Stereoselective Synthetic Strategies to (-)-Cannabidiol

(-)-Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound that has already found many medical applications, from the treatment of epilepsy to other neurological disorders. (-)-CBD is usually extracted from Cannabis Sativa, but unfortunately, its isolation among many other structurally related cannabinoids can be challenging. This, along with the increased demand for (-)-CBD, prompted chemists to come up with synthetic strategies that could afford this cannabinoid in good yield and high enantiopurity. Herein, we aim to review the fundamental strategies employed in the stereoselective synthesis of (-)-cannabidiol, spanning from classic approaches to automated ones, highlighting the challenges encountered in the total synthesis of this cannabinoid.