It breaks down very quickly in the body. That explains why anandamide doesn't produce a perpetual natural 'high'. Anandamide is synthesized enzymatically in areas of the brain that are important in memory and higher thought processes, and in areas that control movement. That implies that anandamide's function is not just to produce bliss. Connections between nerve cells are associated with learning and memory.
Nerve cells can make new connections and break old ones.
And animal studies suggest that anandamide induces forgetfulness. Substances that keep anandamide from binding to its receptor might be used to treat memory loss. The Nature article has been used by some to equate the effects of chocolate and cannabis to bolster arguments about the legalization of marijuana. The response to THC and to the chocolate anandamides are not at all the same, even if the concentrations could be made comparable. Piomelli was bemused by the spin his research was given in the popular press.