CBG

What is CBG?

Cannabigerol, abbreviated as CBG, is a minor cannabinoid found in much smaller amounts than its relatives THC and CBD. In most cultivars, the amount of CBG is usually less than one percent. Cannabinoids with low levels present in cultivars, usually less than 1 percent, are typically considered minor cannabinoids.

However, this doesn’t mean minor cannabinoids lack importance, as each one offers unique potential benefits, as you will learn as you work your way through HashDash’s Cannabinoids Guide. Much like its relative CBD, CBG may have many therapeutic properties without the effects of feeling high like with THC.

Currently, products made from minor cannabinoids like CBG are derived from legally grown hemp plants. These minor cannabinoid products include water-soluble extracts, isolates, distillates, and so on. This legality is thanks to the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, and along with it came an increased interest in minor cannabinoids like CBG, and their potential benefits.

Effects of CBG

Like the better-known and more abundant cannabinoid CBD, CBG is considered non-psychoactive. Unlike the highly sought-after THC, CBG will likely not make most consumers feel high. However, some consumers of hemp-derived products like CBG and CBD have expressed that they feel a sense of weightlessness and significant relief thanks to these cannabinoids.

Potential Benefits of CBG

Although initial research is promising, isolating CBG is still relatively rare, so making it a testable substance can be challenging. To produce cultivars that are richer in minor cannabinoids like CBG, some breeders and grow facilities are organically manipulating a plant’s genetics, cross-breeding with other lineages to produce more CBG content. However, this is only possible in legal states, and as such, most studies conducted on minor cannabinoids utilized hemp-derived compounds.

Studies on hemp-derived CBG have indicated that this minor cannabinoid may have some pain-relieving properties. Perhaps more importantly, CBG may be effective for cancer patients seeking natural alternatives to help with managing their chemotherapy side effects. It may also help ease digestive pains in patients with Crohn's Disease.

In a study from 2014, scientific researchers tested the effects of the cannabinoid CBG on laboratory rodents that had cancer in their colons. The researchers concluded that CBG may offer some promise in that the cannabinoid may block the type of cells that aid in the growth of cancer. Additionally, the researchers observed that CBG may inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the colorectal regions.

Another study for the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology indicates CBG may be effective in treating patients with glaucoma. In the study, researchers administered CBG to cats who had glaucoma. The results of the study were that several of the cats’ eyes saw reduced pressure and an increase in the fluids that provide the eye with nutritional health.

CBG also offers powerful antibiotic and antibacterial properties. Cannabinoids like CBG may be useful against infection-causing and drug-resistant bacteria like MRSA. This is promising for the medical field, as cannabinoids have lox toxicity.

What We Learned: CBG

CBG products tend to be more expensive and rare than CBD and THC, making research on minor cannabinoids even more necessary. As is the case with so many other things cannabis-related, more unbiased studies are essential to unlock the true potential of cannabinoids like CBG. Here’s what we learned about CBG:

• Cannabigerol, abbreviated as CBG, is a minor cannabinoid found in much smaller amounts than its relatives THC and CBD.
• In most cultivars, the amount of CBG is usually less than one percent. However, CBG is still important to learn about.
• CBG is non-psychoactive, so it does not get you high.
• Studies on hemp-derived CBG have indicated that this minor cannabinoid may have some pain-relieving properties.
• Studies on lab mice show that CBG may help inhibit the growth of cancerous tumor cells.
• A study from the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology indicates CBG may be effective in treating patients with glaucoma.
• Cannabinoids like CBG may be useful against infection-causing and drug-resistant bacteria like MRSA. This is promising for the medical field, as cannabinoids have lox toxicity.

Thankfully, we will see these scientific advancements occur as more legalization happens in states, hopefully at the federal level. The Advancement and evolution of the cannabis industry and cannabinoid research is barely scratching the proverbial surface. Answer the question below and keep diving deeper into the wonderful world of Cannabinoids.