Thyroid and the endocannabinoid system
Regulating thyroid hormones.
Regulating thyroid hormones. 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.
Hormone glandsCB1 moderate · 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.
Thyroid gland: RNA level of the receptor gene in human tissue (tissue consensus data). Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
| Receptor | Gene | RNA (nTPM) | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB1 | CNR1 | 3.9 | moderate |
| CB2 | CNR2 | 0.2 | very low |
What does it do there?
CB1 receptor RNA is measured at moderate levels in the human thyroid. In the rat thyroid, CB1 was seen in both follicular and parafollicular cells. A synthetic cannabinoid given to rats lowered blood levels of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) by about 30% within 4 hours; a substance that blocks CB1 prevented this. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissuePorcella 2002Animal
The thyroid is controlled by an axis that runs from the brain (TRH) to the pituitary gland (TSH), and the endocannabinoid system affects these steps too. In rats, anandamide lowered TSH, while a substance that blocks CB1 raised it. In mice, when endocannabinoid production was reduced in support cells called tanycytes at the base of the hypothalamus, TSH production roughly doubled and free T4 in the blood rose. da Veiga 2008AnimalCell / labKővári 2022Animal
Student level: terms and cell types
In the rat thyroid, RT-PCR detected mRNA for CB1 and for the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme FAAH; western blotting showed glycosylated CB1 protein (63 kDa), and immunohistochemistry showed intracellular staining in follicular and parafollicular cells. WIN 55,212-2 lowered serum T3 and T4 by 30% at 4 hours; SR 141716A pretreatment prevented this; TSH did not change. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissuePorcella 2002Animal
In euthyroid rats, a single dose of anandamide lowered serum TSH by 42% and T4 by 39% at 2 hours (T3 did not change); AM251 increased TSH in a dose-dependent manner. In the median eminence, tanycytes make DAGLα, the synthesizing enzyme of 2-AG, and 2-AG suppresses TRH release from hypophysiotropic terminals. In male mice, tanycyte-specific reduction of DAGLα increased TSHβ mRNA about 2-fold and raised free T4, without changing TRH mRNA. da Veiga 2008AnimalCell / labKővári 2022Animal
Expert level: method notes and numbers
Thyroid gland: RNA level of the receptor gene in human tissue (tissue consensus data). Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
Method note
Porcella 2002: Sprague-Dawley rats; RT-PCR (CB1 mRNA 17.8% of β2-microglobulin, FAAH 46.9%), western blot, immunohistochemistry; WIN 55,212-2 10 mg/kg, SR 141716A 3 mg/kg (animal doses). The record has a correction (erratum), no retraction. Kővári 2022: Rax-CreERT2//DAGLαfl/fl male mice. In humans, CB1 was not seen in thyrotrophs (Yasuo 2010); the rat TSH finding should not be applied directly to humans. Porcella 2002AnimalKővári 2022AnimalYasuo 2010Human tissue
Thyroid from the Z-Anatomy model (not in BodyParts3D).
What is known about CBD?
There is no verified CBD finding or guide topic specific to this region.
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 | 3.9 | cerebral cortex (18.6) |
| CB2 CNR2 | Cannabinoid receptor | 0.2 | spleen (8.4) |
| TRPV1 | Heat and chili pepper sensor · ion channel | 4.1 | liver (21.8) |
| GPR55 | Long an "orphan" receptor · in the cell membrane | 0.1 | testis (4.4) |
| PPARγ PPARG | Gene switch · in the cell nucleus | 13.6 | adipose tissue (153.2) |
| 5-HT1A HTR1A | Serotonin receptor · in the cell membrane | 0.0 | hippocampal formation (6.1) |
| TRPV2 | Relative of TRPV1 · ion channel | 6.1 | lung (29.5) |
| Endocannabinoid enzymes | |||
| NAPE-PLD NAPEPLD | Makes anandamide | 7.7 | kidney (13.9) |
| FAAH | Breaks down anandamide | 38.7 | testis (46.0) |
| DAGLα DAGLA | Makes 2-AG | 1.0 | cerebral cortex (12.3) |
| DAGLβ DAGLB | Makes 2-AG | 7.4 | adrenal gland (15.2) |
| MGL MGLL | Breaks down 2-AG | 18.2 | adipose tissue (161.3) |
| ABHD6 | Breaks down 2-AG | 8.5 | liver (60.7) |
| ABHD12 | Breaks down 2-AG | 75.5 | 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
- Thyroid
- Thyroid Gland · MeSH D013961 · UBERON 0002046 · Wikidata Q16399
- Receptors
- CB1 (CNR1, UniProt P21554) · CB2 (CNR2, UniProt P34972)
How to cite: cbd.school editorial team. Thyroid and the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoid system 3D map, cbd.school. Last updated October 24, 2026. https://cbd.school/learn/endocannabinoid-system-map/tiroid/
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 6 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
- Porcella A, Marchese G, Casu MA et al. Evidence for functional CB1 cannabinoid receptor expressed in the rat thyroid. Eur J Endocrinol. 2002;147(2):255-61. PMID 12153749 · doi:10.1530/eje.0.1470255 Animal
- da Veiga MA, Fonseca Bloise F, Costa-E-Sousa RH et al. Acute effects of endocannabinoid anandamide and CB1 receptor antagonist, AM251 in the regulation of thyrotropin secretion. J Endocrinol. 2008;199(2):235-42. PMID 18755884 · doi:10.1677/JOE-08-0380 AnimalCell / lab
- Kővári D, Penksza V, Szilvásy-Szabó A et al. Tanycyte specific ablation of diacylglycerol lipase alpha stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis by decreasing the endocannabinoid mediated inhibition of TRH release. J Neuroendocrinol. 2022;34(1):e13079. PMID 34970803 · doi:10.1111/jne.13079 Animal
- Yasuo S, Unfried C, Kettner M et al. Localization of an endocannabinoid system in the hypophysial pars tuberalis and pars distalis of man. Cell Tissue Res. 2010;342(2):273-81. PMID 20957495 · doi:10.1007/s00441-010-1066-5 Human tissue
- 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