Cannabinoids from the cannabis plant were one of the earliest psychoactive phytochemicals harnessed by humanity for their medicinal properties and remain one of the most frequently used and misused classes of chemicals in the world. Despite our long-standing history with cannabinoids, much more is said than is known regarding how these molecules influence the brain and behavior. We are in a rapidly evolving discovery phase regarding the neuroscience of cannabinoids. This period of insight began in the mid-1990s when it was discovered that phytocannabinoids (e.g., delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) act on G-protein coupled receptors (i.e., CB₁/CB₂) in the brain to produce their psychoactive effects. Shortly thereafter, it was discovered that endogenous ligands (i.e., endocannabinoids) exist for these receptor targets and, that they are synthetized on demand under a variety of physiological conditions. Thus, we can now study how phytochemicals, endogenous ligands, and synthetic/metabolic enzymes of the endocannabinoid system influence the brain and behavior by activating known receptor targets. Our increased ability to study cannabinoid interactions with the brain and behavior coincides with an increase in international interest in utilizing cannabinoids as a medicine. At the same time, the potency of, and administration routes by which cannabinoids are used is rapidly changing. And, these trends in cannabinoid misuse are producing lasting neural adaptations that have implications for mental health. In this special edition, we will summarize our recent period of discovery regarding how: 1) phytocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids and endocannabinoids act on the brain to produce behavioral effects; 2) cannabinoids can be harnessed to produce pharmacotherapeutic utility in the field of medicine; and 3) use of increasingly more cannabinoid variants through unique routes of administration alter the brain and behavior, especially when used in critical developmental periods like pregnancy and adolescence.

来自大麻植物的大麻素是人类最早利用的具有药用特性的精神活性植物化学物质之一，并且仍然是世界上最常用和滥用的化学物质之一。尽管我们在大麻素方面有着悠久的历史，但关于这些分子如何影响大脑和行为的说法比我们所知的要多得多。关于大麻素的神经科学，我们正处于一个快速发展的发现阶段。这一洞察时期始于 1990 年代中期，当时发现植物大麻​​素（例如 delta-9-四氢大麻酚）作用于 G 蛋白偶联受体（即 CB ₁ /CB ₂) 在大脑中产生心理作用。此后不久，发现这些受体靶标存在内源性配体（即内源性大麻素），并且它们是在各种生理条件下按需合成的。因此，我们现在可以研究内源性大麻素系统的植物化学物质、内源性配体和合成/代谢酶如何通过激活已知受体靶标来影响大脑和行为。我们研究大麻素与大脑和行为的相互作用的能力增强，恰逢国际上对利用大麻素作为药物的兴趣增加。与此同时，使用大麻素的效力和给药途径正在迅速变化。和，大麻素滥用的这些趋势正在产生对心理健康产生影响的持久神经适应。在本期特刊中，我们将总结我们最近关于以下方面的发现： 1) 植物大麻素、合成大麻素和内源性大麻素如何作用于大脑以产生行为影响；2) 大麻素可用于在医学领域产生药物治疗效用；3) 通过独特的给药途径使用越来越多的大麻素变体会改变大脑和行为，尤其是在怀孕和青春期等关键发育时期使用时。2) 大麻素可用于在医学领域产生药物治疗效用；3) 通过独特的给药途径使用越来越多的大麻素变体会改变大脑和行为，尤其是在怀孕和青春期等关键发育时期使用时。2) 大麻素可用于在医学领域产生药物治疗效用；3) 通过独特的给药途径使用越来越多的大麻素变体会改变大脑和行为，尤其是在怀孕和青春期等关键发育时期使用时。