Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder which places a significant emotional and economic strain on the individual and society-at-large. Unfortunately, currently available therapeutic strategies do not provide adequate relief and some patients are treatment-resistant. Therefore there is urgent need for the development of mechanistically different and less side effect prone antipsychotic compounds. Recently, the endocannabinoid system has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for pharmacotherapy that is involved in a wide range of disorders, including schizophrenia. Modulation of this system by the main psychoactive component in cannabis, Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), induces acute psychotic effects and cognitive impairment. However, the non-psychotropic, plant-derived cannabinoid agent cannabidiol shows great promise for the treatment of psychosis, and is associated with fewer extrapyramidal side effects than conventional antipsychotic drugs.

The aim of this review is to analyse the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in schizophrenia and the potential role of cannabidiol in its treatment.

There is still considerable uncertainty about the mechanism of action of cannabidiol as well as the brain regions which are thought to mediate its putative antipsychotic effect. Further data is warrant before this novel therapy can be introduced into clinical practice.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest