![]() ![]() In this 3D illustration of a brain cell, you can see the presynaptic neuron (top), the postsynaptic neuron (bottom) and the gap known as the synapse that exists between them. One neuron sends a message to the next by releasing neurotransmitters, such as dopamine or serotonin, into an infinitesimal gap that separates one neuron from the next. ![]() Neurotransmitters are molecules that brain cells, or neurons, use to communicate with each other. "The endocannabinoid system is the most pervasive, diffused and important modulatory system in the brain because it controls the release of pretty much every neurotransmitter," Piomelli said. ![]() These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in several functions, including stress, food intake, metabolism and pain, according to Piomelli, who also directs the Center for the Study of Cannabis at UC Irvine. The THC molecules that pass the blood-brain barrier will find that they fit snugly into receptors that ordinarily receive compounds called endocannabinoids, which the body produces itself. "From the lungs, it's a pretty straight shot to the brain," according to Kelly Drew, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Within 20 minutes, the circulatory system is carrying molecules of THC to every tissue in the body, including the brain, where it can alter neural chemistry. THC that's inhaled "reaches pretty high levels fairly quickly," Piomelli told Live Science. ![]()
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