CBNCannabinol

6,6,9-triméthyl-3-pentyl-6H-benzo[c]chromén-1-ol

Aliases.Cannabinol

The ageing marker: CBN is not produced by the living plant but by the oxidation of THC.

Updated on 1 May 2026

Level of detail

Identifiers

Formula: C₂₁H₂₆O₂
Molar mass: 310.43 g·mol⁻¹
CAS: 521-35-7
PubChem CID: 2543
First described: 1899
Origin: Plant (oxidative degradation)
InChIKey: VBGLYOIFKLUMQG-UHFFFAOYSA-N

In plain terms

CBN appears as cannabis ages. Its presence says more about how a batch was stored than about how it was grown.

Receptors and activity

CB1
Ki = 211,2 ± 35,0 nMPartial agonist
CB2
Ki = 126,4 ± 26,0 nMPartial agonist
TRPV4
agonisteAgonist

Agonist
Partial agonist
Antagonist
Modulator
Inverse agonist

Hover over a row for the precise value (Ki, EC50…)

Subjective signature

Hover over an axis to read its definition.

Calm
70
Clarity
30
Sleep
90
Appetite
45
High
25

Editorial estimate, not clinical.

Pharmacology

Cannabinol has no synthase: it is the oxidation product of THC, which makes it a marker of age and storage conditions rather than a product of the living plant. Its CB1 affinity is roughly ten times weaker than THC's, and it is not scheduled. A high CBN reading on a certificate of analysis usually indicates a batch that has been stored for a long time or exposed to air and light.

Key sources.