The first total synthesis of cannabimovone from Cannabis sativa and anhydrocannabimovone was achieved by means of ah ighly stereoselective gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization. The results led to reassignment of the structure of anhydrocannabimovone.The herbaceous plant Cannabis sativa has been used in medicine for centuries and still attracts significant interest due to the biological and pharmaceutical activity of many of its metabolites.[1] More than 60 compounds,k nown as cannabinoids (a group of C 21 terpenophenolic compounds), are exclusively found in Cannabis sativa.[2] Owing to the development of synthetic cannabinoids, [3, 4] theunique components of Cannabis sativa are known as phytocannabinoids.T he most abundant compound is D
9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 1; Figure 1), which shows interesting pharmacological activity as an analgesic,a ntiemetic,a nd appetite stimulant, among others,b esides its well-known psychotropic effects.[5] Several total syntheses of 1 have been accomplished to date. [6] Cannabidiol (CBD, 2)isanother important phytocannabinoid with great potential as ad rug [7] since it modulates the undesired effects of THC when they are administrated together. [8] As tructurally different cannabinoid named cannabimovone (3)h as recently been isolated by the groups of Taglialatela-Scafati and Appendino from an onpsychotropic variety of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.;F igure 1). [9] In their attempt at preparing 3 from CBD (2)t hrough an intramolecular aldol reaction of keto aldehyde 4 under mild acidic conditions,the product of dehydration (5)was formed instead (Scheme 1). Under basic conditions,t he novel cannabinoid anhydrocannabimovone (6)w as directly formed through an intramolecular oxy-Michael addition of one of the phenol groups to the intermediate enone.Synthetic 6 was found to be active against metabotropic and ionotropic cannabinoid receptors,s howing as imilar biological profile to THC, whereas cannabimovone (3)h as affinity only for ionotropic receptors. [9] Theunprecedented abeo-menthane terpenoid structure of cannabimovone (3)i ncludes ad ensely functionalized cyclopentane with four contiguous stereocenters.T he novel structure of 3,c oupled with its lability towards dehydration under acidic or basic conditions and the interesting biological profiles of both 3 and 6,i nspired us to develop at otal synthesis that could allow access to aw ide variety of Scheme 1. Synthesis of anhydrocannabimovone( 6)f rom cannabidiol (CBD, 2).[9][*] Dr.J .C arreras, M.