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Chapter 2 - The Function of the Endocannabinoid System

from Part I - Pharmacology of Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2023

By
Nathan D. Winters  and
Sachin Patel
Edited by
Deepak Cyril D'Souza ,
David Castle  and
Sir Robin Murray
Deepak Cyril D'Souza
Affiliation:
Staff Psychiatrist, VA Connecticut Healthcare System; Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
David Castle
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Sir Robin Murray
Affiliation:
Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychosis Service at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust; Professor of Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry
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Summary

The endocannabinoid system is a lipid-derived, retrograde neuromodulatory system with widespread functions in the central nervous system, among other tissues. Initially discovered through research efforts directed at identifying the biological target of Cannabis¬-derived cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system has been demonstrated to play critical roles in synaptic transmission and the regulation of myriad aspects of nervous system physiology and behaviour, such as anxiety, pain, and sleep. Comprised of the endocannabinoid ligands, the enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation, and the cannabinoid receptors, the endocannabinoid system has been the topic of a rapidly expanding field of research in both the basic sciences and drug development. Herein we describe the history, function and recent developments in our understanding of this complex neuromodulatory signalling system.

Keywords

endocannabinoidscannabinoid receptors2-arachidonoylglycerolanandamide
Type
Chapter
Information
Marijuana and Madness , pp. 12 - 20
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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