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Israeli Grow Company Nabs Top Cannabis Researcher

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he scientist who was the first to identify the hallucinogenic cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is now on the board of a cannabis producer company in Israel.

Raphael Mechoulam has been secured as scientific committee chairman of Israeli cannabis producer Cannbit Ltd. Mechoulam is a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Nobel Prize nominee and was also the subject of the 2015 movie The Scientist. He is widely known and acknowledged as the “father of cannabis research.”

Mechoulam, along with fellow researcher Yechiel Gaoni, were the first people to describe, isolate and synthesize THC. Mechoulam was a co-author of a recent study that revealed the benefits of cannabis medicine with children with autism spectrum disorder.

Mechoulam originally gained cannabis for research through a tie with the national police, who began his foray into cannabis research with five kilos of Lebanese hashish. He spent 40 years obtaining cannabis for research without negotiating any formal agreements with the country’s Ministry of Health.

Medical cannabis cultivator Cannbit Ltd. operates a 4,000 square meter facility located in Neot Hakikar, which lies south of the Dead Sea. The company is 10 percent owned by Canadian cannabis company Namaste Technologies.

Israel recently approved export of cannabis from Israel to other countries. “The government approval for the export of medicinal cannabis should have a material impact on our business and help us with global expansion,” said Yaron Razon, President and CEO of Cannbit Ltd. in a press release. “We will be producing flower and cannabis oil in-house and anticipate that the first exports will be seen towards the end of the year and look forward to supplying Cannmart and its global partners with high-quality medical-grade cannabis.”

Cannbit Ltd. also has a deal producing $4.8 million Israeli New Shekel, or $1.3 million dollars in US currency, to Tikun Olam, growing two of the company’s licensed strains. Tikum Olam will process the medical crops.

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