Fig. 2.

Brain loci underlying the modulation of dopamine (DA)-mediated neurotransmission by the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) inhibit local gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic interneurons that synapse on dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SNc). In the striatum, eCBs inhibit glutamate (Glut) release from afferents arising from different cortical regions (e.g. prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus) and indirectly stimulates dopamine release by inhibiting GABA-ergic interneurons.