CBN for Exercise?
Rethinking the Sleep Cannabinoid
CBN is widely known as the "sleep cannabinoid," and there’s good reason for that - recent studies have confirmed its effectiveness for improving sleep. Research from the University of Sydney shows that CBN increases both REM and non-REM sleep, with effects comparable to some prescription sleep aids
But nothing in cannabis is ever that simple. At Jointly, our data tells us that cannabinoids don’t work in isolation, and no single compound guarantees a single effect. What one person calls the perfect solution, another might see as a problem.
Take my own experience: there are certain products and doses that make me creative and engaged when I’m hiking. They help me focus, direct my thoughts, and even meditate while I’m moving through nature. But if I take that same product and dose at home, I sometimes feel overwhelmed, even paranoid. My hypothesis is that’s because I still have a small base level of anxiety that I haven’t fully stamped out yet - and that anxiety can be pleasantly drowned out under the low constant hum of movement in nature, but is closer to the surface at home. I’m getting there. And who knows? Maybe when I do, that same product and dose will work just as well for me at home.
Side note: When I say “creative,” though, let’s keep things in perspective. Of the ideas I make note of while I’m high, I’d say I’m about 50-50. Some are great, some are not so great or too subtle or nuanced for an audience outside my head. It’s a spectrum. That’s why I like to come back to new ideas with tomorrow’s mind and think them through slowly. And one of those ideas was this: I should write an article for Cannabis Uncaged about CBN for exercise. Was it a good idea? You tell me.
Now apply this to CBN. While it’s marketed as a cannabinoid for sleep, we have been surprised to see in our data that it can be just as effective for goals like relaxation, stress relief, and even exercise. How? CBN seems to moderate the effects of THC, keeping you uplifted but not overstimulated - exactly the kind of balance you might want for a long hike or workout if you don’t want to feel overwhelmed. And here’s the key: we don’t have to fully understand the chemistry of how it works because our data shows that it does.
That said, a word of caution: if you’re curious about experimenting with CBN for exercise, start slow and stay well within your comfort zone. While I can personally attest that I’ve never taken CBN and fallen asleep mid-hike, you may vary - so indulge responsibly, and don’t push beyond your skill or experience level.
Our insights come from millions of data points collected through the Jointly app since 2020. Cannabis consumers track their experiences in pursuit of specific goals like sleep, stress relief, or exercise, and they rate how well products perform for those goals. Behind that, we have a database of products and their characteristics - things like cannabinoids, terpenes, and formats - which powers Jointly’s recommendations.
This is where data-driven insights make all the difference. Unlike other systems that rely on old stories, anecdotes, and a consumer’s past purchasing habits to make suggestions, Jointly’s recommendations draw from a far richer pool of information: your goals, the product’s chemistry, and real-world performance data from hundreds of thousands of users.
In a cannabis dispensary, it might be surprising to hear that the best edible for a hike could be a product labeled for sleep. But with the right data, it’s easier to move beyond what’s on the label and connect people with what actually works for their goals. That’s the power of purposeful consumption - it’s about understanding the product, the person, and the context of use.
So, is CBN good for exercise? For some people, yes - it absolutely can be. For others, it might not. It all depends on their goals, physiology, what else is in the product, and how they use the product. That’s the beauty of cannabis: it’s not about one-size-fits-all solutions. It’s about understanding the plant, the data, and the person in front of you.