Endocannabinoid, particularly 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), signaling has recently emerged as a molecular determinant of neuronal migration and synapse formation during cortical development. However, the cell type specificity and molecular regulation of spatially and temporally confined morphogenic 2-AG signals remain unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that genetic and pharmacological manipulation of CB 1 cannabinoid receptors permanently alters cholinergic projection neuron identity and hippocampal innervation. We show that nerve growth factor (NGF), implicated in the morphogenesis and survival of cholinergic projection neurons, dose-dependently and coordinately regulates the molecular machinery for 2-AG signaling via tropomyosine kinase A receptors in vitro. In doing so, NGF limits the sorting of monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL), rate limiting 2-AG bioavailability, to proximal neurites, allowing cell-autonomous 2-AG signaling at CB 1 cannabinoid receptors to persist at atypical locations to induce superfluous neurite extension. We find that NGF controls MGL degradation in vitro and in vivo and identify the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) as a candidate facilitating MGL's elimination from motile neurite segments, including growth cones. BRCA1 inactivation by cisplatin or genetically can rescue and reposition MGL, arresting NGF-induced growth responses. These data indicate that NGF can orchestrate endocannabinoid signaling to promote cholinergic differentiation and implicate BRCA1 in determining neuronal morphology.axon guidance | basal forebrain | neurotrophin | protein stability | choline acetyltransferase C B 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB 1 Rs) are the targets of marijuana (Cannabis spp.)-derived phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids, including 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) (1). 2-AG liberated from postsynaptic neurons serves as a retrograde messenger to limit neurotransmitter release from many mature presynapses (1). However, 2-AG signaling also emerges as a molecular determinant of cortical development (2-4). Despite recent advances, the contribution of endocannabinoids (specifically 2-AG) to neuronal diversification and the development of synaptic connectivity in subcortical territories remains unknown. Cholinergic projection neurons within a continuum of magnocellular nuclei in the basal forebrain (5) are appealing candidates for developmental 2-AG actions considering their CB 1 R expression (1) and the endocannabinoid sensitivity of acetylcholine release in adulthood (6).Cholinergic afferents innervating the cerebral cortex are essential for learning and memory (5, 7). A favored approach to rescue cholinergic neurotransmission under disease conditions relies on neurotrophins to maintain the molecular identity, synaptic signaling, and survival of cholinergic neurons (8, 9). Nerve growth factor (NGF) appears particularly efficacious to promote the phenotypic differentiation and synaptic connectivity of postnatal cholinergic projection neurons (9, 10), as ill...