Euphorics - Natural Products Chemistry: Sources, Separations, and Structures - page 87

HISTORICAL NOTE

Although the stimulant and hunger-suppressant properties of coca had been
known for many centuries, the cocaine alkaloid was only first isolated in 1855.
The first synthesis and confirmation of the structure occurred in 1898. Coca
was first traded as a legal drug in the 19th century but became listed as an illicit
narcotic drug in the 1980s.

8.7 CANNABIS
The Cannabis plant has long been used for fiber (hemp) and for medicinal purposes.
However, it is more popularly known in the form of a recreational drug. The prin-
cipal psychoactive constituent responsible for the “high” associated with cannabis,
also referred to as marijuana or hashish, is consumed orally or smoked. The active
chemical constituent is called phytocannabinoid Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
(Figure 8.5). To date, there are at least 85 different cannabinoids that have been iso-
lated from cannabis. THC acts on the cannabinoid receptors on cells in the body that
repress neurotransmitter release in the brain.

8.8 COCAINE
Cocaine (Figure 8.6) is an alkaloid, obtained from the plant Erythroxylum coca,
found in South American countries such as Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. After being
processed into a paste, the resulting coca base is processed into fine cocaine powder.
Cocaine is a stimulant and provides a “mood lift”; the impact to society in general as
an illicit drug has been quite significant.

SUMMARY
In this chapter, natural products giving a state of euphoria are presented, offer-
ing three important examples: morphine (heroin), the cannabinoids (marijuana),
and cocaine.
Morphine, opium, codeine, and heroin are related chemicals known as alkaloids
that are considered narcotic drugs and are controlled substances in most countries
around the world. Most morphine is derived from the opium poppy and codeine is
made from morphine by chemical conversion .

OH

9 10
10a

8
7

1

6a
6

2
3

5 4

O

FIGURE 8.5 The active chemical constituent, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in Cannabis .