Basal ganglia and the endocannabinoid system
Fine-tuning movement.
Fine-tuning movement. Where the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 sit in this region, what they do there, and what is actually known about CBD; at three levels for Everyone, Students and Experts, with sources.
BrainCB1 high · CB2 very low (Human Protein Atlas)Last updated:
What's on this page?
Interactive 3D · real anatomy and real data
Where in your body are the cannabinoid receptors?
About 1.4 MB to download.
Regions
How to read it Choose a region, or tap a glowing point on the map.
- Solid light is the CB1 receptor, a ring is CB2. Each region has its own color; the color only tells regions apart.
- The strength of the light is the receptor gene level measured in human tissue (Human Protein Atlas). That is why the liver’s point is dim: a healthy liver has few receptors.
- With the layer selector above you can also see other receptors, the enzymes that make and break down endocannabinoids, and the liver enzymes that break down CBD and THC.
- Every piece of information shows its source and the type of evidence (human, animal, cell). You can change the reading level above.
- Drag to rotate. Use the + and − buttons to zoom; on a computer, Ctrl or ⌘ with the scroll wheel, on a phone, two fingers.
Basal ganglia: RNA level of the receptor gene in human tissue (tissue consensus data). Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
| Receptor | Gene | RNA (nTPM) | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB1 | CNR1 | 15.1 | high |
| CB2 | CNR2 | 0 | very low |
What does it do there?
In brain slices, cannabinoid receptor binding was densest in the output nuclei of the basal ganglia (the globus pallidus and substantia nigra), and also in the hippocampus and cerebellum. This distribution was similar across the mammals studied, including humans, and suggests that cannabinoids play a role in movement. Herkenham 1990Human tissueAnimalMackie 2005Review
Student level: terms and cell types
[3H]CP 55,940 binding in brain sections was densest in the output nuclei of the basal ganglia (substantia nigra pars reticulata and globus pallidus), and also in the hippocampus and cerebellum; the distribution was conserved across several mammalian species, including humans. The high density in the forebrain and cerebellum points to a role for cannabinoids in cognition and movement. According to reviews, CB1 is enriched in the cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia output pathways and cerebellum. Herkenham 1990Human tissueAnimalMackie 2005Review
Expert level: method notes and numbers
Basal ganglia: RNA level of the receptor gene in human tissue (tissue consensus data). In the HPA brain region data (basal ganglia), CB1 is 43.6 nTPM; the two datasets come from different samples and methods, so their numbers cannot be converted into each other directly. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
Method note
Herkenham 1990: receptor autoradiography in brain sections with [3H]CP 55,940, a radiolabeled synthetic cannabinoid 10–100 times more potent than THC in vivo, in several mammalian species including humans. The potencies of natural and synthetic cannabinoids in competing for binding closely matched their potencies in biological assays; density was sparse in the lower brainstem, which controls breathing and circulation. Herkenham 1990Human tissueAnimal
HPA's basal ganglia sample also includes the striatum; the output nuclei where Herkenham found the highest density are not measured separately. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
The model shows the striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen); the output nuclei where the densest binding was seen are not in this model.
What is known about CBD?
No effect found Weak evidence
In the guide: Parkinson’s Disease and CBD
Research did not find that CBD helps with this. If you are considering CBD, you can talk with your doctor or pharmacist, including about the medicines you take.
Not studied enough Insufficient evidence
In the guide: Tourette Syndrome and CBD
CBD oil has not yet been tested in Tourette syndrome; the positive results come from small studies with THC-containing medicines. It is not known whether CBD helps tics. If you are considering CBD for yourself or your child, you can talk with your doctor or pharmacist, including about the medicines being taken.
Which receptor and enzyme genes are read in this region?
Values in this region for the genes in the map's layer selector: besides CB1 and CB2, the other targets of cannabinoids, the enzymes that make and break down endocannabinoids, and the liver enzymes that break down CBD and THC.
| Gene | What does it do? | Here | Tissue where it is read the most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receptors | |||
| CB1 CNR1 | Cannabinoid receptor | 15.1 | cerebral cortex (18.6) |
| CB2 CNR2 | Cannabinoid receptor | 0.0 | spleen (8.4) |
| TRPV1 | Heat and chili pepper sensor · ion channel | 5.6 | liver (21.8) |
| GPR55 | Long an "orphan" receptor · in the cell membrane | 3.5 | testis (4.4) |
| PPARγ PPARG | Gene switch · in the cell nucleus | 2.3 | adipose tissue (153.2) |
| 5-HT1A HTR1A | Serotonin receptor · in the cell membrane | 0.4 | hippocampal formation (6.1) |
| TRPV2 | Relative of TRPV1 · ion channel | 2.2 | lung (29.5) |
| Endocannabinoid enzymes | |||
| NAPE-PLD NAPEPLD | Makes anandamide | 1.9 | kidney (13.9) |
| FAAH | Breaks down anandamide | 24.4 | testis (46.0) |
| DAGLα DAGLA | Makes 2-AG | 4.2 | cerebral cortex (12.3) |
| DAGLβ DAGLB | Makes 2-AG | 9.7 | adrenal gland (15.2) |
| MGL MGLL | Breaks down 2-AG | 91.3 | adipose tissue (161.3) |
| ABHD6 | Breaks down 2-AG | 18.4 | liver (60.7) |
| ABHD12 | Breaks down 2-AG | 75.2 | epididymis (125.2) |
| Enzymes that break down CBD and THC | |||
| CYP3A4 | Breaks down CBD and THC | 0.0 | liver (3,367.1) |
| CYP2C19 | Breaks down CBD | 0.0 | liver (178.0) |
| CYP2C9 | Breaks down THC | 0.0 | liver (1,607.6) |
RNA level shows how much the gene is read in this tissue; it does not directly show the amount of protein or how active an enzyme is. Human Protein Atlas (layers)Human tissue
Identifiers and citation
- Basal ganglia
- Basal Ganglia · MeSH D001479 · Wikidata Q464210
- Receptors
- CB1 (CNR1, UniProt P21554) · CB2 (CNR2, UniProt P34972)
How to cite: cbd.school editorial team. Basal ganglia and the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoid system 3D map, cbd.school. Last updated October 24, 2026. https://cbd.school/learn/endocannabinoid-system-map/bazal/
The body model is derived from BodyParts3D (DBCLS, CC BY 4.0) and Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0); receptor levels from Human Protein Atlas v25 (CC BY 4.0). The map, text and downloaded images are CC BY-SA 4.0. An independent expert review has not been done yet. All licenses
Other pages of the map
Overview: what the endocannabinoid system is, the feedback brake at the synapse, CBD's targets, lesson mode, data and licenses.
Sources
Show 4 references
- Human Protein Atlas v25: tissue RNA consensus data (rna_tissue_consensus.tsv, HPA and GTEx, nTPM) and brain region data (rna_brain_region_hpa.tsv, nTPM), CNR1 (ENSG00000118432) and CNR2 (ENSG00000188822); v25.proteinatlas.org, file date November 6, 2025, downloaded October 24, 2026. Uhlén M et al. Tissue-based map of the human proteome. Science. 2015;347(6220):1260419. License CC BY 4.0. PMID 25613900 · doi:10.1126/science.1260419 Human tissue
- Herkenham M, Lynn AB, Little MD et al. Cannabinoid receptor localization in brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990;87(5):1932-6. PMID 2308954 · doi:10.1073/pnas.87.5.1932 Human tissueAnimal
- Mackie K. Distribution of cannabinoid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2005;(168):299-325. PMID 16596779 · doi:10.1007/3-540-26573-2_10 Review
- Human Protein Atlas v25: tissue RNA consensus data (rna_tissue_consensus.tsv, HPA and GTEx, nTPM), the 17 genes in the map's layer selector: CNR1, CNR2, TRPV1, GPR55, PPARG, HTR1A, TRPV2, NAPEPLD, FAAH, DAGLA, DAGLB, MGLL, ABHD6, ABHD12, CYP3A4, CYP2C19, CYP2C9; v25.proteinatlas.org/download/tsv/rna_tissue_consensus.tsv.zip, downloaded October 24, 2026. Uhlén M et al. Tissue-based map of the human proteome. Science. 2015;347(6220):1260419. License CC BY 4.0. PMID 25613900 · doi:10.1126/science.1260419 Human tissue