2018 Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews: Cannabis and Cannabinoids: From Synapse to Society

Highlighted Reviews

CB1 Receptor Signaling in the Brain: Extracting Specificity from Ubiquity?
The article by Busquets-Garcia et al. provides a comprehensive overview of the complexity of endocannabinoid signaling in the brain and how the "where" matters when it comes to CB1 receptor localization and influences on synaptic processes. The article demonstrates that endocannabinoids influence the brain like a symphony orchestra, sometimes we require complexity to achieve harmony.

The Endogenous Cannabinoid System: A Budding Source of Targets for Treating Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain
Donvito et al., reviews the potential use of cannabinoids as analgesics via modulation of immune or neuronal cell function, a timely topic given the critical need for novel medications to treat pain. The article describes the effects of endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids on preclinical and clinical inflammatory and neuropathic pain models, including a discussion of whether cannabinoids have opioid-sparing effects.

Integrating Endocannabinoid Signaling and Cannabinoids into the Biology and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The article by Hill et al., draws together information from a variety of fields in an attempt to provide an all-encompassing theory of how endocannabinoids and cannabis could influence a host of biological processes to provide therapeutic benefit in post-traumatic stress disorder. While thorough clinical work is stil needed, this review provides a template for how the field could move forward to examine if targeting the endocannabinoid system is indeed a viable target for the treatment of this devastating illness.

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23 March 2018

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