The effect of unilateral intrastriatal cannabinoid receptor stimulation on rotational behavior in rats was explored. The potent cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940 (5 microg/0.5 microl) induced contralateral turning when microinjected unilaterally into the striatum. The D2 dopamine agonist quinpirole reversed this contralateral rotation but failed to affect motor behavior on its own. Finally, the D1 dopamine agonist SKF 82958 inhibited movement when administered into the striatum and this inhibition was reversed by co-administration of the cannabinoid agonist. Surprisingly, microinjections of the cannabinoid agonist into the striatum induced movement through activation of the striatonigral pathway and/or inhibition of the striatopallidal pathway, while the D1 dopamine agonist produced the opposite effect.