Yehiel Gaoni

Yehiel Gaoni (1 September 1928 - 14 May 2017) was an Israeli organic chemist and a professor at the Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science at the Weitzmann Institute of Science, mainly known for his work (together with Rafael Mechoulam) in the isolation of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active principle of cannabis.
==Biography==
Yehiel Gaoni was born in Jerusalem on September 1st 1928, the firstborn son of Asher and Meira. As a child he grew up in Tiberias. His mother passed away when he was just 12 years old, and Gaoni was sent to live for 2 years with his uncles in Jerusalem, until his father re-married and the family moved to Petah Tikva. Gaoni studied at the Pika school in Petah Tikva, and later at the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium until his graduation in 1946. He volunteered to the "Notrim" - the Israeli Military Police which was set up by the British in Mandatory Palestine. During military training he was severely injured in his back and was put in a cast for 6 months. After recovering from his injury, Gaoni headed to Paris, to study Chemistry at the Sorbonne University. He got married during his studies in Paris and his first son was born in 1955..Gaoni graduated his Doctorate in Chemistry from the Sorbonne in 1958. The family moved back to Israel and Gaoni joined the Weitzman institute. In 1961 they moved again to Chicago for a year, where he completed his Postdoc fellowship at the University of Chicago, and where their second daughter was born. Overall, Gaoni worked for almost 40 years in the department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science of the Weitzman institute. In 1988 he became a professor, and he retired in 1996.
Gaoni divorced his first wife in 1976 and re-married in 1987. He died in May 2017.
==Research==
Upon his return from the postdoc to the Weitzman institute in 1962, Gaoni started working with Raphael Mechoulam on the research of Hasish. At the time, they were both young researchers and the field was unknown. After a couple of years, the collaboration yielded significant results as they have managed to isolate and identify the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the cannabis plant. They have successfully synthesized THC for the first time, allowing for further research on the compound's effects on the human body. Their initial 1964 publication "Isolation, Structure, and Partial Synthesis of an Active Constituent of Hashish" was cited thousands of times, and it has paved the way for a better understanding of the pharmacological properties of cannabis.
The Israeli Peres Center for Peace and Innovation has selected the breakthrough of THC and CBD isolation as one of the 100 most important discoveries in the history of Israeli innovation.
Yehiel Gaoni also contributed to the discovery of other cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), which has since been shown to have various therapeutic benefits. His work in the field of cannabis research helped to establish the scientific basis for the study of cannabinoids and their potential uses in medicine.
In addition to his work on cannabis, Gaoni is also known for his efforts to develop more efficient chemical processes. He developed several innovative chemical processes that helped reduce reaction times and minimize the amount of waste generated in chemical reactions. His work on streamlining chemical processes has had a significant impact on the field of organic chemistry, making chemical synthesis more efficient and environmentally friendly.
==See also==
* Cannabis in Israel
* History of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Category:1928 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:Israeli chemists
Category:People from Jerusalem