Anandamide takes its name from the Sanskrit word ananda, meaning "joy, bliss, delight," plus amide.

By examining a pig brain and canine gut, they were able to isolate ANA using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

[8] Since the 1992 findings, many studies have been completed to examine ANA further, including research on behavioral and molecular effects.

The discovery of anandamide came from research into CB1 and CB2, as it was inevitable that a naturally occurring (endogenous) chemical would be found to affect these receptors.

Anandamide is under research for its potential involvement in the implantation of the early stage embryo in its blastocyst form into the uterus.

[12] Both the CB1 and CB2 receptors (the binding site of anandamide) are under research for a possible role in positive and negative interpretation of environment and setting.

[18] The American Academy of Dermatology has named topical anandamide a promising therapy for cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

In turn, NAPE arises by transfer of arachidonic acid from lecithin to the free amine of cephalin through an N-acyltransferase enzyme.

[23] The crystal structure of NAPE-PLD in complex with phosphatidylethanolamine and deoxycholate shows how the cannabinoid anandamide is generated from membrane N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines (NAPEs), and reveals that bile acids – which are mainly involved in the absorption of lipids in the small intestine – modulate its biogenesis.

Thus, paracetamol acts as a pro-drug for a cannabimimetic metabolite, which may be partially or fully responsible for its analgesic effects.