Not only did they identify the active ingredient in marijuana, they also discovered where and how it works in the brain—via a new system they called the endocannabinoid EC system. The EC system—named after the marijuana plant Cannabis sativa and its active ingredient deltatetrahydrocannabinol THC —is a unique communications system in the brain and body that affects many important functions, including how a person feels, moves, and reacts. The natural chemicals produced by the body that interact within the EC system are called cannabinoids, and like THC, they interact with receptors to regulate these important body functions.
Review Figure 1 and the steps below to take a closer look at the components of the EC system, how it works, and the effects of THC. Endogenous cannabinoids such as anandamide see figure function as neurotransmitters because they send chemical messages between nerve cells neurons throughout the nervous system. They affect brain areas that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, movement, coordination, and sensory and time perception. Because of this similarity, THC is able to attach to molecules called cannabinoid receptors on neurons in these brain areas and activate them, disrupting various mental and physical functions and causing the effects described earlier.
For example, THC is able to alter the functioning of the hippocampus see " Marijuana, Memory, and the Hippocampus " and orbitofrontal cortex, brain areas that enable a person to form new memories and shift his or her attentional focus. An analgesia circuit activated by cannabinoids.
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Sign In or Create an Account. Sign In. Advanced Search. Search Menu. Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article Navigation. Volume Article Contents Abstract. The cannabinoid system in brain. Effects of cannabinoids on synaptic function.
Effects of cannabinoids on CNS function. Cannabis as an intoxicant and drug of dependence. Adverse effects of cannabis on the CNS.
Cannabis and the brain. Leslie Iversen Leslie Iversen. Oxford Academic. Google Scholar. Revision received:. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Open in new tab Download slide. Trends Pharmacol Sci. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. Eur J Pharmacol.
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Life Sci. Eur Neurol. Neuropsycho pharmacology. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. J Neurochem. Ann NY Acad Sci. J Comp Neurol. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. FEBS Lett. Psychol Med. Nat Med. Chem Phys Lipids. Nat Neurosci. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Prev NEXT. Physical Science. Chemical Compounds. Neurons are the cells that process information in the brain. Chemicals called neurotransmitters allow neurons to communicate with each other.
Neurotransmitters fill the gap, or synapse, between two neurons and bind to protein receptors, which allow various functions in the brain and body to be turned on and off.
Some neurons have thousands of receptors that are specific to particular neurotransmitters. Foreign chemicals, like THC, can mimic or block actions of neurotransmitters and interfere with normal functions.
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