Endocannabinoid

An endocannabinoid is a lipid signaling molecule that the human and animal body makes on its own to act on cannabinoid receptors.

The two best-characterized endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, usually abbreviated 2-AG. They are produced on demand from fatty acids in cell membranes, act briefly on CB1 and CB2 receptors nearby, and are then broken down by enzymes such as FAAH and MAGL. Together with those receptors and enzymes they form the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in regulating many ordinary body processes.

Endocannabinoids are not found in plants; the plant compounds are phytocannabinoids, and the naming reflects that plant cannabinoids were discovered first and the body's own system was named after them. CBD does not simply mimic an endocannabinoid; laboratory studies suggest it may influence the system indirectly, for example by affecting how quickly anandamide is broken down, though this is still an active research question. Dogs, cats, and other mammals have endocannabinoid systems as well.