists.” He shrugs cal trials. This is something that has to be is not toxic.” pounds. This is and smiles ruefully. done. If this is not done we will certainly The Scientist ends with a clip from genetic. This is Cut to Allyn Howlett re-enforcing the miss a lot and we will not be helping hu- Mechoulam’s 2012 talk to the International based on the dif- point, ardent: “If there is a cancer patient man patients. It should be done.” Cannabinoid Research Society. ferent DNA of who’s got pain and that pain is not being everybody. But controlled well by other types of drugs, “We don’t know why we have DNA doesn’t affect the personality —It is they’re on cancer chemotherapy, they’re different personalities.” the compounds that are formed from DNA vomiting, I think it’s unethical to withhold through RNA to proteins and peptides and a drug from them that can be very useful “And now I’d like to end with something secondary compounds. So it is quite pos- to help them in their pain management and that is really crazy speculation,” he says. sible that differences in the endocannabi- in their ability to cope with their disease.” “Each one of us has a different personality noid system—the endocannabinoid-like and we have no idea why. Why do we have system—can have something to do with Can cannabis cure cancer? different personalities? Part of it is the ef- the different personalities. Well, that’s a Klein asks, “Can cannabis cure cancer?” fect of the environment, okay. But part of very complicated story, but it may work.” Mechoulam answers: “We know that THC it is genetic. And we don’t know why we Mechoulam tells his colleagues in lowers the [nausea] effects of cancer treat- have different personalities.” Freiburg that a mathematician confirmed ment. But what you’re asking is ‘is it an Mechoulam elaborates to Klein: “One that different combinations and permuta- anti-cancer drug?’ And the answer is, ‘I way of explaining it is there are several tions of 200 fatty acids could account for 8 don’t know.’ And the reason for that is silly. A recurring dream hundred endocannabinoid-like compounds billion distinct personalities. “This is cra- “It has been tested in the test tube. THC Klein asked Mechoulam, “Do you have —they are like anandamide in their chemi- zy speculation,” he repeats, “but at some has been tested, cannabidiol, crude can- a dream?” The answer was earthbound and cal structure— present in the brain. point we’ll have to find the biochemical nabis and yes, in many cases it blocks the poignant: “I have one dream that comes on “And it’s quite possible that each one of basis of why we are different.” development of cancer cells. Yes.” and off in very different ways. I’m in a city Mechoulam notes the findings of Manuel that I don’t know. and I don’t know how Guzman, then restates his main theme: to go back to the hotel I’m staying and I don’t remember the name of the hotel and I get into an anxiety and I wake up. And this has happened many times. I think it has to do with whatever happened in the Second World War when my parents told me ‘Remember these names and these ad- dresses.’ Because if we disappear, you should go there. Which is, well, not very pleasant, which is quite a shock, probably, to a child. And of course we were very afraid that we’ll be separated, my parents and I. I was afraid. I now remember more than I did over the

Mauro Maccarrone notes that in the Divine many, many years that have passed since Comedy, the poet Dante Alligheri was in a then. Older people, they start remembering “gloomy wood” (akin to the Black Forest things that happened in their childhood.” where the ICRS was meeting), but drew in- Mechoulam describes a study in which spiration from the Roman poet Virgil. Mac- cannabis “seems to be helping the symp- toms of Alzheimer... Alzheimer at the mo- carrone compared Mechoulam’s influence Strolling in the Black Forest, Mechoulam stopped to take photos with a small camera. on his fellow scientists to Virgil’s influence ment is a huge, huge problem and there is “Many years ago I used to take extreme close-ups and the objects looked interesting,” he told on Dante. very little that can be done for Alzheimer’s Klein. “One can’t do everything... Unfortunately, I don’t have time for hobbies.” Rik Musty —an ICRS prime mover By John McPartland and Fred Gardner posium on Cannabinoids (following an then was executive director through 2010. U.S. researcher to investigate CBD,” his The longtime executive director of the IUPHAR meeting) and edited a report pub- Assisted by Diane Mahadeen Musty, he ran request to the FDA for more information International Cannabinoid Research Soci- lished by the Australian government. exceptionally collegial, increasingly well- would be honored. Martin Lee of Project ety, Rik Musty, died July 26, at home in In 1990 Rik, Consroe, and Alex Makri- attended meetings in memorable locations. CBD recommended a lawyer to help Rik Wacouta, Minnesota, at the age of 72. yannis organized a symposium on Crete The Society acknowledged his contribu- prod FDA, and was planning to publish Rik was born in Minnesota, earned a BA at which Rik proposed that cannabinoid tion through an ICRS Career Achievement whatever he could find out about FDA's from Carleton College in 1964, and a PhD researchers form a society to hold an- Award presented at the Lund, Sweden monitoring and testing of CBD products. in Psychology from McGill in 1968. He nual meetings. He had brought by-laws meeting in 2010. Rik's Minnesota sense of humor was like joined the University of Vermont faculty of a Vermont non-profit to expedite the Rik was a quiet-spoken man with wide Garrison Keillor’s. My [J. McP.) first ap- that year, and chaired the Department of launch of an International Cannabinoid interests. Few people know his political pointment to meet Rik at his office in Oc- Psychology from 1975 to 1987. He men- Research Society. The 45 charter mem- career. Rik teamed with Bernie Sanders in tober 1993 was delayed by a freak Autumn tored 31 Masters and Doctoral students, bers include many still active in the soci- 1982, which propelled both of them into snowstorm. My second visit in May 1994 and served on the committees of 20 addi- ety: Greg Chesher, Dale Deutsch, Mah- office—Rik as Burlington City Council- also occurred in the midst of an unseason- tional theses and dissertations. moud ElSohly, Javier Fernandez-Ruiz, man for Ward 1, and Bernie as Mayor. Rik able snowstorm that shut down Burling- His cannabinoid research began in 1973, Eliot Gardner, Allyn Howlett, Toby Jarbe, served for four years on the city council; ton. Rik smiled and asked me to limit my as a Visiting Professor in Sao Paulo Bra- Thomas Lundqvist, Alex Makriyannis, Ra- Bernie went on to run for higher office. In visits to normal winter months. He will be zil, working with Karniol and Carlini. That phael Mechoulam, Roger Pertwee, Patti 1986 the two men taught a class at the Uni- missed. fruitful collaboration continued through Reggio, and Herb Seltzman. versity of Vermont on “The ‘60s.” ( Video 2006, bolstered by sabbatical leaves to Consroe says that the creation of the of their first 2-hour-long class has been Brazil in 1981 and 2004. PubMed lists 25 ICRS loosened the vice-like grip of the US made available by the archivists at Burl- ington's Channel 17 / Town Meeting TV.) Rik’s political skills were on display at the 1998 ICRS meeting in La Grand Motte, France. At the end of the NIDA presenta- tions, Ed Rosenthal of High Times bluntly asked “Do any of you think your work is influenced by [NIDA Director] Alan Lesh- publications. Musty also wrote a dozen National Institute on Drug Abuse on con- ner's bias?" There was a pause as the panel- book chapters —including two published ference content. NIDA is still the dominant ists looked at each other to see who would in 1984 on the anti-anxiety effects of can- funder of cannabinoid research and strong- respond. After a few beats Rik said, "Sci- nabidiol, A paper he coauthored (Eur Neu- ly influences the ICRS agenda —but not to ence is always influenced by the culture in rol. 38:44-8) encouraged the development the extent it once did, says Consroe. which it's conducted.” of a cannabis-based medicine for the treat- The first ICRS symposium was held in Earlier this year Rik forwarded (to FG) ment of multiple sclerosis and has been Keystone, Colorado, in June, 1992, as a a warning posted on the US Food and cited more than 200 times. satellite meeting of the College on Prob- Drug Administration website about prod- In 1987, Rik, Greg Chesher, and Paul lems of Drug Dependence. ucts falsely labeled as to their cannabidiol Consroe chaired the Melbourne Sym- Rik served as the first ICRS treasurer, content. He said he hoped that, “as the first