Novel cannabinoid ligands represented by the general formulas I, II, and III and methods for preparation and use within which one or more of a fluorescent ligand, nitroxide spin label, metal chelate, biotin moiety, or group with enhanced polarity may be incorporated. The compounds can bind to and modulate the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and thereby considered specific ligands for these receptors. Some of the disclosed compounds that bind to cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors can exhibit tight or irreversible binding characteristics for these receptors. Due to the presence of the imaging/diagnostic and/or therapeutic functional groups including fluorescent groups, nitroxide spin labels, metal chelates, biotin moieties, and groups with enhanced polarity, the disclosed compounds may be useful as imaging/diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic agents.

Novel cannabinoid ligands represented by the general formulas I, II, and III and methods for preparation and use within which one or more of a fluorescent ligand, nitroxide spin label, metal chelate, biotin moiety, or group with enhanced polarity may be incorporated. The compounds can bind to and modulate the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and thereby considered specific ligands for these receptors. Some of the disclosed compounds that bind to cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors can exhibit tight or irreversible binding characteristics for these receptors. Due to the presence of the imaging/diagnostic and/or therapeutic functional groups including fluorescent groups, nitroxide spin labels, metal chelates, biotin moieties, and groups with enhanced polarity, the disclosed compounds may be useful as imaging/diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic agents.

The photochromic compound is represented by General Formula 1 . R.sup.30 and R.sup.31 each independently represent a linear or branched alkyl group having 2 or more carbon atoms, which is unsubstituted or has one or more substituents; a cyclic alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms which is unsubstituted or has one or more substituents; or represents a group represented by - (R.sup.100) .sub.nR.sup.101 which is unsubstituted or has one or more substituents, R.sup.100 represents an alkyleneoxy group, R.sup.101 represents an alkyl group, n represents an integer of 1 or more, a total number of carbon atoms of n alkyleneoxy groups represented by R.sup.100 and alkyl groups represented by R.sup.101 is 2 or more, R.sup.32 to R.sup.35 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent other than an electron-attracting group, and R.sup.36, R.sup.37, B.sup.7 and B.sup.8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent.

##STR00001##

The photochromic compound is represented by General Formula 1 . R.sup.30 and R.sup.31 each independently represent a linear or branched alkyl group having 2 or more carbon atoms, which is unsubstituted or has one or more substituents; a cyclic alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms which is unsubstituted or has one or more substituents; or represents a group represented by - (R.sup.100) .sub.nR.sup.101 which is unsubstituted or has one or more substituents, R.sup.100 represents an alkyleneoxy group, R.sup.101 represents an alkyl group, n represents an integer of 1 or more, a total number of carbon atoms of n alkyleneoxy groups represented by R.sup.100 and alkyl groups represented by R.sup.101 is 2 or more, R.sup.32 to R.sup.35 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent other than an electron-attracting group, and R.sup.36, R.sup.37, B.sup.7 and B.sup.8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent.

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to intermediate compounds for the synthesis of novel cannabinoids 1 and 2, synthesized from simple starting materials using a cascade sequence of allylic rearrangement, aromatization and, for tetracyclic cannabinoids, further highly stereoselective and regioselective cyclization. These synthesized cannabinoids can more easily be obtained at high purity levels than cannabinoids isolated or synthesized via known methods. The cannabinoids 2 are obtained containing very low levels of isomeric cannabinoids such as the undesirable Δ.sup.8-tetrahydrocannabinol. The analogues with variation in aromatic ring substituents, whilst easily synthesized with the new methodology, would be much more difficult to make from any of the components of cannabis oil.

##STR00001##

Novel compounds of the formulas 3 and 6, useful as intermediates for the synthesis of the cannabinoids of advanced intermediates 4 and 5 as well as cannabinoids of the formulas 1 and 2, are disclosed.

##STR00002##

The present invention relates to intermediate compounds for the synthesis of novel cannabinoids 1 and 2, synthesized from simple starting materials using a cascade sequence of allylic rearrangement, aromatization and, for tetracyclic cannabinoids, further highly stereoselective and regioselective cyclization. These synthesized cannabinoids can more easily be obtained at high purity levels than cannabinoids isolated or synthesized via known methods. The cannabinoids 2 are obtained containing very low levels of isomeric cannabinoids such as the undesirable Δ.sup.8-tetrahydrocannabinol. The analogues with variation in aromatic ring substituents, whilst easily synthesized with the new methodology, would be much more difficult to make from any of the components of cannabis oil.

##STR00001##

Novel compounds of the formulas 3 and 6, useful as intermediates for the synthesis of the cannabinoids of advanced intermediates 4 and 5 as well as cannabinoids of the formulas 1 and 2, are disclosed.

##STR00002##

A Cannabis processing system comprises a grinding apparatus and a cell disruption apparatus. The grinding apparatus is configured to grind wet Cannabis cuttings to from a ground, wet Cannabis material comprising wet Cannabis particles having an average particle size within a range of from about 1 mm to about 3 mm. The cell disruption apparatus is downstream of the grinding apparatus and is configured to disrupt cell walls of plant cells of the wet Cannabis particles through one or more of flash freezing, a cellulose solvent, applied negative pressure, and vacuum distillation to facilitate removal of one or more cannabinoids within the plant cells of the wet Cannabis particles. Methods of processing Cannabis are also described.

A Cannabis processing system comprises a grinding apparatus and a cell disruption apparatus. The grinding apparatus is configured to grind wet Cannabis cuttings to from a ground, wet Cannabis material comprising wet Cannabis particles having an average particle size within a range of from about 1 mm to about 3 mm. The cell disruption apparatus is downstream of the grinding apparatus and is configured to disrupt cell walls of plant cells of the wet Cannabis particles through one or more of flash freezing, a cellulose solvent, applied negative pressure, and vacuum distillation to facilitate removal of one or more cannabinoids within the plant cells of the wet Cannabis particles. Methods of processing Cannabis are also described.

A waterless decarboxylation device used to decarboxylate cannabis is described. For example, the device could include a product container to contain an amount of raw cannabis plant material, a heating container configured to surround and contact the product container, a heater in contact with the heating container, a foam layer surrounding the product container and heating container, at least one sensor configured to detect the temperature of the heating container, a lid that encloses the product container and fluidly seals it from the environment, and a controller configured to control power to the heater in response to signals sent from the at least one sensor indicating whether the heating container has reached a threshold temperature.

A waterless decarboxylation device used to decarboxylate cannabis is described. For example, the device could include a product container to contain an amount of raw cannabis plant material, a heating container configured to surround and contact the product container, a heater in contact with the heating container, a foam layer surrounding the product container and heating container, at least one sensor configured to detect the temperature of the heating container, a lid that encloses the product container and fluidly seals it from the environment, and a controller configured to control power to the heater in response to signals sent from the at least one sensor indicating whether the heating container has reached a threshold temperature.