Extracts from the Cannabis plants, or cannabinoids, bind to the same receptors as do endogenous cannabinoids. Although usually found on nerve terminals, where their activation inhibits transmitter release, cannabinoid receptors are now reported to exist on mitochondria, where their activation by endocannabinoids regulates energy metabolism.
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Our work was supported by US National Institutes of Health grants RO1 MH077277 and RO1 DA014625 (B.E.A.).
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Alger, B., Tang, AH. Do cannabinoids reduce brain power?. Nat Neurosci 15, 499–501 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3072
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3072
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