CBN: The Official Guide

When we purchase a hemp-based product to take as part of our regular wellness routine, we’re focusing heavily on the CBD content.

CBD is such an important part of the hemp plant that the terms “CBD” and “hemp” are used interchangeably, which can be quite confusing to many inexperienced consumers. 

Also, there’s good reason to put CBD on a pedestal – it’s the leading compound found in hemp, meaning there’s more CBD than any other compound in the plant’s chemical composition. 

Further, numerous findings have been conducted on CBD which verify its usefulness to the human body.

However, that’s not all the hemp plant has to offer. 

CBD is a cannabinoid, meaning, it has a unique way of interacting with the body, which we will be getting to shortly. 

CBD, however, is just one cannabinoid in hemp, of which there are many. 

Another cannabinoid that’s finally starting to get the attention that it deserves is CBN.

We will be fully discussing what CBN is, what it’s capable of, and how to seek it out if you’re actually looking to make it part of your routine. 

However, let’s break down what cannabinoids are in general first, how they work, and why they are important to understand in terms of how they support the body as this will give you a deeper understanding of CBN’s effectiveness.

Cannabinoids and Your Body’s Endocannabinoid System

To deeply appreciate what CBN is capable of, we must first look closely at the nature of cannabinoids, and why they are unique from all other plant compounds. 

Cannabinoids are a class of compounds that exist primarily in the cannabis plant, where you’ll find a diverse and rich array. 

In fact, cannabis naturally has over 100 unique cannabinoids, although CBD and THC are the ones most frequently talked about. 

Well, up until now, at least.

As CBD has become increasingly popular, scientists have been doing more studies than ever before on the way in which hemp is useful to the body. 

This has allowed them to make some remarkable discoveries if you will, regarding individual compounds, plus what cannabinoids do when consumed. 

What we know is that cannabinoids have the distinction of working directly with the body’s endocannabinoid system. 

Here’s a quick history lesson: the endocannabinoid system was discovered in the early 1990s, and since then, we’ve learned a lot about it. 

We know that every mammal has one, and what it does is help regulate the body’s homeostasis. 

It does this by taking cannabinoids like CBD and sending them to different cannabinoid receptors that are located in every bodily system – the brain, the immune system, the skin, the muscles, the digestive tract and so on.

What these receptors do is bind with cannabinoids, which creates a chemical reaction that forces adjacent bodily processes to be regulated. 

In other words, cannabinoid receptors exist in order to keep bodily systems’ processes in check, so to speak. 

Theoretically, it works like this: let’s say your brain is producing too much cortisol, which results in feeling chronically stressed.

The endocannabinoid system would therefore take cannabinoids and send them to this area of the brain, which would regulate how much cortisol can actually be produced, resulting in a decrease in stress levels.

What is CBN (Cannabinol)?

CBN, or cannabinol, is a cannabinoid like CBD, THC and others, except it’s not a major cannabinoid, meaning there is not as much CBN in the hemp plant as there is, say, CBD. 

This means that to produce pure CBN would take a lot more plant material, which is one of the reasons why it’s not nearly as prominent on the market.

The CBN that naturally occurs in hemp does not produce intoxicating effects, so you can rest assured that we’re not discussing a compound that could make you high. 

But, what CBN can do is offer a number of unique properties to the body’s endocannabinoid system, allowing cannabinoid receptors to utilize these properties as needed throughout the body.

What Makes CBN Unique?

So, why are people seeking out CBN specifically? 

Well, it’s because of the properties that are unique to this compound. 

The main property for which CBN is known is its potentially sedating potential. 

A lot of people are finding that CBN helps them relax better than any other compound can, and that it’s great for taking before bedtime in order to feel calm enough to get a good night’s sleep. 

It’s worth noting that these properties seem to be both psychological and physical, which is great for physical tension.

It’s important to point out that researchers believe that CBN’s potential relaxing properties are enhanced when THC is present. 

Now, this refers to the trace amount of THC present in hemp that is not abundant enough to get you high.

Another potential property of CBN that’s currently being studied is pain management. 

Many studies are underway, as researchers expect to find promising results based on data accumulated about cannabinoids in the hemp plant.

Studies have also found that CBN has antibacterial properties, and that these properties can be useful when applied topically and taken internally. 

Another bit of research shows potential neuroprotective properties, which’s something that CBD is known for as well. 

Neuroprotective properties protect the neurons in the brain, which can be useful for dementia, age-related cognitive decline, traumatic brain injury, seizures and more.

However we must point out that all though those results look and sound great, they are the result of preliminary research studies and further research is required!

It CBN Worth It?

Now that you know about CBN, you might be wondering whether or not it’s worth trying out. 

Well, if any of the properties above seem like they apply to your needs, we encourage you to explore what CBN has to offer.

How is CBN Produced?

CBN is a naturally occurring compound in the hemp plant, so technically, it’s produced by mother nature. 

But, if you want to consume CBN in the form of a hemp extract, that’s a different story. 

To produce CBN in a hemp extract, the hemp plant material must be run through an extraction process. 

This lifts the compound from the plant material. And the full spectrum extract can be used for tinctures, gummies, topicals and other types.

But in order for manufacturers to get high levels of CBN, they must isolate the CBN from the full plant extract that's then used to make products.

This process requires large amounts of plant material to produce said extract, and then labor is required to isolate the CBN.

Which is why CBN rich products are typically more expensive than say full spectrum CBD products.

But due to innovations across the industry and more manufacturers using CBN, we've already started seeing pricing start to come down.

Where Can I Find CBN?

So, you want to incorporate CBN into your daily wellness routine? 

Well, you may already be taking it daily and not even know it.  It depends on the type of hemp extract that you’re consuming.

If you’re taking a broad or full spectrum hemp extract product, then you’re already consuming CBN. 

Broad and full spectrum hemp extracts contain many cannabinoids that occur in hemp, but of course the levels and specific presence of cannabinoids varies from strain to strain.

Full spectrum hemp contains the complete array of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other chemical compounds that naturally occur in the plant material. 

This allows for the entourage effect to take place, which means that the presence of all of the compounds as they naturally occur in nature boosts the overall potential effects of each one. 

Broad spectrum hemp, on the other hand, contains every compound except for THC.

CBD isolate is a pure isolate that contains no other compounds besides CBD, so you will not get CBN if you are taking a CBD isolate product.

The other way to get CBN is to purchase a CBN isolate product. 

These products are available but bear in mind that they are more expensive than CBD isolates because there is less CBN than CBD in the hemp plant’s chemical composition. 

You can also find high-CBN products that have been spiked with CBN to increase the presence of this sleepy time cannabinoid such as in the Eclipse CBD Lemon Cake Night Time CBD Tincture.

Wellness Wednesday Video

If you prefer to learn from video content, we covered this topic on our weekly educational livestream, Wellness Wednesday! Which you can watch below!

Enter the World of CBN Today!

CBN, as you can see, has quite a lot to offer all on its own, independent from any other compounds found in hemp. 

With its unique properties, it’s understandable why so many people are interested in taking CBN specifically. 

The good news is that CBN is widely accessible in several forms, so you can easily find a way to incorporate it into your routine, whether you do so in the form of an isolate or a full spectrum product. 

Regardless, if you are looking to start taking CBN, this would be an exceptional addition to your current CBD consumption!