Anandamide in the dorsal periaqueductal gray inhibits sensory input without a correlation to sympathoexcitation

•Accumulating evidence suggests that cannabinoids are potential analgesics.•Cannabinoids in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) elicit sensory inhibition.•Intra-dPAG anandamide can evoke an integrated sympatho-sensory response.•Anandamide-evoked sensory inhibition lacks correlation to sympathetic activation.•There is a rostrocaudal dPAG distribution to anandamide-evoked response patterns.