Experience-dependent formation and removal of synapses are essential throughout life. For instance, GABAergic synapses are removed to facilitate learning, and strong excitatory activity is accompanied by formation of inhibitory synapses to maintain coordination between excitation and inhibition. We recently discovered that active dendrites trigger the growth of inhibitory synapses via CB1 receptor-mediated endocannabinoid signaling, but the underlying mechanism remained unclear. Using two-photon microscopy to monitor the formation of individual inhibitory boutons in hippocampal organotypic slices from mice (both sexes), we found that CB1 receptor activation mediated the formation of inhibitory boutons and promoted their subsequent stabilization. Inhibitory bouton formation did not require neuronal activity and was independent of Gi/o protein signaling, but was directly induced by elevating cAMP levels using forskolin and by activating Gs proteins using DREADDs. Blocking PKA activity prevented CB1 receptor-...