What are the Benefits of CBN?

CBN is a particular cannabis-derived compound that is making waves with its ability to help with health disorders and stress and promote better sleep.

Though there are no guarantees with any health product, and this one is still in its infancy when it comes to research, meaning more research is needed, there’s a lot of hope surrounding CBN health’s potential benefits. If you’ve wondered, “What are the benefits of CBN?” or considered CBN weed benefits for yourself or someone you love, it’s time to learn more about CBN cannabinol today.

What Is CBN?

Before you can understand CBN’s benefits, you need to know what CBN is. It stands for Cannabinol and is more commonly found in aged cannabis and hemp plants. It is a cannabinoid, a class of molecules capable of binding to the endocannabinoid system in humans. Our bodies make cannabinoids naturally to send signals, moderate pain, and maintain homeostasis. Supplementing the body’s endocannabinoid system with cannabinoids may have potential benefits.

The cannabis plant happens to make similar chemicals that also take advantage of this system. Hence, CBN cannabinoid benefits appear across the body with CBN use and may even pose some medical benefits, too. (We will look at some of these specific CBN benefits below.)

This cannabis-derived compound is related to others that you might have heard of: THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol). While the first is the psychoactive compound that gives pot its potency, the second is widely available as a non-psychoactive drug. While both contain some of the same CBN cannabinoid benefits as CBN, they are all different. When combining CBN with other cannabinoids, such as THC or CBD, these combinations act synergistically with one another to create an overall effect. 

One of the main CBN benefits is that it is also a non-psychoactive compound, though people report being able to “feel” it more than its cousin, CBD. Among other CBN cannabinoid benefits often associated with the better-known THC are a relaxed feeling, the ability to sleep and eat, and pain relief. THC, the more known cannabinoid found in recreational and medical cannabis, is psychoactive unlike CBD and CBN. Let’s take a closer look now.

Potential Benefits of CBN

The potential benefits of CBN cannabinoid products are indisputable if you look at the scientific research and speak anecdotally to people who use CBN benefits in their wellness routine. A variety of people with health conditions could reap the benefits of CBN. Some of the most common CBN cannabinoid benefits related to health are pain relief, relaxation, and increased appetite. Together, these CBN benefits work to keep the body healthier.

This is especially true for those who have dysregulated systems. Anyone who has trouble eating or managing pain will see huge CBN benefits from regular use. Also, CBN cannabinoid benefits can be helpful on a short-term basis, such as following an injury. Many people see significant CBN gummies benefits, although you can get CBN cannabinoid benefits other ways, such as:

• CBN Oils and tinctures
• CBN Gummies
• CBN Vape pen cartridges

CBN Cannabinoid Benefits: Pain Relief

Pain can be debilitating, especially when it’s chronic. It’s, therefore, no surprise that one of the main CBN cannabinoid benefits may be to relieve pain. Scientific research shows that peripheral analgesics may help with chronic pain disorders such as myofascial pain. One study found CBN cannabinoid benefits in rats, where it worked as an analgesic alongside CBD. 

Specifically, it found that “peripheral application of these non-psychoactive cannabinoids may provide analgesic relief for chronic muscle pain disorders such as temporomandibular disorders and fibromyalgia without central side effects.” Interestingly, it found that the presence of other cannabinoids, including CBD, enhanced CBN benefits.

While the study used muscular injections, this is promising for CBN cannabinoid benefits as a whole, including the benefits of CBN oil and other widely available products.

CBN for Pain Management

Other CBN benefits include the ability to reduce body aches and discomfort. According to studies cited in the FASEB Journal, the mechanisms differ from traditional medical approaches such as steroids.

CBN and Appetite Stimulation

One of the main benefits of CBN that people usually get from THC is the stimulation of appetite. Many people would prefer CBN effects and CBN benefits to THC, though, because these CBN cannabinoids don’t make them high. If you or someone you know is struggling with appetite, the good news is that CBN cannabinoid benefits include making you hungrier. 

Note that CBN is different from CBD, which tends to suppress appetite. For those with cancer or other diseases who struggle to maintain weight, these CBN benefits are potentially game-changing.

CBN Benefits for Mental Health

CBN’s potential benefits for mental health are also significant. These cannabinoids include helping you feel more relaxed, moderating stress, and potentially falling asleep. Here’s a closer look at each of these CBN cannabinoid benefits.

Stress Reduction Properties

Research indicates that CBD, closely associated with CBN in terms of benefits, can significantly lower stress levels. This evidence supports the observed stress-relieving properties of CBN, corroborating personal accounts of its effectiveness. Consumers often report that CBN can help manage stress, with noticeable effects on stress reduction.

CBN products might alleviate stress by helping regulate panic episodes and reducing heightened alertness. The calming properties of CBN, possibly attributed to its sedative qualities, also play a crucial role in its stress management capabilities.

The positive impacts of CBN can be experienced from a single use as needed or through consistent daily intake via oils, gummies, tinctures, or other CBN-infused items.

CBN – Natural Sleep Aid

There are hundreds of cannabinoids within the hemp plant, and there are many benefits. If you are looking for something uplifting, try cannabis sativa. However, research suggests there is evidence that sleep aid is also among the CBN benefits.

Of course, cannabis and sleep have been scientifically proven to be a good mix, but is this one of the main CBN benefits? It appears so. In fact, the CBN cannabinoid benefits are far greater than CBD for sleep, Dr. Elizabeth Ardillo tells Food52. Taking it regularly can help you get these CBN benefits on a nightly basis and possibly get the benefit of CBN in other areas of your life as well, like mental health.

CBN is a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals

CBN benefits also extend to natural healthcare. One of the main reasons that CBN has become so popular, in fact, is that it doesn’t rely on unnatural chemicals. The fact that our endocannabinoid systems intersect so naturally with CBN cannabinoids means those CBN benefits are frequently without side effects, and so they are a better option than OTC or prescription meds. Here are some of the main benefits of CBN cannabinoids for natural health.

CBN has antibiotic properties

We all know about the good microbes, but bad microbes are responsible for a variety of health issues and infections. Among the many CBN benefits is that it’s a natural antibiotic. This is potentially one of the most important CBN benefits due to the looming threat of antibiotic resistance. The human race may not stand a chance if we don’t find new types of antibiotics, and it looks like CBN may potentially do just that.

Studies show that CBN cannabinoid benefits the body by fighting off bacteria. The mechanism of this is not yet clear, but the effects were. Also, making these CBN benefits even more significant, this might end up being an antibiotic that doesn’t engender resistance. That would make it potentially among the most scientifically important CBN cannabinoid benefits listed here.

CBN for Nerve Protection in Older Users

While many conditions contribute to degeneration in older people, nerve conditions are among the most devastating and painful to watch or experience. Happily, CBN might include neuroprotective effects. Limited studies show that CBN benefits motor neurons and have shown cannabinol delays symptom onset of SOD1, whose degeneration causes conditions such as ALS.

Even more positively, these CBN benefits accrued without side effects. That means you get all the CBN cannabinoid benefits without shortening your lifespan or creating other conditions that might outweigh the CBN benefits. Overall, we need more studies, but the fact that you can get these CBN cannabinoid benefits in a non-psychoactive way is very promising for older adults.

CBN and its effects on bones

Other CBN benefits could include bone healing. These are important CBN cannabinoid benefits for multiple groups: people who have suffered injuries, people with bone deficiencies, or people with osteoporosis. In the latter case, the CBN benefits come from the potential to regrow bone, which can make osteoporosis sufferers less prone to injury.

CBN with Glaucoma Patients

Cannabis has been used to treat glaucoma for years. This disease, which manifests as increased pressure in the eye, disrupting vision and potentially causing pain, has been shown to respond well to cannabis products. However, some people don’t like the psychoactive properties of THC, the main product used to treat it. That’s where CBN comes in.

Happily, the CBN benefits include glaucoma symptom reduction. Because glaucoma has no cure and eventually leads to blindness, it is a serious illness indeed. Currently, the main treatments include drops that lower IOC (intraocular pressure), but it is still a progressive disorder. The good news is that CBN not only lowers IOC, they “provide direct neuroprotection to the retinal ganglion cells.” That means CBN cannabinoid benefits glaucoma patients in multiple ways, first by treating symptoms and second by protecting the structure of the eye itself.