Do you remember the first time you heard about cannabidiol, or CBD? Remember how the national opinion of medical marijuana changed drastically once we gained knowledge of its non-psychoactive compounds? And who could forget how this discovery impacted the lives of children suffering from seizures and patients with chronic pain and inflammation?
What you may not know is there are many other medicinal compounds like CBD unique to cannabis that we’re only just now getting acquainted with, and cannabinol, or CBN, is one such compound. Allow us to introduce you to yet another one of marijuana’s therapeutic offerings!
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 partners 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 would might do you some good. Indica strains have long been connected to these sedating, sleepy effects, and some researchers theorize that their tendency for higher CBN contents has something to do with that.
Unlike THC, CBN induces little to no psychoactive 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 strive to hit the high watermark of 30%, CBN rarely exceeds 1% in dried flower. It’s a good thing a little bit goes a long way
Where Can I Find CBN?
CBN is a product of THC degradation, so as THC oxidizes, it converts to CBN. This process can be prompted by either heat or oxygen, so you can imagine how aged, poorly stored cannabis is likely to have higher levels of CBN than fresh flower in an air-tight container. Improperly cured cannabis is also linked to higher amounts of CBN, so it should come as no surprise that this cannabinoid is scorned by many as the mark of bad bud and banished to the bottom shelf.
As you now know, 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, 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.)
Source : www.leafy.com