Marijuana is the prototypical cannabinoid and is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Cannabinoids are molecules found naturally in the human body and brain as well as in cannabis.

Over the past decade, there have been major advances in understanding the mechanisms whereby marijuana interacts with the brain in producing psychoactive and potentially therapeutic effects. The discovery of specific gene coding for cannabinoid receptors activated by smoking marijuana, and the finding of endogenous cannabinoids, which also activate the receptors, have transformed cannabinoid research into mainstream science with significant implications in human health and disease

Endocannabinoids: The Brain and Body's Marijuana and Beyond documentsadvances in the discovery and...

A cutting-edge collection of readily reproducible in vitro and in vivo methods to elucidate the mechanisms associated with cannabinoid function in health and disease. The techniques can be used in studies across the board from genes to behavior. The molecular neurobiological methods are invaluable in analyzing the structure, the polymorphisms, and the molecular expression of the cannabinoid receptors (CBrs), as well as their association with polysubstance abuse. There are also methods for localizing cannabinoid receptors in different systems, visualizing cannabinoid effects using brain slice...

A cutting-edge collection of readily reproducible in vitro and in vivo methods to elucidate the mechanisms associated with cannabinoid function in health and disease. The techniques can be used in studies across the board from genes to behavior. The molecular neurobiological methods are invaluable in analyzing the structure, the polymorphisms, and the molecular expression of the cannabinoid receptors (CBrs), as well as their association with polysubstance abuse. There are also methods for localizing cannabinoid receptors in different systems, visualizing cannabinoid effects using brain slice...