What Is the Cannabinoid CBL?

Home to dozens (if not hundreds) of unique compounds found nowhere else in nature, cannabis is a phenomenon of inquiry for scientists around the world. Often overlooked is the discovery of CBL, a little-known cannabinoid that consumers are nonetheless increasingly likely to come across in hemp products. What is CBL, what are its benefits, and where can you buy hemp products with CBL?

What is CBL?

The cannabinoid cannabicyclol (CBL) is naturally found in Cannabis sativa. It is a derivative of CBC in the same way that CBN is a derivative of THC: CBL appears when CBC oxidizes, either by natural or artificially induced means. Exposure to UV light is the primary natural factor that induces oxidation in cannabinoids, but hemp extract can also be oxidized using chemicals.

CBL is yet another member of a growing class of cannabinoids that are related to CBC in the same way that many other cannabinoids are related to CBG. For years, scientists thought that all cannabinoids came from CBG, but it’s now clear that CBC, CBGV, and a variety of other additional hemp compounds also deserve the title “stem cell cannabinoid.”

Hardly any research has been conducted into CBL since its discovery in 1964, making it difficult to make any claims regarding the usefulness of CBL for specific conditions. Users and researchers generally agree, though that CBL is non-intoxicating and bears a similar safety profile to other non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

CBL overview

• Natural hemp cannabinoid
• Derivative of CBC
• Appears when CBC oxidizes
• Can be derived naturally or converted from CBC
• Benefits of CBL are unknown
• CBL does not have intoxicating effects
• It lacks the double-bonds that cause THC intoxication
• Available in a select few online hemp products

What does CBL do?

Research hasn’t revealed what CBD might do from a medical perspective, but CBL users generally report that this cannabinoid has effects similar to those offered by CBD. CBL has not received an official pharmacological evaluation, and research into the effects of this cannabinoid is practically nonexistent.

As more products containing CBL become available on the internet, we’ll be able to access a greater pool of customer reviews and other forms of anecdotal evidence. Aside from reiterating that CBL is non-intoxicating, we’ll mostly refrain from commenting on the potential benefits of this mysterious cannabinoid.

How is CBL different?

Cannabicyclol is interesting from a chemical perspective since it’s one of the only cannabinoids discovered to emerge via oxidation, with CBN being the other major cannabinoid known to result from this common catalyst of chemical conversion. Scientists don’t know exactly what this origin story means for CBL’s future, but its relatively unique status among cannabinoids suggests CBL will remain a target of research for decades to come.

Is CBL synthetic?

No, the cannabinoid CBL is a natural metabolite of CBC, and it is easy to find in older cannabis buds that contain high concentrations of CBC. It’s possible to synthesize CBL from CBC by artificially jump-starting the oxidation process, but the final product is chemically indistinguishable from natural CBL.

Isolated CBL offered in bulk is invariably produced by artificially inducing oxidation in CBC molecules. If you find trace amounts of CBL in a hemp or cannabis product, though, chances are that it is all-natural.

What is CBL used for?

Right now, CBL is not widely used since the benefits of this cannabinoid are largely unknown and it is relatively hard to produce. It’s becoming increasingly common, though, for trace amounts of CBL to be listed in the lab reports of CBD products, and hemp producers commonly claim that CBL boosts the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids.

Given what we know about the entourage effect, it isn’t that far-fetched to suggest that the presence of CBL might strengthen the effects of CBD. As far as the individual effects of CBL go, we’ll need to wait for more research to be conducted before we make any firm determinations.

Benefits of the hemp cannabinoid CBL

Given the present level of knowledge regarding CBL, the only way we can confidently predict this cannabinoid might offer medicinal benefit is by strengthening the entourage effect. We still don’t know exactly why, but cannabinoids appear to gain a synergistic bonus in effectiveness when used together. The more cannabinoids, the merrier when it comes to the entourage effect, incentivizing hemp producers to increase the concentrations of CBL in their products.

Is CBL legal?

CBL has not been identified as a controlled substance, and products containing CBL are generally considered industrial hemp. The exception would be CBL present in cannabis products containing more than 0.3% THC, which are considered to be illegal drugs from the federal level.

Can I buy CBL online?

Yes, a select few products are available online that contain reasonably high concentrations of CBL. The Secret Nature THCV Hemp Vape Cartridge, for instance, contains nearly 2mg CBL per gram, one of the highest-recorded concentrations of CBL in any cannabis product.

The CBL present in the Secret Nature THCV Hemp Vape Cartridge naturally appears as the CBC in our proprietary high-THCV hemp strain oxidizes post-harvest. It is not artificially oxidized using chemical means, making the CBL in this product the best (and most likely the only) natural source of this rare cannabinoid.

• Secret Nature THCV & CBL Hemp Vape Cartridge review - Samantha G. “Great product” ★★★★★ “My husband loves this brand. Everything I've ordered for him has been a hit. He has multiple sclerosis and it really helps his pain management.”

Where to buy CBL for sale

If you’re interested in learning how CBL might impact the effects of inhaling hemp, the Secret Nature THCV Hemp Vape Cartridge naturally includes this cannabinoid in an unaltered extract. Combined with the organic cannabis terpenes present in every Secret Nature vape, CBL has the potential to unfold its wings without restraint.

• Secret Nature THCV & CBL Hemp Vape Cartridge review - Lisa B. ★★★★★ “Excellent quality, customer service, feeling of a calm focus is very effective. I like the THCV and all the CBD vape cartridges the Secret Nature has. I trust them for purity, etc.”