No inhaling necessary—your brain produces a marijuana-like chemical with the ability to reduce pain, anxiety, and depression, and scientists are uncovering more about how this neurotransmitter works. No inhaling necessary—your brain produces a marijuana-like chemical with the ability to reduce pain, anxiety, and depression, and scientists are uncovering more about how this neurotransmitter works.

Sometimes called “the bliss molecule,” the brain chemical anandamide is one of the compounds produced by the endocannabinoid system. These compounds are very similar to the active ingredient in marijuana, THC.

A new study by UC Irvine researchers reveals that a protein in the brain ferries anandamide to sites in brain cells where enzymes break down and inactivate the “bliss” chemical. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, shows that blocking this protein increases the potency of anandamide, and may unlock new possibilities in pain control.

The revelation about anandamide transport and breakdown opens up the potential to develop pain medications that don’t produce sedation, addiction, or other central nervous system effects associated with opiates, which are often used to control severe and chronic pain.