Endocoids and their Importance in Psychopharmacology

The Chinese emperor Shen Nung is believed to have produced the first written account of the medicinal properties of cannabis over 2000 years ago and various formulations of herbal cannabis have been used over the centuries to treat seizures, neuralgia, dysmenorrhoea, insomnia and even gonorrhoea. The hemp plant, Cannabis sativa, from which cannabis and 

Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology. Third Edition. By Brian E. Leonard 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd. ISBN 0 471 52178 7 

Despite the recent advances in molecular biology, the mechanisms of action and the physiological functions of the anandamide system remain obscure. It would appear that the cannabinoid receptors and the anandamides reside within the neurons. Thus unlike the classical neurotransmitters noradrenaline and serotonin, the anandamides are not released into the synaptic cleft and are not involved in intemeuronal communication. Instead the anandamides modulate the excitability and inhibitory responsiveness of neurons by acting on cannabinoid hetero-ceptors located on inhibitory and excitatory terminals. In this way, the 

Physiological processes in that endogenous cannabinoids may act as mediators 

It has been postulated that, at the cellular level, the symptoms of anxiety can arise because  

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