Are you struggling with insomnia? Perhaps your appetite is low and you want to maintain a healthy weight? Or, maybe you want to find a cannabis strain that leaves you feeling slightly sedated? Well, cannabinol (CBN) could help you with all of these things.

The cannabis plant contains an estimated 113 chemical compounds, one of which is CBN.

It may not be as well-known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), but this unique chemical is fast gaining attention for its health benefits.

Let’s find out more about the effects of CBN on the human body.

What is cannabinol (CBN)?

Cannabinol (CBN) is classified as a cannabinoid. Cannabinoids occur naturally in the cannabis plant and these active chemicals are hailed for their therapeutic and medicinal effects.

The vast majority of cannabinoids are present on fresh cannabis flowers, whereas CBN usually isn’t.

Why, you ask?

Basically, CBN occurs when THC breaks down. If you didn’t know already, THC is the psychoactive cannabis compound responsible for making consumers feel “stoned” or “high.”

Eventually, THC will transform into CBN once it ages.

Let’s say, for example, you have a stash of cannabis that you haven’t touched in a while. Maybe you forgot about it or maybe you were sidetracked by a new strain and left the old batch of buds to go stale. Rather than throwing those stale buds out, hold onto them. Chances are, they contain CBN.

It is actually quite rare to find dried and cured strains of cannabis with a CBN percentage of more than one. However, this is a sufficient amount to produce tranquilizing effects.

By now, you are probably thinking, “Ew, stale weed. Why would I want that?”

Believe it or not, you could experience a more intense, full-body high when you consume stale CBN-rich cannabis since this chemical compound is a natural sedative.

Surprisingly, CBN is considered non-psychoactive. In fact, scientific research on human cells has indicated how CBN is unlikely to activate the same cell receptors that THC activates.

Despite this, when administered at high doses, CBN may produce the typical feeling of euphoria that is commonly associated with the cannabis plant.

The effects of CBN on the human body

It might not join with cannabinoid receptors quite as well as some of the other cannabinoids, but the effects of CBN (when combined with THC) can be highly sedative.

Research has proven this, with one study by Steep Hill Labs demonstrating how 5mg of CBN is equivalent to a 10mg dose of the pharmaceutical drug Diazepam, not to mention other similar sedatives.

Indica strains tend to contain higher concentrations of CBN, hence why these types of cannabis strains are recommended for inducing a good night’s sleep.

Medical cannabis consumers may choose to consume the non-psychoactive compound CBN as a way of medicating without the high. Even the smallest of doses can produce a desirable medicinal effect on the body.

So much so in fact, that CBN has the potential to encourage bone tissue growth, according to another study. This happens as a result of the indirect recruitment of mesenchymal stem cells from surrounding bone marrow.

Mesenchymal stem cells are capable of turning into blood cells. Not only this, but they can also transform into bone and various types of tissues, making CBN a useful cannabinoid for fracture healing.

A separate effect of CBN is its ability to simplify the excessive growth of skin cells.

Although this may not seem like a big deal to most people, it will for patients suffering from burns, MRSA or skin regeneration condition psoriasis, because CBN could control skin cell production.

This was proven in a 2008 study when CBN was applied directly to the skin in the form of a topical solution.

The magnificent cannabinoid is also a natural anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. It is capable of acting on high-threshold thermo-sensors, better known as TRPV2 receptors. By combining CBN with CBD, burns victims may experience rapid relief from inflammation and pain.

How to increase the CBN content of your cannabis

Curious about CBN? Try it for yourself!

If you don’t fancy smoking stale cannabis flower, simply place your cure jars in an area with plenty of sunlight and heat.

By doing this, you can promote the degradation of THC without affecting bud quality. Using a 65 percent humidity pack will speed up the process, so keep this in mind.