New dawn of cannabinoid pharmacology

The initial demonstration of the existence of a cannabinoid receptor in 1988 suggested the presence of endogenous cannabimimetic ligands. The cloning of a cannabinoid receptor in 1990 gave hope that the identification of receptor subtypes would follow, thus enabling medicinal chemists to develop drugs with selective actions. The recent discovery of anandamide, an endogenous cannabimimetic eicosanoid, and the cloning of a peripheral cannabinoid receptor have opened the door to a new era in cannabinoid pharmacology.