Celebrating Women in Cannabis Science | Dr. Allyn Howlett

March is Women’s History Month, and we’re taking time to celebrate the women whose work has helped shape the cannabis industry into what it is today.

One of the most influential pioneers in cannabis science is North Carolina based, Dr. Allyn Howlett. Her groundbreaking research helped transform how the scientific community understands cannabis and cannabinoids.

In the late 1980s, Dr. Howlett played a pivotal role in identifying the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, a discovery that helped unlock the science behind how cannabis interacts with the human body. This research helped lay the foundation for what we now know as the endocannabinoid system, which influences mood, sleep, appetite, pain, and overall balance.

The Discovery That Changed Cannabis Science:

In 1988, Dr. Howlett and her research team discovered the CB1 receptor in the brain while studying how THC affects the body. This receptor became the first identified component of what scientists now call the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

This discovery proved something revolutionary:
the human body already has a system specifically designed to interact with compounds found in cannabis.

Today, the ECS is known to play a role in regulating:

• Pain
• Mood
• Appetite
• Memory
• Inflammation
• Sleep

Without Dr. Howlett’s research, modern medical cannabis science—and much of the cannabinoid research happening today—might not exist.

A Cannabis Pioneer From North Carolina

Dr. Howlett conducted much of her research while working in North Carolina, helping put the state on the map as a birthplace of critical cannabinoid science.

At a time when cannabis research faced stigma and legal barriers, her work helped legitimize the scientific study of cannabinoids and opened the door for decades of medical discoveries.

Today, researchers across the world continue building on the foundation she helped create.

Celebrating Women in Cannabis Science

The cannabis industry is full of innovators, advocates, and entrepreneurs—but the science behind it all was shaped by pioneers like Dr. Allyn Howlett. Her work continues to influence everything from medical cannabis research to cannabinoid-based medicine.

Thanks to Dr. Howlett’s work, scientists and medical professionals gained a clearer understanding of how cannabinoids function in the body—fueling decades of research, innovation, and development in cannabis and hemp products.