Cannabinoid pharmacology: the first 66 years

TLDR

Research into cannabinoid pharmacology began in the 1940s, leading to the discovery of CB1 and CB2 receptors, endogenous ligands, and selective agonists/antagonists, underscoring their therapeutic potential. The study identifies future research goals. Published in British Journal of Pharmacology, 2006, 147:S163–S171 (doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706406).

Abstract

Research into the pharmacology of individual cannabinoids that began in the 1940s, several decades after the presence of a cannabinoid was first detected in cannabis, is concisely reviewed. Also described is how this pharmacological research led to the discovery of cannabinoid CB 1 and CB 2 receptors and of endogenous ligands for these receptors, to the development of CB 1 ‐ and CB 2 ‐selective agonists and antagonists and to the realization that the endogenous cannabinoid system has significant roles in both health and disease, and that drugs which mimic, augment or block the actions of endogenously released cannabinoids must have important therapeutic applications. Some goals for future research are identified. British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 147 , S163–S171. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706406