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What is CBG?
Usually, when it comes to cannabis, the first two cannabinoids that come to mind are THC and CBD. CBG acts as a precursor to other cannabinoids (including CBD and THC). Cannabigerol is often transformed into other cannabinoids as the plant grows – that’s why we don’t usually hear about it. New clinical studies have also brought to light the direct effects that CBG can have on our body.
In this article, we will try to understand what CBG (cannabigerol) is, a cannabinoid often unknown to most people and which in recent years is increasingly gaining the limelight for its countless beneficial properties.
CBG in cannabis plants.
In most hemp plants, CBG is usually found in a concentration of less than 1%. This is why it is usually (wrongly) considered a “minor” phytocannabinoid; instead, recent discoveries about its properties and beneficial effects are leading scientists to change their mind and consider cannabigerol more favorably. Indeed, CBG is the first cannabinoid to form in the plant: in fact, it is often referred to as the “stem cell” of cannabis. Inside the plant, CBG is present in its acid form: CBGA. With heat and light (after harvesting cannabis plants) acid compounds, including CBGA, transform into their non-acid counterparts (CBD, THC, and so on). This phenomenon is called “decarboxylation” and produces at least one hundred more cannabinoids, all deriving from the original CBGA.
Since, as we have seen, the more CBD and THC there is in the plant, the less CBG will be obtained, growers are experimenting with alternative and innovative ways to obtain ever greater quantities of cannabigerol.
properties and beneficial effects.
CBG, among other things, inhibits the reuptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a substance present in our brain. This allows to obtain effects of relaxation and relief for anxious states; according to some studies it would also act against depression and fungal infections.
According to other researches, CBG also has anti-inflammatory properties: it could therefore be used instead of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
CBG and neurodegenerative diseases.
There are many kinds of neurodegenerative diseases such as including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and prion diseases. As shown by numerous studies, CBG and also CBD could be a valid ally against of those diseases.
So, what would be better, CBG or CBD?
It is difficult to give a single answer they are two very different cannabinoids. However, they have similar effects, so those who buy CBD oil may often be tempted to choose products containing CBG instead. CBG could, perhaps, better manage problems such as muscle twitching or twitching. However, CBG unlike CBD is legal in most countries; however, for the moment there are not very many shops that contain CBG products on their shelves. Of course, given the growing attention to this product, things are expected to change in the future and quickly. In any case, CBG oil can be used exactly like all other cannabinoids; you just need to be careful to experiment with doses and frequencies until you get the desired effects. Seeds of CBG are often also available, which can be found in special stores, even online.
CBG side effects?
After having seen what CBG is, let’s move on to examine its effects, including any side effects. First of all, CBG has no psychotropic effects (that is, it has no narcotic properties) and it does work with our endocannabinoid system, but in other ways. It increases appetite and some studies have shown that it inhibits the growth of some tumors, as well as having neuroprotective effects. Among the side effects could be that of inhibiting the body’s immune response.
Furthermore, as we have mentioned, CBG acts in such a way as to alleviate pain and inflammation; it has relaxing effects and anxiolytic properties. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (they tested it in an inflammatory bowel disease model).
CBG is very different from CBD and THC. Recently, with the recognition of its properties, manufacturers have begun to take a greater interest in CBG and to focus on optimizing the levels of this cannabinoid in products such as CBD oil, CBD ointments and other types of supplements based on of CBD. Its therapeutic effects are now known, but further studies are needed and further exploitation is necessary to obtain significant results in its use and in the recognition of its properties.
Therefore, CBG interacts with the endocannabinoid system present within us. It binds to CB “receptors, present in the nervous system, connective tissue and intestines. All these interactions make it “palatable” for new studies that aim to counteract pain and inflammation, acute or chronic. There have even been studies on the effects of cannabigerol on glaucoma: well, these studies have shown that CBG successfully lowers intraocular pressure in guinea pigs. A study by the University of Naples showed that CBG can “debilitate” colitis in mice, so it could help in the treatment of chronic intestinal diseases.
CBG immense potential.
CBG has high medicinal potential as we have seen, it activates some receptors in the endocannabinoid system and can affect the nervous system. According to some, this would help to counteract the unwanted effects of THC when smoking marijuana (notably, paranoia), but the mechanism has yet to be fully understood. With the evolution of studies and research on cannabinoids, it will be interesting to understand how CBG can unfold its effects and become one of the curative substances deriving from Cannabis. However, it must be said that the extraction of CBG from cannabis plants is an expensive process, also because it is contained in very small quantities in mature plants. This means that the grower should, for example, give up an entire crop with THC (or CBD) by harvesting the plants in advance to extract only CBG: a scenario, it must be said, very unlikely to date.