The endogenous cannabinoid system

AbstractThe hemp plant Cannabis sativa has been cultivated for thousands of years and is used as a medical plant and intoxicant. Scientific research on the psychoactive substances of Cannabis sativa and their effects on the brain started around 50 years ago and led to the discovery of the endogenous cannabinoid system. Today we know that this system represents an important feedback mechanism that modulates the communication between neurons. However, this system is not only active in the brain, but is known to be activated in different tissues and organs during specific disease states. Consequently, there is increasing interest in this system as a possible target for the development of new drugs. The currently commercially available drugs are based on cannabis extracts or synthetic compounds of the plant’s active components and are mainly used to treat chronic pain. In this review, the mechanisms of the endogenous cannabinoid system in pain perception are elucidated and a new herbal (phyto)cannabinoid which is a constituent of our daily food is presented.

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Cannabis sativa and the Endogenous Cannabinoid System: Therapeutic Potential for Appetite Regulation

Phytotherapy Research ◽

10.1002/ptr.3375 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 170-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Jonathan A. Farrimond ◽

Marion S. Mercier ◽

Benjamin J. Whalley ◽

Claire M. Williams

Keyword(s):

Cannabis Sativa ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Appetite Regulation ◽

Cannabinoid System ◽

Endogenous Cannabinoid ◽

Endogenous Cannabinoid System

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Early Cannabinoid Exposure as a Source of Vulnerability to Opiate Addiction: A Model in Laboratory Rodents

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/s1138741600005394 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 39-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Miguel Navarro ◽

Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca

Keyword(s):

Brain Function ◽

Cannabis Sativa ◽

Cannabinoid Receptor ◽

Adult Brain ◽

Opiate Abuse ◽

Laboratory Rodents ◽

Endogenous Cannabinoid ◽

Arachidonoyl Glycerol ◽

The Brain ◽

Endogenous Cannabinoid System

Recent findings have identified an endogenous brain system mediating the actions of cannabis sativa preparations. This system includes the brain cannabinoid receptor (CB-1) and its endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol. The endogenous cannabinoid system is not only present in the adult brain, but is also active at early stages of brain development. Studies developed at our laboratory have revealed that maternal exposure to psychoactive cannabinoid results in neuro-developmental alterations. A model is proposed in which early Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure during critical developmental periods results in permanent alterations in brain function by either the stimulation of CB-1 receptors present during the development, or by the alterations in maternal glucocorticoid secretion. Those alterations will be revealed in adulthood after challenges either with drugs (i.e. opiates) or with environmental stressors (i.e. novelty). They will include a modified pattern of neuro-chemical, endocrine, and behavioral responses that might lead ultimately to inadaptation and vulnerability to opiate abuse.

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