Manley Elisha West OM (17 March 1929 - 24 April 2012) was a Jamaican pharmacologist who studied the marijuana plant. He investigated medicines for
glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...
.
Education
West was born in Fairy Hill,
Portland Parish
Portland, with its capital town Port Antonio, is a parish located on Jamaica's northeast coast. It is situated to the north of St Thomas and to the east of St Mary in Surrey County. It is one of the rural areas of Jamaica, containing part ...
, Jamaica. He studied at
Titchfield High School
Titchfield High School is a secondary high school in Port Antonio, Jamaica, in the northern part of Portland Parish. The school was established in January 1786, and is the fifth-oldest high school in the country, after Wolmer's Boys', one of the Wo ...
and later moved to the UK, attending
Thames High School
Thames High School is a public high school in Thames, Waikato, New Zealand. Established in 1880, it is the second oldest secondary school in the former Auckland Province.
Academics
At all grade levels, Māori language courses are offered, with ...
in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. Eventually he began to study pharmacology at the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
. He worked in
St Helier Hospital
St Helier Hospital (full title: ''St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children'') in the London Borough of Sutton is run by St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group along with Epsom Hospital. It is loc ...
. West remained there for his postgraduate studies, earning a PhD in 1967.
Research
West returned to Jamaica, and was appointed as a lecturer in 1968. In 1969 he was awarded a
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
fellowship to study cancer chemotherapy at the
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 52 National Cancer Institute– ...
. In 1970 he joined
Ottawa University
Ottawa University (OU) is a private Baptist university with its main campus in Ottawa, Kansas, a second residential campus in Surprise, Arizona, and adult campuses in the Kansas City, Phoenix and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. It was founded in ...
. In 1977 he was awarded the
Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency working to improve the health and living standards of the people of the Americas. It is part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for ...
fellowship in applied toxicology. He worked in
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia.
Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-b ...
. In the late 1970s, West became interested in the medicinal properties of marijuana when he observed a
Manchioneal
Manchioneal is a settlement in Jamaica. It has a population of 2,292 as of 2009. It is located towards the eastern end in Portland Parish
Portland, with its capital town Port Antonio, is a parish located on Jamaica's northeast coast. It i ...
fishing community looking for fish at night. The fishermen had been smoking marijuana.
He was the first Jamaican to be appointed as professor in the
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...
Department of Pharmacology in 1981. He would also serve as Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences. In 1985 he joined the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
as a
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
Fellow, working with
Alan Cuthbert
Alan William Cuthbert, (7 May 1932 – 27 August 2016) was a British pharmacologist and fellow of University College London.
Life
Cuthbert was born in Peterborough, England. He was a research professor at Addenbrooke's Hospital, located at t ...
on how drugs cross the membrane of the eye. He attended a conference in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, where he heard that marijuana can lower intraocular pressure. He pioneered the use of marijuana as a treatment for
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...
, and was co-inventor of canasol with Albert Lockhart. Canasol is still one of the most popular drugs for treating
glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...
. They were awarded a $20,000 CIDA grant to develop to medicine. They went on to co-invent Asmasol. He died on April 24, 2012.
Awards
* The FAO/United Nations/Jamaica World Food Day “Biodiversity Award”
* 1976 Certificate of Merit from the
Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
* 1981
Institute of Jamaica
The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), founded in 1879, is the country's most significant cultural, artistic and scientific organisation:Jamaican Order of Merit
The Order of Merit is part of the Jamaican honours system, and it is the fourth-highest honour awarded by the nation of Jamaica. The Order of Merit is conferred upon Jamaicans or distinguished citizens of other countries who have achieved interna ...