Foreword [Cannabinoid Special Issue (Guest Editor: Ruth A. Ross)]

Cannabinoid Special Issue The progress of cannabinoid research is of growing interest to both government and the general public. This is evidenced by the plethora of articles on the topic in popular science press. Here are some recent quotes: “The painkilling effect of cannabis can be reproduced by boosting the effect of the body's own cannabislike chemicals. The finding raises the prospect of painkillers that do the same trick as smoking a joint but without any side-effects” New Scientist, July, 2001. “Do decades of dope-smoking wreck cannabis users' memory and concentration? Or is this just another anti-marijuana myth?” New Scientist, August 2002. Anecdotal evidence for the medical applications of cannabis that dates back hundreds of years, can increasingly be viewed in the context of a growing body of scientific and clinical research literature. A brief search of web of science reveals that the number of publications on cannabinoids has doubled in four years to 407 in 2002. This should convince even the most sceptical of the huge potential of the endocannabinoid system as a novel pharmacological target. Contrary to popular opinion cannabinoid researchers are not a company of ageing hippies clad in psychedelic lab coats! We have, however, transformed from being the beleaguered last speaker at biomedical conferences, addressing a snoozing, sparsely-populated lecture theatre, to being at the centre of an exciting ‘hot topic’ in pharmacology. In this special issue of Current Neuropharmacology we seek to give a flavour of the most exciting new developments in the pharmacology of cannabinoids. The contents of this special issue signal the huge scope and implications of the endocannabinoid system from the receptor and enzyme level to the enticing novel therapeutic applications.