Cannabinoids, sleep, and the MCH system

Marijuana is a colloquial name given to Cannabis sativa, which has been used for diverse purposes, including as a therapeutical element for multiple health issues. The neurobiological effects of C. sativa involve a complex biological machinery including receptors, named CB₁ and CB₂ cannabinoid receptors. These receptors recognize endogenous cannabinoid-like compounds, such as anandamide and 2-arachinonolglycerol which seems to display sleep-inducing properties. Along decades, the study of the putative role of exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids in sleep modulation has brought critical data. Since endocannabinoids have been described in sleep-related brain areas, intriguing issues regarding whether hypothalamic substrates, such as MHC, may be interacting with the endocannabinoids have been raised.