CBN: A Cannabinoid Underdog

THC and CBD get a lot of acknowledgement compared to many other cannabinoids found within hemp. That’s understandable to a degree, but the cannabinoid underdogs deserve attention too. Studies are limited in regards to cannabis anyway, so it’s no surprise that a minor cannabinoid such as CBN hasn’t been getting its deserved attention. I can say, however, from personal experience, that CBN has been uniquely helpful for me in the past and deserves some more screen time in cannabis research.

CBN, also known as cannabinol, is a minor cannabinoid that is present in hemp. It is chemically closely related to THC and over time THC breaks down into CBN. This close relation between THC and CBN may result in false positives for THC drug testing. Cannabinol has a large reputation for being sedating, more so than even it’s relatives THC or CBD. Research , however, debates that sleep-inducing CBN reputation, and points towards CBN having a more powerful sedative effect when in conjunction with THC, as opposed to on its own. While CBN may not be very sedating in itself, CBN has been recorded in studies to have other benefits. According to research, CBN has anti-inflammatory properties and may help to stimulate appetite . This may seem redundant in comparison to other cannabinoids, but these effects have been recorded to work synergistically with other cannabinoids.

My experience with CBN has been focused primarily on its sedative reputation. I have struggled with sleep for a very long period of my life; when I was as young as seven years old I would be staring at a wall wide awake until 4am most nights. My issues with sleep didn’t improve much as I aged despite trying all sorts of bedtime routines, so I’ve needed to find alternative solutions. For me, melatonin never did much to put me to sleep, and while I would often find relief in my adult life using THC for sleep, it would make me feel quite groggy the morning after. So when I got a chance to try the Active CBD Oil 150mg CBN tincture , I was super excited to see if it would help me get to sleep. I took about 5mg of the tincture, and observed some intoxicating effects. I found that it was incredibly helpful for me to fall asleep, though I observed no aid in staying asleep. For this, I found that combining CBN with either THC, CBD or even melatonin helped me to both fall and stay asleep. Of course, this is just my experience, and everyone will have a different reaction to CBN.