What is CBN?
When researching CBD and other beneficial cannabinoids like CBG, you may have run across and asked yourself, what is CBN? CBN, or cannabinol, is another beneficial cannabinoid from the cannabis plant that is touted with many benefits to our bodies. It is a minor cannabinoid that comes from the degradation of THC. It is non-psychoactive like CBD, but carries a different and growing list of benefits. Many CBD products now boast about the incorporation of CBN, so what is CBN and what does it do for your body?
What are the benefits of CBN?
CBN, like CBD, is still in the early stages of discover. Research is still young but the cannabinoid is already showing many protective qualities such as:
- Antibacterial
- Neuroprotective
- Anti-inflammatory
- Appetite Stimulation
- Intraocular Relief for Glaucoma
CBN is antibacterial
Like many other cannabinoids, CBN has been shown to exhibit antibacterial properties. When tested on strain on MSRA bacteria (which is resistant to traditional antibiotics), CBN was shown to have the potential to be a potent antibacterial agent. More research is needed to further this claim, but preliminary results are promising.
CBN is a neuroprotectant
CBN may also carry neuroprotective properties. One study, conducted on rodents, tested the use of CBN as a treatment for ALS. ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease named after the famed Yankees first basemen who contracted the disease in 1939. CBN, in the study, was shown to delay the onset on symptoms in the rodents, showing the potential for similar use in humans.
CBN is an appetite stimulant
Like THC, CBN has exhibited its ability to increase the appetite of rodents in a study. For those who are weary of THC ability to produce a high, CBN may be a great alternative for helping to increase the appetite of people undergoing treatments like chemotherapy that can curtail hunger. More research is necessary to to see if CBN will help those seeking the munchies without the high.
CBN is anti-inflammatory
Many cannabinoids are able to help relieve and reduce inflammations and CBN appears to be no different. In one study on rodents – I know, more rodent studies, showed the potential for CBN to be used against rheumatoid arthritis. The use of CBN was able to lower the amount of inflammation caused by the arthritis and has a major potential to be a game-changer for those suffering from this condition.
CBN helps to lower intraocular pressure
CBN may also be able to help those suffering from glaucoma, or painfully high pressure in the eye. THC is widely used to help alleviate this condition, but comes with the unfortunate side effect of causing a high for many. CBN, in a study on rabbits, was found to relieve intraocular pressure. The results were not shown to be superior to other glaucoma treatments, but has shown it ability. Once again, more research is needed as cannabinoid mixtures of THC, CBN and possibly CBD may also be beneficial, while reducing the amount of the high.
CBN for sleep?
Does CBN help with insomnia? Currently, CBN is touted as a sleep aid, but that may or may not be the case. The initial case was made by Steep Hill Labs, a test laboratory based in California. A study on CBN and sleep from the 1970s counters this claim but proponents of cannabis have long spoken about the presence of CBN in outdoor cannabis and its role in creating a higher sedating effect than cannabis plants grown indoors. The case can also be made that CBN works in concert with THC and other terpenes to produce the effects often spoken of. Only time and more research will expose the actual benefits CBN on sleep but if you are using CBN boosted products such as a CBD + CBN Tincture and benefitting from it, there is no reason to stop.
Key Takeaways
So what is CBN? CBN is a legally derived cannabinoid from cannabis that is showing increasing abilities to benefits animals and humans without the psychoactive high. CBN use is still in its early days and as more research comes to fruition, we will learn more about the minor cannabinoid, its role in impacting our bodies and whether it is actually a beneficial sleep aid or not. CBN, like all cannabinoids, seems to have many positive effects for use medically and we will continue to follow the research and keep updating this post as more studies bear fruit.
