Discovered just under a century ago, CBN was the first cannabinoid to be isolated with its mild psychotropic effect. However, the compound hasn’t been used or seen much action since its discovery in the 30s and 40s.

CBN is rather difficult to make, unlike its neighbor CBD. The cannabinoid is produced when marijuana or hemp plants are exposed over long periods to air and sunlight. After drying and aging, the oxidation process turns marijuana/hemp THC molecules into CBN.

CBN is primarily known to induce sleep and relaxation amongst its users. Due to the growing sleep-aid market and sedative effects of smoking old marijuana, users are now seeking a new and more effective way to wind down with help from CBN.

The sleep-aid most comparable to CBN would be melatonin, which will reach $2.4 billion in sales by 2025. With massive numbers like this, cannabis companies are jumping at the opportunity to sell an even more effective sleep-aid product with CBN.

Most CBN products are edibles, which sold over $65 million in the past four quarters for adults through retailers in California, Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon.

CBN products presented $16.1 million in sales for the second quarter of this year in California alone, up 6.6% from the previous quarter and 120% from the third quarter of 2020. Across the states mentioned above, there were only seven CBN products on the market a year ago, but the number skyrocketed to over 55 in 2021’s second quarter.

The California-based edibles company Kiva Brands took an early start when implementing CBN into their products. In January 2020, Kiva Brands introduced their Camino Midnight Blueberry gummies containing 1 part CBN to 5 parts THC. It’s believed that CBN’s effects are enhanced and amplified when joined with THC.

After seeing vast success with their 1 CBN: 5 THC gummies, Kiva also added the same ratio to more products like cookies, mints, and chocolate bars.

Many companies investing in CBN are faced with the challenge of making and scaling CBN as an active ingredient. An extraction process developed by cannabinoid manufacturer FloraWorks has been used to speed up natural oxidation, allowing for both THC and hemp to create the CBN compound. Although, THC is slightly more effective due to its molecule compound that enhances the effects of CBN.