What Is CBN and What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid?

By Bailey Rahn
Source: leafly.com



Do you remember the first time you heard about cannabidiol, or CBD? Remember how the national opinion of cannabis changed drastically once we gained knowledge of its non-intoxicating compounds? And who could forget how this discovery impacted the lives of children suffering from seizures and patients with chronic pain, anxiety, and inflammation?

What you may not know is there are many other medicinal compounds like CBD unique to cannabis that we’re becoming acquainted with. Allow us to introduce you to yet another of these therapeutic offerings, CBN.

What Are CBN’s Effects and Benefits?

Its name may bear striking resemblance to CBD, but cannabinol, or CBN, offers a unique profile of effects and benefits that have researchers clamoring for more scientific investigation. So far, CBN’s studied benefits include:

• Pain relief
• Anti-insomnia
• Promotes growth of bone cells
• Antibacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-convulsive
• Appetite stimulant

CBN’s most pronounced, characterizing attribute is its sedative effect, and according to our friends at Steep Hill Labs, 5mg of CBN is as effective as 10mg dose of diazepam, a mild pharmaceutical sedative. For those of you who rely on cannabis to resolve a night of tossing and turning, a little CBN might do you some good.

Unlike THC, CBN induces little to no intoxicating effects. This is great news for patients needing to medicate with a clear head, but you should note that most flowers contain only trace amounts of CBN. Where THC contents can hit a high watermark of over 30%, CBN rarely exceeds 1% in dried flower. It’s a good thing a little bit goes a long way. Alternatively, seek out a product that has concentrated CBN for you.

Where Can I Find CBN?

As THC oxidizes (i.e. exposure to oxygen over time), it converts to CBN. This is why aged, poorly stored cannabis is likely to have higher levels of CBN than fresh flower in an air-tight container.
CBN has a lot to offer patients and sufferers of sleeplessness, but before dooming yourself to a life of shwag and parched buds of yesteryear, know that CBN-rich products are already on the way. Oils, edibles, tinctures, capsules, and patches with pronounced CBN profiles are rare, but their proliferation will undoubtedly grow with the changing attitudes toward cannabis. Until then, look for lab-tested flowers and concentrates exhibiting high CBN levels. (Or just keep soldiering through that 2-year-old snicklefritz. We won’t judge.)