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The body's own natural cannabinoid, discovered in 1992 and named from the Sanskrit "ananda" (bliss). It binds the same receptors as THC, and is sometimes called the "bliss molecule" — unrelated to classic psychedelics, but part of the same broader neurochemistry-of-wellbeing territory.

Example: A 2003 study (Sparling et al., NeuroReport) found anandamide levels rise in the blood after 50 minutes of moderate-intensity running or biking — now considered the leading explanation for "runner's high," ahead of the older endorphin theory, since anandamide is small and fat-soluble enough to actually cross the blood-brain barrier.