CENTRAL CANNABINOID REGULATION OF FOOD INTAKE IN CHICKENS by

Marijuana has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes for thousands of years. Many people think of marijuana in the context of an illegal drug. Because of the antimarijuana attitude, research with cannabinoids was neglected for a long time. Although this substance is related to social problems, scientists are interested in its action and possible medicinal properties. Since the identification of the structure of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, there has been increased interest in this compound. Following the discovery of two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2 receptors, it was determined that CB1 receptors are in high density in the central nervous system while CB2 receptors are found primarily in the immune system. The endogenous cannabinoid ligands, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, were observed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Endocannabinoids differ from other “classical ” neurotransmitters because they do not appear to be stored in synaptic vesicles, and they act as retrograde messengers within the brain. The endogenous cannabinoid signaling system includes cannabinoid receptors