Although previously thought of as the peripheral cannabinoid receptor, it is now accepted that the CB 2 receptor is expressed in the central nervous system on microglia, astrocytes and subpopulations of neurons. Expression of the CB 2 receptor in the brain is significantly lower than that of the CB 1 receptor. Conflicting findings have been reported on the neurological effects of pharmacological agents targeting the CB 2 receptor under normal conditions. Under inflammatory conditions, CB 2 receptor expression in the brain is enhanced and CB 2 receptor agonists exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects. These findings have prompted research into the CB 2 receptor as a possible target for the treatment of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. Neuroinflammatory alterations are also associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and polymorphisms in the CB 2 gene have been reported in depression, eating disorders and schizophrenia. This review will examine the evidence to date for a role of brain CB 2 receptors in neuropsychiatric disorders.