CBN (Cannabinol)
Also known as Cannabinol
Mildly psychoactive cannabinoid formed as THC oxidises and degrades over time, most concentrated in aged cannabis; marketed for sedative effects, though robust clinical trial evidence for sleep is still lacking.
Reported side effects:Mild-to-moderate adverse events were reported across all arms including placebo in a single-night three-way crossover trial (30 mg and 300 mg cannabinol, 20 adults with insomnia disorder); event types not itemised in the abstract. Single-night data only — larger, longer trials warranted.
Be careful if: pregnant, breastfeeding, some medical situations
Suspect a side effect? Report it to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme ↗
What the research actually shows
We link to relevant studies and leave interpretation to you and your healthcare professional.
Safety and considerations
What sources report about side effects, who should be careful, and medicines to ask about first.
Reported side effects
| Reported effect | How often | Basis | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild-to-moderate adverse events were reported across all arms including placebo in a single-night three-way crossover trial (30 mg and 300 mg cannabinol, 20 adults with insomnia disorder); event types not itemised in the abstract. Single-night data only — larger, longer trials warranted. | unknown | Listed by PubMed corpus rows (PubMed 41698831) | Lavender IG, et al. Cannabinol for Acute Treatment of Insomnia Disorder in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial. J Sleep Res 2026;35(4):e70284 (PMID 41698831) |
Be careful if you…
| Applies to | What sources say | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| pregnant | No pregnancy data — the only randomised trial studied single nights in non-pregnant adults aged 25-65. | Lavender IG, et al. Cannabinol for Acute Treatment of Insomnia Disorder in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial. J Sleep Res 2026;35(4):e70284 (PMID 41698831) |
| breastfeeding | No breastfeeding data located; safety while breastfeeding is not established. | Lavender IG, et al. Cannabinol for Acute Treatment of Insomnia Disorder in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial. J Sleep Res 2026;35(4):e70284 (PMID 41698831) |
| some medical situations | CBN is marketed as a sleep aid, but in the randomised trial it did not significantly change wake after sleep onset; increased N2 sleep, subjective sleep quality and reduced sleep-onset latency were reported only at 300 mg. Products sold as CBN are not assessed medicines in the UK and, per NHS, most cannabis products sold online are likely illegal to possess and may contain THC of unknown amount. | Lavender IG, et al. Cannabinol for Acute Treatment of Insomnia Disorder in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial. J Sleep Res 2026;35(4):e70284 (PMID 41698831)Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils) — NHS medicines page, last reviewed 27 May 2022 |
Suggested uses (unproven)
Where people report using it and what trials suggest
- Insufficient evidenceSleep aid
Where the evidence is negative
Common claims the trials do not support
- Sedation claim originates from 1970s studies mixing CBN with THC.
- No modern placebo-controlled CBN sleep trials.
- Appetite/pain claims preclinical only.
Cannabinol marketed as 'the sleepy cannabinoid' on the back of stale 1970s combination studies — modern sedation evidence does not exist.
Evidence grades reflect study quality and consistency, not marketing claims.
Ordered by strength of evidence, then result direction.
01In Search of Biomarkers to Guide Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic ReviewParellada M, et al. · The American journal of psychiatry · 2023PMID 36475375 ↗02A meta-analysis of conditioned fear generalization in anxiety-related disordersCooper SE, et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2022PMID 35501429 ↗03Psychotherapy or medication for depression? Using individual symptom meta-analyses to derive a Symptom-Oriented Therapy (SOrT) metric for a personalised psychiatryKappelmann N, et al. · BMC medicine · 2020PMID 32498707 ↗04Cannabinol for Acute Treatment of Insomnia Disorder in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover TrialLavender IG, et al. · Journal of sleep research · 2026PMID 41698831 ↗05Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound amygdala neuromodulation: a double-blind sham-controlled target engagement study and unblinded single-arm clinical trialBarksdale BR, et al. · Molecular psychiatry · 2025PMID 40275098 ↗Published research summaries are unavailable.
Why people look into CBN (Cannabinol) — and what they report
Associated conditions and community-reported outcomes, wrapped together on one page. Aggregates appear only once enough reports arrive.
Where to get CBN (Cannabinol) (UK)
How this compound is sold in the UK, and where our readers typically find it.
Retailer search links — we may earn commission on purchases at no cost to you. Commission never affects our evidence ratings.
In the UK, CBD products fall under the FSA novel foods list — buy from retailers listing an FSA-assessed product.