# The Role of Cannabinoid CB2 Receptors in Trauma-Induced Anxiety and PTSD > **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637) > **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com) > **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/cannabinoid-cb2-receptors-anxiety-ptsd-regulation/ > **Published:** 2021-02-09T14:19:29-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-28T11:17:15-04:00 > **Clinical Summary:** Explore how cannabinoid CB2 receptors anxiety regulation offers potential targets for PTSD drug development and trauma-induced anxiety relief. --- ### Cannabinoid CB2 receptors mediate the anxiolytic-like effects of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition in a rat model of predator-induced fear ​In Summary Researchers recently identified a signaling pathway in the [endocannabinoid system](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-fear-extinction/) that regulates long-lasting anxiety, a central symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In particular, CB2 – one of the two main endocannabinoid receptors – mediates the response: its activation appears to have an anxiolytic (anxiety reducing) effect while its inhibition an anxiogenic (anxiety inducing) one. A recent study provides several lines of evidence supporting this conclusion. In this study, male rats were exposed to TMT, a volatile chemical that is innately aversive to rodents, leading to a long-lasting anxiety-like state that captures the features of human PTSD. When a drug that elevates the amount of endocannabinoids in brain tissue and as a result, increases activation of the [CB2 receptor](https://cedclinic.com/s-caryophyllene-a-terpine-found-in-cannabis-demonstrates-therapeutic-potential-in-a-mouse-model-of-ms/), was administered to the rats, the TMT-induced enduring fear behaviors were suppressed. Meanwhile, when a drug that blocks the [CB2 receptor](https://cedclinic.com/s-caryophyllene-a-terpine-found-in-cannabis-demonstrates-therapeutic-potential-in-a-mouse-model-of-ms/) and interferes with its function was administered, anxiety symptoms were persistent. In addition, following exposure to TMT, the level of [CB2 receptors](https://cedclinic.com/cannabinoid-receptor-type-2-schizophrenia/) expressed in rat brains was elevated for a long period of time, suggesting that the brains may cope with fear and anxiety by relying on the [endocannabinoid system](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-fear-extinction/). ​ In short, signalling at the endocannabinoid receptor CB2 represents an innate anti-stress mechanism activated by psychological trauma of the brain, and thus can serve as a potential target for drugs treating PTSD. 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[Read More](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-trauma-substance-use-evidence/) [Endocannabinoid System and PTSD Alcohol Cannabis Use](https://cedclinic.com/ptsd-alcohol-cannabis-use-trauma-survivors/) Review studies on the interaction between the endocannabinoid system, PTSD, and [substance use](https://cedclinic.com/stroke-risk-assessment-substance-use/). [Learn More](https://cedclinic.com/ptsd-alcohol-cannabis-use-trauma-survivors/) [Distribution and subacute modulation of endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes in the trigeminal complex and midbrain in a pre-clinical model of post-traumatic headache.](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-post-traumatic-headache-mechanisms-study/) Investigate enzyme modulation in the endocannabinoid system related to trauma-induced neurological conditions. [Explore Study](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-post-traumatic-headache-mechanisms-study/) Have thoughts on this? 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