The cannabis plant, like all plants, is made up of several chemical compounds. Within cannabis specifically, these compounds are called cannabinoids. There are also terpenes, flavonoids, and more. Read about them here. The human body actually has an endocannabinoid system designed to receive these compounds and use them to achieve a healthy equilibrium.

Our body contains two types of cannabinoid receptors—CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are found in the nervous system and brain, while CB2 receptors are located in the immune system and other areas of the body.

Cannabidiol, (CBD) is always going to be the primary cannabinoid in CBD oils. However, getting to know the other cannabinoids in CBD oil gives you a better understanding of how CBD does what it does. Below are some of the most common cannabinoids:

• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
• Cannabidiol (CBD)
• Cannabigerol (CBG)
• Cannabinol (CBN)
• Cannabichromene (CBC)
• Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (DELTA-8 THC)

CBD

Is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, meaning that it doesn’t make you feel high like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Many people use CBD products to reduce anxiety symptoms or to help manage chronic pain.

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CBN

Comes from the breakdown of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC. It’s mildly psychoactive, but it generally doesn’t produce a high like THC.

Manufacturers can’t directly adjust the amount of CBN in a plant (compare to CBD) as it’s created from the breakdown of THC. Exposing THC to heat can speed up the breakdown of THC into CBN.

CBN products are commonly marketed as sleep aids, but CBN isn’t studied as often as CBD. At this time, there’s extremely little research examining its potential benefits. 

Here’s what the limited amount of available research says:

• Sleep Inducing – Steep Hill researchers conducted a study that claimed that concentrated doses of CBN was more effective in inducing sleep than Valium or any other cannabinoid. As a result, many patients have begun to use CBN oil for sleep and reported that they fell asleep easier and experienced a deeper slumber. 
• CBN might be able to relieve pain. A 2019 studyTrusted Source
  found that CBN relieved pain in rats. It concluded that CBN might be able to soothe pain in people with conditions like fibromyalgia.
• It might be able to stimulate the appetite. Stimulating appetite is important in people who may have lost their appetite due to conditions like cancer or HIV. One rodent studyTrusted Source
  showed that CBN made rats eat more food for a longer period of time.
• It could be neuroprotective. One studyTrusted Source
  , dating back to 2005, found that CBN delayed the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in rats. ALS is a degenerative disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
• It might have antibacterial properties. A study conducted in 2008Trusted Source looked at how CBN affects the MRSA bacteria which causes staph infections. The study found that CBN could kill off these bacteria, which is usually resistant to many types of antibiotics.
• It could reduce inflammation. Many cannabinoids have been linked to anti-inflammatory properties, including CBN. A rodent study from 2016 found that CBN reduced the inflammation associated with arthritis in rats.

There are no known side effects of CBN, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. CBN simply hasn’t been studied enough to know. Pregnant and breastfeeding people as well as children should avoid CBN until we know that it’s safe for them to use.

CBG

Just like CBD, CBG is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. 

In the early stages of the growth of cannabis there is a higher concentration of CBG and as the plant matures this converts to CBD and other cannabinoids.

What that means is that cannabis must be harvested early to maximise the chances of gathering plenty of CBG. The farmers have a delicate race to play out making sure they can harvest at just the right time to get the most CBG possible. This also leaves cultivators with a choice: either grow cannabis with the express purpose of producing CBG, meaning that you can harvest the crop early before this conversion completes; or allow the crop to fully mature, so that some of the crop can be sold for other purposes but the rest will have a lower CBG content for extraction.

CBG interacts with the body in a different way. This means it has different effects than CBD does.  It is thought that CBG has a calming effect on the body, causing a relaxation of the nerves. 

Other potential benefits:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD) – Researchers induced inflammations similar to IBD in the colons of mice and then administered CBG. CBG was found to reduce the inflammation and the production of nitric oxide. It also reduced the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the intestines. They concluded that CBG should be considered for clinical experimentation in IBD patients.

• Glaucoma – Medical cannabis seems to effectively treat glaucoma, and CBG might be partly responsible for its efficacy. A study published in 2008Trusted Source suggests that CBG might be effective in treating glaucoma because it reduces intraocular pressure.

• Huntington’s Disease – CBG might have neuroprotective properties, according to a 2015 study that looked at miceTrusted Source with a neurodegenerative condition called Huntington’s disease. The study concluded that CBG might show promise in treating other neurodegenerative conditions.

• Antibacterial Properties – A 2020 study on the antibiotic potential of cannabis, found that CBG has antibacterial properties. Especially against methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacteria which causes staph infections and is drug-resistant.

• Cancer – A 2014 studyTrusted Source looked at colon cancer in rats and concluded that CBG might reduce the growth of cancer cells and other tumors.

• Appetite loss – A 2016 study on ratsTrusted Source suggested that CBG could stimulate the appetite. Appetite-stimulating chemicals could be used to help those with conditions such as HIV or cancer.

While these studies are promising, it’s important to remember that they don’t confirm the benefits of CBG. Much more research is needed to fully understand how CBG works in the body.

CBC

Cannabichromene (CBC) is non-psychoactive and does not affect the psychoactivity of THC.

One of the biggest benefits of CBC is its role in the entourage effect. CBC acts as a real team player and works with other cannabinoids to increase their effects.

• Acne– A research team that had previously shown CBD’s effect on acne studied other cannabinoids, including CBC, for the same effects. Indeed, CBC was shown to be a powerful inhibitor of acne. As a skin disease, acne is characterized by excess sebum production and sebaceous gland inflammation. It turns out that CBC exhibited powerful anti-inflammatory properties and also suppressed excessive lipid production in the sebaceous glands. CBC also reduced levels of arachidonic acid (AA), which is needed to create the lipogenesis. More research is needed, but CBC might just one day become a very powerful anti-acne treatment.

• Cancer – CBC as a potential cancer fighter was first published in a 2006 study that looked at cannabinoids other than THC and their possible effects on cancer. While THC is known for its anti-tumor properties for several different forms of cancer, its powerful psychotropic qualities can make it difficult for chemotherapy use. So far, research has found CBC to be the second-most-potent cannabinoid at inhibiting the growth of new cancer cells (CBG was the most potent).
• Promotes healthy brain activity  – A 2013 study, published by the Endocannabinoid Research Group in Italy, concluded that CBC was an effective agent in promoting neural stem progenitor cells (NSPCs)—cells that are essential to brain function as well as healthy pathology. Researchers concluded that CBC improves the viability of NSPCs.
• Improves stress and moods – In a 2010 study published by the National Institute of Health, CBC natural interaction with our ECS has shown significant stress relieving effects. Other prominent forms of cannabinoids like cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG) did not show similar mood improving effects. 

Read more:

• What does Full Spectrum CBD Mean
• Why choose NuLeaf Naturals CBD oil
• What is CBD Oil?

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Nuleaf Naturals CBN, CBG CBC are not available yet for UK market. We will update you once we do have in stock.