New studies show what happens when an enzyme called monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is genetically inactivated in experimental mice. Typically, MAGL breaks down a neuroprotective molecule called 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), diminishing the latter's beneficial effects in the brain. Findings point to the need to develop therapeutic interventions for inhibition of 2-AG degradation in astrocytes, cells that enhance the activity of neurons.