Some events are so monumental that people measure their lives by them. People remember where they were when humans landed on the moon. They remember where they were during the OJ Simpson high-speed chase, or when the Twin Towers fell.

I do not remember where I was when I first learned about international cannabis scientist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam. However, I will forever remember where I was when I found out about his passing today.

The world has truly lost a science giant, and for us in the cannabis community, we have lost one of the greatest minds that we have ever had in our community.

One of Mechoulam’s colleagues at the Israel Institute of Technology, associate professor David (Dedi) Meiri, posted the following message on LinkedIn:

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam is widely recognized as one of the greatest scientists in the field of cannabis research that the world has ever known. Mechoulam began his cannabis research in the 1960s, and is often referred to as ‘the Godfather of cannabis research,’ and for good reason.

Mechoulam and his team were the first to ever isolate and synthesize tetrahydrocannabinol in human history. The same goes for cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, and various cannabinoid carboxylic acids.

Virtually all current cannabis research is essentially built on the efforts of Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, whether people realize it or not. He is truly a legend and will be dearly missed.

Below is Dr. Raphael Mechoulam providing the keynote address at the 2019 International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin. Enjoy.

This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission.