WHAT IS CBN?
WHAT IS CBN?
CBN is a cannabinoid or one of the many active chemical compounds in cannabis plants like hemp. It does not occur naturally but is produced when THC converts to CBN, hence why people refer to it as ‘THC without a high effect.’ Here is all you need to know about CBN, including its applications.
Cannabinoids refer to the active chemical compounds in cannabis plants, and CBN is one of them. Although CBN comes from plants, it does not occur naturally but is made from the oxidation and degradation of THC. Therefore, CBN is not as abundant as THC and CBD and sells expensively. CBN has not been widely studied like THC and CBD, but early research sees potential in it, with some claiming that it can help with pain, sleep, and appetite. Here is all you need to know about CBN and its comparison to the two most abundant cannabinoids.
What Is CBN?
Cannabis is a class of plants with active chemical compounds called cannabinoids, and CBN is one of them. CBD and THC are other cannabinoids and part of the 100+ such compounds in nature. Unlike THC and CBD, which are abundant, there is not as much CBN. This explains why CBN is expensive; it does not occur naturally, and it is also scarce. THC and CBD are part of hemp and other cannabis compounds, and you readily isolate them during the extraction process. However, according to Al Ubeed et al. (2022), CBN is produced when temperatures and environmental conditions allow THC degradation and oxidation. Therefore, it takes more time to produce CBN than CBD and THC, as ElSohly et al. (2002) reported. Do you want to enjoy CBN benefits? Learn more about how long does cbd stay in your body?
How to Enjoy CBN
CBD and THC are fast growing in popularity, and more studies are covering them for being the most abundant cannabinoids. Yet, they are not the only cannabinoids that people take. Some want to enjoy CBN for its claimed benefits, as later explained. How can you CBN for what it offers? The easiest way to explore the benefits of CBN is to opt for CBD products featuring full-spectrum CBD or which have CBD and CBN combined. Here are CBD/CBN products for you to try;
- Oils and tinctures; are the primary way to take cannabinoids since the blood vessels below the tongue allow fast absorption, allowing CBD and CBN to get to the bloodstream fast.
- Edibles; if you find the oils and tinctures too earthy or bitter, you can opt for edibles like gummies, honey sticks, and chocolates which offer you cannabinoids without the earthiness of hemp.
- Vape oils are the fastest way to deliver the needed cannabinoids. You inhale them in vape equipment like a vape tank, pen, or cart.
- Capsules; if you find oils and tinctures bitter or earthy and edibles also feel too sugared for you, you can try capsules that might not be sweet but mask the earthiness of hemp compounds.
- Topicals; including patches, creams, and lotions, are applied directly to the skin and are great for you to enjoy CBD benefits without putting the cannabinoid into your bloodstream.
No one delivery method stands better than the other, and your ultimate choice depends on your interests.
CBN vs. CBD and THC
CBD, CBN, and THC share one thing; they are cannabinoids or chemical compounds in cannabis plants. According to Mascal et al. (2019), CBD is non-psychoactive in action and does not make you high. How about THC? Schlienz et al. (2018) reported that it makes you high and is responsible for the intoxicating effects you feel from smoking weed. There are insufficient studies about CBN, but so far, so good; there are no records of the cannabinoid making you feel high. Meanwhile, all three cannabinoids are alike in the application method. You can ingest, topically apply, or smoke them.
Health Benefits of CBN
Cannabinoids are generally expensive because of the grayness in their legality. Besides, it takes a lot of money to grow and harvest hemp, extract the cannabinoids, and run 3rd party tests to prove they are pure. CBN products are expensive because of the rarity of CBN as a compound and also because of the legal issues surrounding THC from which it is extracted. As such, it only makes sense that you want to spend cash on it, knowing its health benefits. Like most cannabinoids that people partake in, CBN has health benefits. For instance, according to Usami et al. (1998), CBN helps with sleep and insomnia. Still, CBN research is only in the preliminary stages, and it takes more studies to prove these claims. Besides, Farrimond et al. (2021) reported that CBN may help boost your appetite, explaining why many people take its products to boost their appetite. Still, it is worth noting that the FDA has not approved the use of CBN to boost one’s appetite
How to Dose CBN
Like CBD and THC, the FDA does not look at CBN as a medication for any health challenge, so it does not recommend its use. Thus, there are currently no recommendations on how much CBN you can take. Still, many factors come to play when choosing the right amount of CBN to take. When new to CBN, you must keep the amounts low, but this can improve as you get used to the regime. Body factors like weight also affect your CBN intake, and the better they promote CBN metabolism, the more CBN you can take. Learn more about how can cbd affect you?
Can You Combine CBN with CBD?
CBN seems to offer the body so much. Thus, like other fans, you might feel like taking it. Still, it is worth noting that it is a rare cannabinoid. It is a rare cannabinoid and quite expensive. You can easily find it mixed with CBD, which keeps growing in hype and demand. According to Wong et al. (2019), a combination of CBD and CBN helps reduce pain. Most CBD brands offer CBD oils, with CBN as one of the cannabinoids.
Conclusion
CBN is one of the many cannabinoids in hemp. It is not as widely studied as THC and CBD, but most brands offering CBD provide products with CBD. Early studies show that CBN can reduce pain and help boost your appetite, and people take it for this. Still, more studies are needed to prove it can offer this much. CBN does not occur naturally but comes for oxidation and degradation of THC. Thus, it is a rather rare cannabinoid, explaining why it comes expensively. You can find many CBD products with CBN that you can take to enjoy the two cannabinoids.
References
Al Ubeed, H. M. S., Bhuyan, D. J., Alsherbiny, M. A., Basu, A., & Vuong, Q. V. (2022). A comprehensive review on the techniques for extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal cannabis. Molecules, 27(3), 604.
ElSohly, M. A. (2002). Chemical constituents of cannabis (pp. 27-36). Cannabis and cannabinoids. Pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutic potential. Binghamton/New York: Haworth Press.
Farrimond, J. A., Whalley, B. J., & Williams, C. M. (2012). Cannabinol and cannabidiol exert opposing effects on rat feeding patterns. Psychopharmacology, 223(1), 117–129.
Mascal, M., Hafezi, N., Wang, D., Hu, Y., Serra, G., Dallas, M. L., & Spencer, J. P. (2019). Synthetic, non-intoxicating 8, 9-dihydrocannabidiol for the mitigation of seizures. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-6.
Schlienz, N. J., Lee, D. C., Stitzer, M. L., & Vandrey, R. (2018). The effect of high-dose dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance on cannabis self-administration. Drug and alcohol dependence, 187, 254-260.
Usami, N., Kobana, K., Yoshida, H., Kimura, T., Watanabe, K., Yoshimura, H., & Yamamoto, I. (1998). Synthesis and pharmacological activities in mice of halogenated δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol derivatives. Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin, 46(9), 1462-1467.
Wong, H., & Cairns, B. E. (2019). Cannabidiol, cannabinol and their combinations act as peripheral analgesics in a rat model of myofascial pain. Archives of oral biology, 104, 33–39.
