Lumír Ondřej Hanuš

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Lumír Ondřej Hanuš
Born (1947-11-20) November 20, 1947
Olomouc, Czechoslovakia (today the Czech Republic)
Fields Cannabis research, coca leaves research
Institutions Palacký University of Olomouc
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Alma mater Palacký University of Olomouc
Known for Isolation and description of Anandamide
Notable awards
  • 2005 Hanuš Medal[1]
  • 2006 Memorial Medal[2]
  • 2007 Doctor honoris causa[3]
  • 2010 Outstanding Immigrant Scientist[4]
  • 2011 Doctor honoris causa[5]
  • [6]

Lumír Ondřej Hanuš (Hebrew: לומיר הנוש‎) is a Czech analytic chemist and leading authority in the field of cannabis research. In 1992, he and William Anthony Devane isolated and first described the structure of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter.

Biography

Lumír Hanuš was born in 1947 in Olomouc, in what was then Czechoslovakia. He is a distant kindred of Czech chemist Josef Hanuš (1872–1955).[7]

In 1966, Hanuš entered as a student the Faculty of Science of Palacký University of Olomouc. In 1970 professor Zdeněk Krejčí of the Faculty of Medicine's Department of hygiene and epidemiology (where the anti-bacterial effects of cannabis were described in 1955) needed an aid, and the undergraduate Hanuš started to work as Krejčí's assistant on research of cannabis and hashish in December of that year. There, Hanuš met also professors Jan Kabelík and František Šantavý, who together with Krejčí laid down the foundations to research of cannabis and its curative effects. From 1971, Hanuš grew for research purposes cannabis on two fields in the Research Institute of Vegetable Growing and Breeding in Olomouc. The extracts were used also at the Faculty Hospital Olomouc as a cure for aphthous ulcer, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and pressure ulcers.[8]

Hanuš graduated as Master of Science in 1972 and continued academic career in Olomouc. In 1974 he obtained Doctorate in Science in Olomouc. He pursued his academic and research activities at Olomouc University until 1990. Hanuš also took part in research at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and continued post-graduate research study at the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno (today Masaryk University). In years 1978–1979 he worked as research associate of University of Mississippi, focusing not only on cannabis, but also on coca leaves.[9] He became associate professor in organic chemistry in Olomouc in 1994 and obtained Doctorate of Sciences in pharmaceutical chemistry at Charles University in 1995.

Hanuš was for many years in contact with Israeli cannabis researcher Raphael Mechoulam by letter. Following the Velvet Revolution, Hanuš was invited to continue his research at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.[8] In Israel, Hanuš and American molecular pharmacologist William Anthony Devane in 1992 first described the structure of Anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter.[10][11]

Hanuš continues his research in Jerusalem on cannabinoids, endocannabinoids and its derivatives.

Views on cannabis

Hanuš marks cannabis as "one of the safest known medications".[12]

According to Hanuš, alcohol and tobacco should be "black listed" rather than cannabis, as there is a possibility of both physical and psychological addiction to the first two, while there is no possibility of physical and only limited possibility of psychological addiction to marijuana.[8] Moreover, people under influence of marijuana are not dangerous to others. He does not support smoking of marijuana because of the dangers of smoke inhalation. Hanuš is against uncontrolled use of marijuana, but he fully supports its use for medical purposes.[8]

In April 2010 and September 2011, Hanuš took part in a seminar of Czech Parliament aimed at introduction of cannabinoid treatment.[12]

Awards

  • September 14, 2005: Hanuš Medal (The Czech Chemical Society in Prague) for the furthering creditable work in the fields of chemistry.
  • November 6, 2006: Memorial Medal (Rector of the Palacký University of Olomouc) to 50th anniversary of revival and reopening of the University in Olomouc at the occasion of delivering 13th annual lecture to the honour of J. L. Fischer
  • April 12, 2007: Doctor honoris causa (Masaryk University in Brno)
  • 2009: nominated for the National Award of the Czech Government Czech Mind (Česká hlava)
  • 2010: nominated for the Patria Award in the Czech Republic
  • 2010: nominated for The 2010 Jack Herer Award Outstanding Hemp Awareness in the field of Medicine
  • April 26, 2010: Outstanding Immigrant Scientist (1990–2010) for his contribution to the State of Israel, Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, Israel
  • May 4, 2011: Doctor honoris causa (Palacký University of Olomouc)
  • 2011: Honorary Scientific Fellow of the Czech Neuropsychopharmacological Society
  • 2011: nominated for the Addictology award to best achievement in the year 2011

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Czech Chemical Society, Prague; for the furthering creditable work in the fields of chemistry
  2. ↑ Rector of the Palacky University, Olomouc; to 50. anniversary of revival and reopening of the University in Olomouc at the occasion of delivering 13th annual lecture to the honour of J. L. Fischer
  3. ↑ Masaryk University, Brno
  4. ↑ 1990–2010, Israel
  5. ↑ Palacký University, Olomouc
  6. ↑ "Dr. Lumir Hanus". huji.ac.il. Retrieved 2011-05-05. 
  7. ↑ (Czech) "Dr. Lumír Ondřej Hanuš". konopnyshop.cz. Retrieved 2011-05-05. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 (Czech) "Nad léčivými jointy s Lumírem Hanušem". blisty.cz. Retrieved 2011-05-03. 
  9. ↑ (Czech) "Lumír Hanuš". blisty.cz. Retrieved 2011-05-03. 
  10. ↑ Devane WA, Hanus L, Breuer A, Pertwee RG, Stevenson LA, Griffin G, Gibson D, Mandelbaum A, Etinger A, Mechoulam R (December 1992). "Isolation and structure of a brain constituent that binds to the cannabinoid receptor". Science 258 (5090): 1946–9. doi:10.1126/science.1470919. PMID 1470919. 
  11. ↑ Mechoulam R, Fride E (1995). "The unpaved road to the endogenous brain cannabinoid ligands, the anandamides". In Pertwee RG. Cannabinoid receptors. Boston: Academic Press. pp. 233–258. ISBN 0-12-551460-3. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 (Czech) "Konopí je jedním z nejbezpečnějších známých léčiv, říká v Izraeli působící profesor Lumír Hanuš". idnes.cz. Retrieved 2011-05-05. 

External links

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