Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to present a short summary of cannabinoid1 chemistry with emphasis on those aspects which have pharmacological relevance. A comprehensive chemical review is beyond the scope of this handbook. Since 1964, when the active principle of cannabis, Δ 1-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 1-THC), was identified (Gaoni and Mechoulam, 1964a), nearly 5,000 scientific articles on cannabis, Δ 1-THC and other cannabinoids have appeared; approximately 1,000 of these articles are chemically oriented. For this reason alone the present review will have to be selective.
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Mechoulam, R. (1982). Chemistry of Cannabis. In: Hoffmeister, F., Stille, G. (eds) Psychotropic Agents. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 55 / 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67770-0_7
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