As scientific research into cannabis continues to progress, new compounds are being discovered on a regular basis. This includes newly discovered cannabinoids that we previously didn’t know existed. Enter cannabinol, or CBN for short. And learning how to make CBN oil at home is incredibly simple.
What is CBN?
Basically, it’s a derivative of THC. Or actually, a degradation of THC — more on that in a minute. Just like CBD, CBN is an analog of THC. It’s not as intoxicating as THC, but it could be more so than CBD. Right now, its potency is considered to be 1/4 of THC.
Is CBN legal?
Because CBN comes from the cannabis plant, its legal status is a little hazy. If you live in a state where marijuana is legalized, you have nothing to worry about. But if you don’t, just be aware that it may be considered a controlled substance under federal law.
If you’re looking to ease anxiety or get a restful night’s sleep, CBN might be for you. There is still much to learn about this little-known cannabinoid. But this much we do know so far: CBN can potentially help you sleep if you’re battling insomnia. It can stimulate your appetite (giving you the munchies). It may also help with anxiety.
CBN vs CBD
You might find yourself wondering how CBN differs from CBD — which reportedly has some of the same effects. They are actually very similar. However, CBN is a touch more psychoactive than CBD. And while CBD is known to be a calming agent, it also gives the consumer a feeling of alertness. CBN, on the other hand, will make you feel sluggish and ready for sleep.
If you’re looking for whole body relaxation from your brain to your fingertips, try combining CBD and CBN. You won’t get as high as you would with THC, but you will get mildly intoxicated. You’ll probably sleep really, really well. One word of caution: the American Academy of Sleep Medicine doesn’t recommend CBN if you have sleep apnea.
CBN edibles and CBN oil are already making an appearance in the cannabis market. Just web search “CBN oil” and you’ll be met with a plethora of options, including CBN isolate. But you might notice that CBN is a little bit pricier than it’s cannabinoid cousins. Which may leave you wondering if you can make your own. Yes, yes you can.
How to make CBN
Here’s where we get into that bit about CBN being a degradation of THC. Have you ever left a nug of THC cannabis in a jar and forgotten about it? When it gets old and stale, THC becomes CBN. That’s right — CBN is pretty much THC gone bad. (Or in this case, bad means good if you’re looking to create CBN.)
Now, if you don’t have time to leave some fresh bud on a sunlit windowsill for a month, you can accelerate this process. All you have to do is overdo the decarboxylation process. Normally, when you decarboxylate your weed, you’re converting THCA to THC by using heat. When you put it in the oven at 240 Fahrenheit for 40 minutes, you’re doing just that.
But you can actually convert THCA to THC, and then keep on converting it to CBN. All you have to do is leave it in the oven. The longer it’s in there, the less THC you’ll have, and the more CBN. How long you leave it depends on what ratio you want of THC to CBN.
If you’re looking to make some CBN for sleep, it’s recommended that you decarb your THC for over 2-3 hours. Yep, just cook the hell out of it, and get ready for a great snooze. So far, there aren’t any guidelines as to what kind of THC works best, like indica or sativa. It might not make a difference.
Anything you can make with THC or CBD, you can make with CBN. If you just want a few drops of tincture under your tongue before bed, try making some CBN oil. Just use this cannabis oil recipe and remember to decarboxylate your weed much, much longer.
Interested in making some CBN edibles? Easy. You can make CBN oil and infuse it into just about anything. You can also make CBN butter. Just add a few hours of decarbing.
If you’re using CBN for sleep, a nice cup of tea may sound like the perfect thing. It’s literally the same process as making THC tea, only to make your tea for sleep, cook that weed and then cook it some more.
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3 Responses
I had to improvised from your recipe. I start with a gram of RSO.
Can you give some info for med patient that cannot grow or afford flower at Illinois Dispensary?
How long will it take to decarboxylate “shake” (dried leaves and a few small buds) ro render it into CBN in an instant pot? A recipe for this and CBN oil or tincture would be most appreciated.
She said 2-3 hours. I think that sounds questionable in the oven though; if you do that, make sure to use a low temperature. The low quality bud won’t affect cook time; in my experience high quality bud and low quality bud cook at the same temperature and time. Unless you’ve got big ass leaves or shake; those might cook faster. I’d recommend you shake keif from your trim, then press keif into hash and press that into Rosin and then decarb that rosin instead.