Melanocortin receptor-specific compounds of the general formulas ##STR00001## and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, where J is a substituted or unsubstituted monocyclic or bicyclic ring structure, L is a linker, W is a heteroatom unit with at least one cationic center, hydrogen bond donor or hydrogen bond acceptor, Q includes a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic carbocyclic ring, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, y and z are as defined in the specification, and the carbon atom marked with an asterisk can have any stereochemical configuration, and optionally with one or two additional ring substituents as defined, which compounds bind to one or more melanocortin receptors and are optionally an agonist, a partial agonist, an antagonist, an inverse agonist or an antagonist of an inverse agonist, and may be employed for treatment of one or more melanocortin receptor-associated conditions or disorders, and methods for the use of the compounds of the invention.