Although there are many cannabinoids discussed within the CBD community, one of the most commonly mentioned ones is CBN. Short for cannabinol, CBN is often recommended by community members for sleep, and is a common cannabinoid to see within Full Spectrum products. While we’ve covered it briefly in our cannabinoids post, we wanted to take a second look at examining the science; what we know so far, what we don’t, and our hopes for future research.

What is CBN?

Cannabinol, or CBN, is a type of cannabinoid regularly found within the cannabis plant. Like all cannabinoids, the amount of CBN within a product can range depending on factors like the plant’s chemical makeup, the type of product, and how the product was processed. Hopefully, companies will release public certificates of analysis (COAs), that will allow consumers to know the levels of specific cannabinoids (as well as terpenes and flavonoids), within a particular product.

On a more scientific note, when THC is heated and exposed to air or light, it becomes CBN. That said, it doesn’t give you the same kind of high THC does. Although CBN is discussed frequently within the community, the science hasn’t really caught up yet.

State of the Science

At the moment, research into CBN is still in its very beginning stages. There’s a lot we don’t know yet, and while that’s often the case when it comes to cannabinoids, CBN has been less researched than things like CBD and THC. With this being the case, it’s important not to jump to conclusions right off the bat, even when studies seem positive. Because these are often preliminary, in-vitro (petri dish), or conducted with animals, they aren’t guarantee of any definitive answers yet.

As of right now, CBN is being investigated for its potential as a sleep aid, to help manage pain and inflammation, and as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It seems as though CBN, not unlike CBD, may also bind with the CB2 receptors within our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). While we’ve spoken more about the ECS and CB2 receptors before, to summarize, these receptors may be linked with inflammation and pain management. CBN also binds with our body’s CB1 receptors, which are associated with increasing calm and decreasing things like pain and anxiety. However, they bind quite a bit weaker than something like THC does.

In terms of pain management, CBN is currently being investigated (specifically as a topical cream) by InMed Pharmaceuticals as a potential treatment for Epidermolysis Bullosa, a genetic skin disease. Although research is still in its preclinical stage, they’ve found that a CBN cream may help to relieve things like inflammation and pain, and possibly help heal affected skin. Another study conducted with mice found that a mix of CBD and CBN may help manage muscle pain associated with disorders like fibromyalgia.

Additionally, in multiple tests conducted by InMed, CBN was found to be more effective than both CBD and THC when it comes to the potential treatment of glaucoma. This study found that CBN seemed to delay the onset of ALS in mice, but human applicability is hard to assess.

In terms of sleep more specifically, one study conducted in 1975 found that a mixture of THC and CBN seemed to induce more drowsy and dizzying effects than THC does alone. However, this study was only conducted with five participants, so it’s hard to draw any definitive conclusions from it. While there have been other studies conducted, as ProjectCBD points out, the majority of these studies have been found to lack credibility in one way or another, or were conducted with animals, so human applicability is challenging to assess. Often times, research mixing CBN, THC, and other compounds like terpenes, make it hard to determine whether it’s CBN having the sedating effect, or a combination of something else. Other than that, most of the information we have about CBN comes from anecdotal reports from the community, with very little current research available to back those claims up.

Since an in-depth review into the research of CBN and sleep is beyond the scope of this blog, if you’re interested into a deeper analysis and historic account of the science, including notes about problematic studies and inconclusive results, check out this posting by ProjectCBD about it. To summarize, however, the research we have into CBN’s effect on sleep is mostly inconclusive as of right now.

Risks and Side Effects

While the side effects of CBD are a bit more researched, especially when it comes to medication interactions, the risks and side effects of CBN are a lot less known. We’ve seen some discussion around CBN’s side effects including drowsiness and sedation, but due to the inconclusive results around CBN and sleep, we still don’t know anything definitively yet.

Regardless, it’s always a good idea to check in with your doctor first, especially if you’re considering mixing CBN and other medications. In terms of dosage, starting low and going slow in order to give your body time to adjust is generally a good way to go.

Community Voices

It’s impossible to have conversations about CBD and sleep within the community without hearing reports about CBN. While understanding the state of the science, we think it’s important to acknowledge experiences and input from the community as well. Often times, it’s these anecdotal reports that go on to inspire more research initiatives, so we’d be missing an important piece if we didn’t discuss current community conversations.

While it seems some people have been able to find success with CBD and sleep, many more are discussing the usefulness of CBN. A popular consensus within the community is that CBD helps aid with pain or anxiety management, so if that’s what’s getting in the way of your sleep, it’s a good tool. For proper relaxation, however, CBN is often cited as a better way to go. In fact, we’ve seen folks actively warning against taking too much CBN in the mornings or before work due to how drowsy they report it makes them.

While there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to support these claims yet, we’re hoping that community voices and experiences can help us focus our research to investigate issues that are relevant to consumers and their experiences – such as CBN and sleep.

Other Notes About Sleep

Aside from CBN, there are many practical ways to help improve sleep. The idea of sleep hygiene is that we can practice habits that will promote restfulness, both helping us fall and stay asleep throughout the night. While there are many adjustments we can make, some of the most common suggestions are listed below:

1. Keep a consistent schedule.
2. Follow a night time routine, including lots of down time.
3. Turn screens off an hour before bed.
4. Practice breathing or meditation exercises.
5. Cut down on caffeine in the evenings.
6. Get exercise.
7. Create a good bedroom atmosphere, including a cool temperature and darkness.
8. Keep your bedroom/bed just for sleeping and avoid working in these areas.
9. Get out in the sun during the day, especially when just waking up.
10. Reduce afternoon naps.

TL;DR

As of right now, we don’t know a lot about CBN. While it’s being investigated for its potential as a sleep aid, pain and inflammation management tool, and other medical uses, the research we have right now is new and inconclusive. Hopefully, thanks in part to a push from the community, more studies are conducted in the future and we’ll develop a deeper understanding of how CBN impacts our bodies.