The Biology of nervous systems in health and disease

The Cannabis sativa plant has been exploited for medicinal, agricultural and spiritual purposes in diverse cultures over thousands of years. Indeed, reports of medicinal efficacy of cannabis can be traced back as far as 2700 BC in China. The serendipitous identification of a receptor at which cannabinoid compounds are active in the brain heralded an explosion in endocannabinoid research continuing to this day. The endocannabinoid system in the brain primarily influences communication between neurons, and affects biological functions including eating, anxiety, learning and memory, growth and development via an array of actions throughout the nervous system. In spite of recent scientific findings, much remains to be discovered as to where and when endocannabinoids function, and how endocannabinoid signalling may be exploited for therapeutic benefit. The more we can learn about the endocannabinoid system, the better will be the prospects for capitalizing on endocannabinoid-based therapies in each disease situation. This volume is dedicated to presenting the latest findings dealing with endocannabinoids in development, cellular and molecular neurobiology, behaviour, nervous system disease and aging, and therapeutics.