Lumír Ondřej Hanuš () is a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

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 Anandamide (ANA), also referred to as ''N''-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) is a fatty acid neurotransmitter belonging to the fatty acid derivative group known as N-acylethanolamine (NAE). Anandamide takes its name from the Sanskrit word ''ananda ...

, an endogenous

cannabinoid Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found primarily in the ''Cannabis'' plant or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (delta-9-THC), the primary psychoact ...

neurotransmitter A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a Chemical synapse, synapse. The cell receiving the signal, or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell. Neurotra ...

Biography

Lumír Hanuš was born in 1947 in

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

, in what was then

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. He is a distant relative of Czech chemist Josef Hanuš (1872–1955).

Academic career

In 1966, Hanuš began studying at the Faculty of Science of

Palacký University Olomouc Palacký University Olomouc () is the oldest university in Moravia and List of universities in the Czech Republic, the second-oldest in the Czech Republic. It was established in 1573 as a public university led by the Jesuit order in Olomouc, whi ...

. In 1970, professor Zdeněk Krejčí of the

Faculty of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

's Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology (where the anti-bacterial effects of cannabis were described in 1955) needed an aide. Hanuš started to work as Krejčí's assistant in the research of cannabis and hashish in December of that year. There, Hanuš also met professors Jan Kabelík and František Šantavý, who, together with Krejčí, laid the foundations of the research of cannabis and its curative effects. Hanuš grew cannabis for research purposes on two fields in the Research Institute of Vegetable Growing and Breeding in Olomouc from 1971. The extracts were also used at the University Hospital Olomouc as a cure for

aphthous ulcer Aphthous stomatitis, or recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), commonly referred to as a canker sore or salt blister, is a common condition characterized by the repeated formation of benignity, benign and non-contagious disease, contagious mouth ...

herpes simplex Herpes simplex, often known simply as herpes, is a viral disease, viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Herpes infections are categorized by the area of the body that is infected. The two major types of herpes are Cold sore, ora ...

herpes zoster Shingles, also known as herpes zoster or zona, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. T ...

, and

pressure ulcers Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, bed sores or pressure injuries, are localised damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue that usually occur over a bony prominence as a result of usually long-term pressure, or pressure in comb ...

. Hanuš graduated with a Master of Science in 1972 and he earned a Doctorate in Science at Olomouc in 1974. He pursued his academic and research activities there until 1990. Hanuš also took part in research at the

Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences The Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Czech: ''Československá akademie věd'', Slovak: ''Česko-slovenská akadémia vied'') was established in 1953 to be the scientific center for Czechoslovakia. It was succeeded by the Czech Academy of Science ...

and continued post-graduate research study at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

(today

Masaryk University Masaryk University (MU) (; ) is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno, it now consists of ten faculties and 35,115 students. It is named after To ...

). In years 1978–1979 he worked as a research associate at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

, focusing not only on cannabis, but also on coca leaves. He became

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

in organic chemistry in Olomouc in 1994 and obtained a Doctorate of Sciences in pharmaceutical chemistry at

Charles University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...

in 1995. Hanuš was for many years in contact with Israeli cannabis researcher

Raphael Mechoulam Raphael Mechoulam (; 5 November 1930 – 9 March 2023) was a Bulgarian-born Israeli organic chemist and a professor in the Department of Natural Materials at the School of Pharmacy in the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ...

by letter. Following the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...

, Hanuš was invited to continue his research at

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. In Israel, Hanuš and American molecular pharmacologist William Anthony Devane in 1992 first described the structure of

Anandamide Anandamide (ANA), also referred to as ''N''-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) is a fatty acid neurotransmitter belonging to the fatty acid derivative group known as N-acylethanolamine (NAE). Anandamide takes its name from the Sanskrit word ''ananda ...

, an endogenous

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

Views on cannabis

Hanuš marks cannabis as "one of the safest known medications". According to Hanuš, alcohol and tobacco should be "blacklisted" 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. Moreover, people under the influence of marijuana are not dangerous to others. He does not support smoking marijuana because of the dangers of smoke inhalation. Hanuš is against uncontrolled use of marijuana, but he fully supports its use for medical purposes. In April 2010 and September 2011, Hanuš took part in a seminar of the

Czech Parliament The Parliament of the Czech Republic () or just Parliament () is the legislative branch of the Czech Republic. It meets in Malá Strana, Prague and is composed of 281 total members and Senators. It consists of two chambers, both elected in dire ...

aimed at introduction of cannabinoid treatment.

Awards

* September 14, 2005:

Hanuš Medal Hanuš is a Czech name, which may be either a given name or a common family name. First names * Hanuš Schwaiger (1854–1912), Czech artist * Hanuš Wihan (1855–1920), Czech cellist * Jan Růže, also known as Master Hanuš, a Prague blacksmith ...

(The Czech Chemical Society in Prague) for furthering creditable work in the fields of chemistry. * November 6, 2006: Memorial Medal (Rector of the

) on the 50th anniversary of the revival and reopening of the university in

at the occasion of delivering the 13th annual J. L. Fischer Memorial Lecture * April 12, 2007:

Doctor honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

(

) * 2009: nominated for the National Award of the Czech Government "Czech Mind" ("Česká hlava") * 2010: nominated for the Patria Award of the Czech Government "Czech Mind" ("Česká hlava") * 2010: nominated for The 2010 Jack Herer Award for Outstanding Hemp Awareness in the field of Medicine * April 26, 2010: Outstanding Immigrant Scientist (1990–2010) for his contribution to the State of

, Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, Israel * May 4, 2011:

(

) * 2011: Honorary Scientific Fellow of the Czech Neuropsychopharmacological Society * 2011: nominated for the Addictology award for best achievement in the year 2011 * November 22, 2012: Addictology Award (Charles University, Prague) for significant contribution in the field of addictology in the past year * June 13, 2013: Olomouc City Award for the year 2012 * March 29, 2014: Recognition (ONEJ), Ljubljana, Slovenia * 2014: nominated for the position of The International Cannabinoid Research Society President * March 22, 2016: 2015 Lifetime Award Winner (Americans for Safe Access), Washington D.C., USA * September 10, 2016: Commemorative Medal of the Palacky University in Olomouc for extraordinary representation of Palacky University in the Czech Republic and abroad (Pamětní medaile Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci za mimořádnou reprezentaci Univerzity Palackého v České republice a v zahraničí) * January 13, 2018: Recognition, Punta del Este, Uruguay * September 27, 2018: Lifetime Achievement Award, CanEx Jamaica, Montego Bay, Jamaica

References

External links

Dr. Lumir Hanus
Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Faculty of Medicine * in

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...