Endocannabinoid metabolism at VTA GABAergic neurons gates motivation for social, but not food, reward.

The endocannabinoid system functions as a gatekeeper of motivational processes. Here, we show that CRISPR-mediated inhibition of the degrading enzyme for the brain endocannabinoid, 2-AG, at ventral tegmental area GABAergic interneurons promotes social, but not food-maintained, operant responding. These results reveal a region-specific role for endocannabinoid signaling in social motivation.