Cannabinoids in the Brain: Their Metabolism, Roles, and Involvement in Neurological Disorders

The cannabinoid system-mediated signaling involves specific G protein-coupled receptors (CB1, CB2, and CB3), exogenous (marijuana-derived cannabinoids), endogenous cannabinoids ligands (2-arachidonoylglycerol, anandamide, noladin, virodhamine, and N-arachidonyl-dopamine), and a machinery associated with the synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoid. The endocannabinoid system is associated with the critical phase for cerebral development, regulating the release and action of different neurotransmitters and influencing fundamental developmental processes such as neuronal cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, morphogenesis, and synaptogenesis (Harkany et al., 2008).