Selective activation of the peripheral cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB 1 R) has been shown to suppress neuropathic pain symptoms in rodents. However, relatively little is known about changes in CB 1 R and its endogenous ligands during development or maintenance of neuropathic pain. Using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, as well as liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we studied the changes in CB 1 Rs and endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine/anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in rat lumbar (L4 and L5) dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after neuropathic pain induction (L5 spinal nerve ligation: SNL). Immunohistochemistry revealed that in control rats, CB 1 R is expressed in the majority (76-83%) of nociceptive neurons as indicated by co-labeling with isolectin B4 (IB4) or antibodies recognizing transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), and the NR2C/2D subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. After L5 SNL, CB 1 R mRNA and protein increases in the ipsilateral uninjured L4 DRG whereas the percentages of CB 1 R immunoreactive (CB 1 R-ir) neurons remain unchanged in L4 and L5 DRG. However, for these CB 1 R-ir neurons, we observe significant increases in percentage of TRPV1-ir cells in ipsilateral L4 DRG, and decreases in percentage of IB4-and CGRP-co-labeled cells in ipsilateral L5 DRG. Levels of both AEA and 2-AG increase significantly only in the ipsilateral L5 DRG. These results are consistent with the preserved analgesic effects of cannabinoids in neuropathic pain and provide a rational framework for the development of peripherally acting endocannabinoid-based therapeutic interventions for neuropathic pain.