Our Mission: We believe sleep is wellness. Slumber purpose is to improve your everyday wellbeing, by providing a natural way to get a good night’s sleep. Slumber believes sleep is the foundation of good health and wellness.
We incorporate cannabinol, CBN, into products such as sleep gummies, CBN tinctures for sleep, and CBD gummies for sleep, so we feel particularly inclined to help others better understand cannabinol, its therapeutic benefits, how CBN is extracted from hemp plants, how CBN can be used to achieve better sleep, and introduce you to the cannabinoid that has helped many people with sleep. Since high quality, pure, and effective CBN is at the core of everything we do at Slumber, it isvery important that we help everyone better understand CBN, how it works, and why we are so passionate about elevating CBN as a melatonin alternative and viable sleep aid.
What is CBN and Where Does it Come From
Cannabinol (CBN) is a compound found in the cannabis plant that is gaining popularity for its potential health benefits. CBN, a minor cannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant, is gaining attention for its potential health benefits and therapeutic properties. It is commonly found in aged or oxidized cannabis products. That's to say that CBN will form as oxygen and time are exposed to raw cannabis products. In order to extract CBN in a process that allows for public consumption, like the CBN products available from Slumber, there is a detailed, scientific, and hyper-controlled extraction process that needs to take place. Before we get too far into the extraction process, let's talk a little more about CBN's benefits and where it comes from.
Benefits of CBN
Studies suggest that CBN may have sleep-inducing and pain-relieving effects, as it interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system. Incorporating CBN into your wellness routine, through products like gummies, oil and tinctures, or capsules could potentially aid in pain management. The combined benefits of CBN vary widely from person to person as each of our biochemsitry and phsyciological makeup is unique. The benefits reported here and in further detail in this guide are based on customer testimonials, consumer sleep studies conducted in partnership with a 3rd party, international peer-reviewed journal articles, and reputable sources in the United States covering cannabinol and the benefits of CBN.
Brief History of CBN
CBN was first identified back in 1896, making it one of the first cannabinoids to be isolated. In the 1940s, researchers began studying CBN's potential sedative and sleep-enhancing effects. Over time, scientists learned that CBN is produced when THC degrades.
By the 1990s, CBN's abilities to reduce pain and inflammation were recognized. Recently, improved extraction has made pure CBN widely available. As of 2022, over 120 different cannabinoids have been identified, but CBN remains one of the most promising for therapeutic applications as well as within over the counter options. Many people in the United States are currently relying on cannabinoids like CBN for serving them as a sleep aid, a supplemental mitigator of stress and anxiety, to help reduce physical soreness, and many other applications.
Ongoing research continues to uncover new medical benefits of CBN, like reducing anxiety, stimulating appetite, and neuroprotection. The future is bright for this versatile cannabinoid as both an effective supplement and valuable component of the entourage effect. Slumber is committed to publishing all of our available CBN research so that more people can have access to a promising compound as well as data to support (or not) its efficacy.
CBN Extraction for CBN Gummies, CBN Oils, and CBN Products
To understand CBN is to know the process that takes place to ultimately arrive to a publicly consumable product. CBN can be consumed in a few different formats and it does occur naturally in cannabis. That's not to say that CBN is cannabis, but that cannabis has naturally occurring CBN and in various concentrations after a process of aging occurs. But how does a compound found in cannabis go from a psychoactive carrier plant to a non-psychoactive sleep aid that is consumed by the public?
The CBN Oil Manufacturing & Extraction Process
To start, the process all begins with raw source material in the form of aged cannabis plants, high CBN strains of cannabis, or materials with a high amount of naturally occurring CBN. This source material needs to endure a drying and aging process before it can be used to extract CBN. Over time and as the cannabis plant is exposed to air and ages, THC converts to CBN, which is how the process of extracting CBN oil begins. Sometimes, the dried cannabis plants that are rich with CBN are exposed to heat in a process called decarboxylation to activate the compounds. In the case of CBN, that process may not be involved in all products available for public consumption. The reason for that is because of the aging and drying process which naturally activates CBN.
There are multiple ways for the extraction process to occur in order to derive CBN oil from raw materials. Below are 3 steps involved in that process along with variations in the process to illustrate the variety of ways CBN is extracted:
Initial Extraction: The primary extraction can be done using either solvent extraction methods employing substances like ethanol or butane, or this process can occur via CO2 extraction. The latter is recognized for its safety and efficacy, ensuring that no residual solvents remain in the end product. At Slumber, CO2 extraction is the preferred method, aligning with the industry's best practices to guarantee a safe and effective product.
Purification: Following extraction, purification steps such as winterization are carried out. Winterization involves mixing the raw oil with alcohol and freezing it to segregate undesired components like fats and waxes and extract them from the material. The mix is then filtered, and the ethanol is evaporated, leaving behind a more concentrated cannabinoid extract. Slumber adheres to this standard purification procedure to ensure the integrity and quality of the CBN extract.
Distillation: The final refinement occurs through distillation, where heat is applied to vaporize cannabinoids, which are then collected in a concentrated form. This phase aids in increasing the CBN concentration further, ensuring a high-quality product ready for formulation into CBN oil.
Each of these stages is crucial in adhering to industry standards and regulations, ensuring the production of high-quality CBN oil that's ready for various wellness applications. As a company, Slumber is committed to meeting or exceeding industry standards, policies, and guidelines for extraction and manufacturing of CBN products. The people who are using CBN to help aid their lives deserve products that are supremely high quality, effective, clean, and deliver on their promise.
How CBN Extraction Differs from CBD
Though the extraction processes for CBN and CBD share similarities, there are key distinctions rooted in the nature of these two cannabinoids and their presence in the cannabis plant:
- Base Material
CBN is derived from the aging and oxidation of THC, typically found in aged cannabis.
CBD is extracted from hemp plants bred to be high in CBD and low in THC, without the need for an aging process. - Extraction
Both CBN and CBD can be extracted using solvent or CO2 extraction methods. However, the yields for CBD are generally higher due to its abundant presence in hemp, unlike CBN which requires the aging of THC-rich cannabis. Slumber utilizes the CO2 extraction method for both CBN and CBD to ensure maximum safety and efficacy. - Purification and Distillation:
The steps involved in purification and distillation are relatively similar for both CBN and CBD, aiming to remove unwanted compounds and further concentrate the cannabinoids. Slumber follows these standard processes to ensure the purity and concentration of the cannabinoids in their products.
The distinct origins and abundance of CBN and CBD in the cannabis plant contribute to the differences in their extraction processes. While both processes aim to achieve a pure and concentrated form of the cannabinoids, the preliminary steps leading to the extraction stage vary, highlighting the unique nature of CBN and CBD extraction.
Now, having understood the extraction process, let's delve deeper into the science of how CBN interacts with our body's endocannabinoid system to produce its effects.
The Science Behind How CBN Works
CBN interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS) to produce its effects. Specifically, it binds to receptors CB1 and CB2 concentrated in the brain and connected to the nervous system. The cause behind all of the reported benefits of CBN exist within its relationship to the brain's receptors because they are directly connected with functions of the body. So when CBN binds to the receptors commonly associated with sleep, pain, and mood, the overall effects are a result of communication the brain is receiving from the receptors, to over-simplify the process. Below we'll go into a little more details about the scientific processes behind how CBN works:
Endocannabinoid System & Brain Receptors Interaction with CBN
While CBN has a lower binding affinity than THC, it still activates the brain's receptors and particularly CB1 and CB2. This stimulation is believed to be behind many of CBN’s therapeutic properties, as we mentioned above. The brain is receiving communication that it is tired and therefore a person feels sleepy, probably falls asleep, and assuming a healthy night of sleep, they should stay asleep. That whole process begins within the communication between the receptors and the brain.
Some of the key ways that CBN interacts with receptors:
1. Binding CB1 receptors may induce the sedative effects that make CBN beneficial for sleep.
2. Activating CB2 receptors, predominantly in immune cells, may account for CBN’s potential anti-inflammatory properties.
3. CBN binds weakly to CB receptors compared to THC, so is much less likely to cause a “high”.
Research also indicates CBN may positively interact with:
- TRPV1 receptors involved in pain perception and body temperature regulation. This may underlie CBN’s analgesic and neuroprotective potential.
- Serotonin receptors related to mood and anxiety. CBN’s ability to activate these could help explain its proposed stress-relieving qualities.
While more studies are still needed, early research provides insight into the complex ways CBN may target the ECS and other receptor systems to produce its array of therapeutic effects. Now that we've explored how CBN interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system, let's look at one of the most popular ways people are experiencing its benefits - by eating CBN gummies.
Potential Health Benefits of CBN
CBN has garnered attention for its potential health benefits because of its growing popularity among adults who are seeking a sleep aid that works for them consistently. CBN has also gained exposure because of its ever-present availability in the over the counter markets as well as online. Slumber, for example, is committed to researching the potential health benefits of CBN as reported by actual users of the product and then democratizing access to that research in order to elevate the profile of a very compelling compound. A lot of the research which has been done so far has been done on small scales within the United States or on larger scales internationally. There is certainly overlapping outcomes as it relates to the research, and when combined with customer testimonials or consumer research studies, the commonalities speak to the benefits of CBN. Here are some of the insights from research conducted on CBN:
- Reduced pain and inflammation, making it promising for pain management
- Antibacterial properties that may aid in treating infections
- Improved sleep quality, benefiting those with sleep issues
- Neuroprotective effects, making it potentially therapeutic for conditions like Parkinson's disease
A 2019 sleep study found CBN decreased anxiety and initially improved sleep in chronic pain patients. While further research is needed, CBN may offer overall wellness advantages. Specifically, CBN has demonstrated sedative effects that may promote better sleep. Studies suggest it may help reduce insomnia and improve sleep quality and duration. CBN’s sleep benefits may be due to its interaction with the endocannabinoid system and neurotransmitters. Its effects seem enhanced when combined with THC, CBD, or other cannabinoids. Individual responses to CBN’s sleep-promoting effects can vary.
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