Synthesis of Fluorinated Cannabinoids

The recent legalization of marijuana has sparked renewed interest in studying the health benefits of the non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Cannabidiol (CBO, 1, Figure 1) has emerged as a promising medicinal candidate due to its potential for the treatment of anxiety, and chronic pain. In 2018, the first CBD-containing drug, Epidio1ex, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of epilepsy. Despite its promise as a pharmaceutical, animal and human trials have found that CBD has low bioavailability and is prone to metaboHc degradation and excretion. This issue may be addressed through the synthesis of fluorinated derivatives, a commonly-utilized strategy in the pharmaceutical industry for increasing metabolic stability and modulating pharmacokinetics. The overall strategy of this project is to synthesize fluorinated CBD derivatives to make them more stable to oxidative degradation and excretion.

Faculty Supervisor:

Glenn Sammis

Student:

Brodie Thomson

Partner:

Complex Biotech Discovery Ventures Ltd.

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of British Columbia