Cannabinoid
Cannabinol
#### Cannabinol

Cannabinol (CBN) is a mildly [psychoactive](/wiki/Psychoactive_drug "Psychoactive drug") cannabinoid that acts as a low affinity [partial agonist](/wiki/Partial_agonist "Partial agonist") at both CB1 and CB2 receptors.******** Through its mechanism of partial agonism at the CB1R, CBN is thought to interact with other kinds of [neurotransmission](/wiki/Neurotransmission "Neurotransmission") (e.g., dopaminergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, and noradrenergic).

CBN was the first cannabis compound to be isolated from [cannabis](/wiki/Cannabis "Cannabis") extract in the late 1800s. Its structure and chemical synthesis were achieved by 1940****, followed by some of the first pre\-clinical research studies to determine the effects of individual cannabis\-derived compounds [in vivo](/wiki/In_vivo "In vivo"). Although CBN shares the same [mechanism of action](/wiki/Mechanism_of_action "Mechanism of action") as other more well\-known [phytocannabinoids](/wiki/Phytocannabinoids "Phytocannabinoids") (e.g., delta\-9 [tetrahydrocannabinol](/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol "Tetrahydrocannabinol") or D9THC), it has a lower [affinity](/wiki/Affinity_%28pharmacology%29 "Affinity (pharmacology)") for CB1 receptors, meaning that much higher doses of CBN are required in order to experience physiologic effects (e.g., mild sedation) associated with CB1R agonism. Although scientific reports are conflicting, the majority of findings suggest that CBN has a slightly higher affinity for CB2 as compared to CB1\. Although CBN has been marketed as a sleep aid in recent years, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support these claims, warranting skepticism on the part of consumers.


How does CBN compare to other sleep aids?