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Nature 418, 488-489 (1 August 2002) | doi:10.1038/418488b

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Neurobiology: Never fear, cannabinoids are here

Pankaj Sah

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Although we understand how fearful memories are stored in the brain, how they are extinguished remains a mystery. The answers may lie with the cannabinoid compounds our bodies produce.

Cannabinoids such as marijuana and hashish have been used for over a thousand years for medicinal and recreational purposes. The active 'ingredient' of these drugs is Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which produces effects on nerve cells in the brain by binding to a protein on the neuronal surface, the CB1 receptor1.