What Is the Cannabinoid CBN (Cannabinol)?
It won’t be surprising if you have never heard of cannabinol (CBN). Up until recently, after all, this cannabinoid was relatively rare, and it’s still hard to find potent, high-quality CBN products.
CBN is a member of the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) family. It naturally occurs when THC breaks down due to oxidation, which can be triggered by age, UV light, or a variety of other factors.
Some strains of cannabis and hemp naturally contain higher concentrations of CBN, but this cannabinoid is very rare. The older THC-rich cannabis flower is, the likelier it is to contain high concentrations of CBN.
People often confuse CBN with cannabidiol (CBD), but these cannabinoids are quite different. Despite causing a slightly more intense head change than CBD due to its THC origins, CBN is nonetheless generally considered to be non-intoxicating.
What is CBN oil?
The term “CBN oil” usually refers to a tincture that contains high concentrations of CBN. You can add CBN oil to food or drinks, and you can also use this cannabinoid by placing CBN oil under your tongue and waiting for a minute or so before swallowing it.
Which strains contain CBN?
Please note that CBN is quite uncommon. Therefore, the effects of this cannabinoid are not significant in any strain. The following cannabis strains, however, have been identified as usually containing higher concentrations of CBN than others:
1. Afgoo
This Indica-dominant strain is a hybrid cross of Afghani and Maui Haze. Its potency is rated as moderate. Users are advised to use Afgoo at the end of the day’s activities.
2. Allen Wrench
This sativa-dominant strain has Trainwreck and Sour Diesel as its parents. People who use Allen Wrench usually feel more active afterward.
This strain does not have significant bodily effects. However, users tend to experience heavy eyelids after they smoke it. Allen Wrench is not recommended for those who cannot withstand high levels of THC.
3. Ace Of Spades
This hybrid strain is indica-dominant. It’s a cross between Jack the Ripper and Black Cherry Soda. It is medium-potency, so even novice cannabis users can use this strain without getting overwhelmed. Use Ace of Spades late at night when you’re about to sleep.
4. Trainwreck
Trainwreck is a sativa-dominant hybrid that often causes euphoric effects. It has a knack for lifting the spirits of people who take it.
5. Super Green Crack
A combination of Super Silver Haze and Green Crack, Super Green Crack is a strong sativa. Presently, this strain has the highest concentrations of CBN. Cannabis users who want to focus will find Super Green Crack handy.
6. Strawberry Cough
This sativa-dominant strain is great for cannabis users who want to get high without delay. Potentially due to its high concentrations of CBN, Strawberry Cough often causes sleepy effects.
7. Maui Dream
This sativa is a cross of Maui Waui and Blue Dream. Some cultivars of Maui Dream are known to contain high concentrations of CBN.
8. Blueberry Kush
This hybrid strain is indica-dominant. In addition to stimulating appetite, certain phenotypes of Blueberry Kush contain some of the highest-ever recorded levels of CBN.
Is CBN legal?
The legality of CBN is a subject of some dispute. Generally speaking, though, CBN products are considered to be industrial hemp as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC.
What is cannabinol used for?
People generally use CBN at night as a sleep aid. While there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence suggesting that CBN is useful for sleep, lots of people who have used CBN attest that this cannabinoid helps with insomnia.
CBN has also been studied for its potential usefulness in treating bacterial infections and stimulating appetite. More research into CBN must be conducted, though, before we make any firm conclusions about this cannabinoid’s medical benefits.
What is the difference between CBD and CBN?
CBD and CBN usually offer similar effects. CBN might alter your mind a little bit more than CBD, however, and some users report that the sedative effects of CBN are greater than those offered by CBD.
However they may differ, neither CBN nor CBD should make you feel high. That honor is reserved for THC, which seems to be the only natural cannabinoid that causes intense feelings of intoxication.
Will CBN oil show up on a drug test?
No, CBN oil will not show up on a drug test since common types of drug tests do not screen for CBN. Due to its similarity to THC, however, CBN is more likely to cause a false positive for THC than other cannabinoids.
If you plan to try using CBN for the first time but you’re subjected to drug tests on a regular basis, clear your CBN usage with the party requesting the drug tests ahead of time. It’s better to ask first than lose your job because you used a cannabinoid someone mistook for THC.
How is cannabinol made?
Since it is not available in large concentrations in any strain of cannabis, CBN is usually converted from another cannabinoid. In most cases, CBD is used since it is the most abundant non-intoxicating cannabinoid currently available, but it’s also possible to make CBN using cannabigerol (CBG).
The CBN production process is a simple chemical conversion that does not include the addition or subtraction of any substances. While the resulting CBN molecules are technically synthetic, they have all the same components as natural cannabinoids.
Since CBN is a metabolite of THC, it’s unlikely that cannabis strains will ever contain high concentrations of this rare cannabinoid. As methods used to convert CBD into CBN improve, however, expect CBN products to become more common.
Why you’ll love CBN
CBN is unlike any other cannabinoid. Regardless of whether or not science proves CBN to be helpful with insomnia, thousands of people have now used CBN for sleep, and this cannabinoid’s distinct benefits have made themselves clear in other ways.
The individual benefits of CBN are one thing, but this cannabinoid truly shines when it’s used in tandem with CBD. Combining CBD with CBN or any other cannabinoid triggers the entourage effect, a beneficial phenomenon that makes cannabinoids more effective than the sum of their parts.
