Love hormone is a bit like cannabis, scientists say

Love has often been described as a drug – but that’s now been backed up by science.

A brain chemical known as the “love hormone” makes people more sociable by mimicking the effects of cannabis, scientists have said.

Oxytocin is known to enhance bonding between lovers and between mothers and their babies, and also to boost the pleasure of social contact.

The new research, conducted on mice, found that higher levels of the hormone in the brain led to the release of anandamide – an “endocannabinoid” similar to the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

Blocking anandamide also reduced the pro-social effects of oxytocin. But a drug that preserved anandamide in the brain made the animals more sociable – they appeared to enjoy the company of their cage-mates more than untreated animals.

Scientists are investigating the use of oxytocin as a possible treatment for autism, but it is very hard to deliver...

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