If you use cannabis, you’ve probably heard all about it’s two most popular cannabinoids, THC and CBD. But these aren’t the only cannabinoids produced by the plant. You’ll also find minor cannabinoids, like CBN (cannabinol), among others.
These medicinal compounds, unique to cannabis alone, can be very different from each other in terms of their effects and medicinal benefits. So, if you want to know how your cannabis will affect you, learning about the different cannabinoids is the first step.
So, let’s get to know CBN a little better.
What are the potential benefits of CBN ?
CBN is a non-intoxicating compound that is best known as the cannabinoid created when THC ages. For that reason, it’s usually present in high amounts in older cannabis. While this might be a turn-off for some, others seek out older cannabis just to enjoy the effects of CBN.
Here are a few of the potential benefits of CBN currently being explored in research. Keep in mind, current research on CBN is limited with very few studies demonstrating its effects in the human body.
Antibacterial
Studies on CBN have found that it may be a potent antibacterial agent. In lab settings, CBN was tested on strains of MRSA bacteria that are resistant to traditional antibiotics. Researchers found it to be a potent antibacterial agent against these resistant strains. Perhaps in the future, we will see CBN being used to fight off bacterial infections that our usual antibiotics can’t heal.
Neuroprotectant
CBN may also be a powerful neuroprotectant. In one rodent study, researchers used CBN as a treatment for ALS and found that it was able to delay the onset of the condition. While human studies need to be done, this suggests that CBN may provide a powerful tool in the fight against ALS and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Appetite stimulation
In rodent studies, CBN increased the amount of food that rat subjects ate, suggesting that it could be an effective appetite stimulant. Since some avoid THC (another well-known appetite stimulant) due to its intoxicating effects, CBN could potentially offer an alternative for those seeking the munchies without the high—but more research is needed.
Glaucoma
CBN may also be helpful for those suffering from glaucoma. One study on rabbits found that CBN (as well as THC) reduces intraocular pressure—the biggest risk factor for glaucoma. Still, research is in early stages and CBN hasn’t been shown to be superior to other glaucoma medications. More research is needed to know if cannabinoids could ever effectively replace any traditional treatments for glaucoma.
Anti-inflammatory
CBN may also be a potent anti-inflammatory agent capable of helping those with rheumatoid arthritis. In one rodent study, CBN was shown to reduce arthritis. While more research needs to be done, this could end up being an incredible help to those suffering from this debilitating condition.
Popular misconceptions about CBN
If you’ve read about CBN before, you may be surprised that you didn’t see “insomnia” on the list of medical benefits above. CBN is often praised as a super-sedative, but reputations can be deceiving.
Although there hasn’t been much research on CBN’s sedating effects (or lack thereof), one human study did look at this question back in the 1970s. While the study was small, none of the respondents reported that CBN made them feel sleepy.
So why does everyone say that it’s sedating?
Well there are two possible reasons, and they both lead back to one source: People noticed that older cannabis (which is high in CBN) makes them sleepy and assumed it must be the CBN.
First, it may be that the combination of CBN and THC is what actually causes the sedative effect.
In the same study that found CBN didn’t make subjects sleepy, researchers tested CBN alone, CBN with THC, and THC alone. While THC produced some drowsiness on its own, the combination of the two produced even higher levels of drowsiness. So perhaps those enjoying high CBN cannabis, which also contains THC, have noticed the synergistic effects and assumed the sedative effect was attributable to the CBN alone.
Is CBN Legal?
At this time, CBN is not on the list of scheduled controlled substances in the United States. However, the legal issue may prove to be more complex as CBN could be considered an analog of CBD or THC, which are both Schedule I substances under federal law.
How CBN Works
One of the most valuable aspects of cannabis is the way its cannabinoids offer multiple mechanisms of action, or pathways through which they produce an effect. CBD and THC produce beneficial effects, in part, because they can activate multiple biological pathways at once. They may also produce a wider variety of effects through channels separate from the CB1 and CB2 receptors.
The CBN cannabinoid hasn’t been researched nearly as rigorously as CBD, THC, or even some terpenes. But as researchers begin to mine cannabis for every possible benefit, the demand for more information will likely reveal the full profile of CBN’s effects.
The Connection Between CBN and THC
Our current understanding of CBN as a major cannabinoid dates as far back as a in which the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) tested cannabis potency loss over time. According to the study, THC content in the tested cannabis sample dropped to half of its original potency after four years. Furthermore, as THC oxidized and dissipated, it began to convert to CBN. The study also found that the first two years of improper storage were when the most THC degradation occurred, drawing a clear connection between THC-CBN conversion and plant vulnerability.
In the simplest terms, this study shows that THC degrades into CBN over time, which means cannabis will typically become CBN-heavy the longer it ages. The study also reveals why CBN and THC cannabinoids share alternative mechanisms of action to CB1 and CB2 receptors. When a lab result shows high-CBN, it indicates the cannabis has aged significantly. As the UNODC study concluded, “A relationship between the concentration ratio of CBN to THC and the storage time … could serve as a guide in determining the approximate age of a given marijuana sample stored at room temperature.”