CBG (cannabigerol): properties, effect & application
Cannabigerol, also called CBG, is a component of the hemp plant. Like CBD (cannabidiol) or CBN (cannabinol), it belongs to the group of cannabinoids. In the following, we will clarify what CBG exactly is, what effect it has and how it is used.
What is CBG?
Cannabigerol (CBG) is a cannabinoid of the hemp plant. At first glance, CBG seems inconspicuous, but this cannabinoid is also an important component of Full Spectrum CBD oils.
CBG is one of the first cannabinoids to form in the hemp plant. At the beginning of growth, there is a lot of CBG in the cannabis. The older the plant gets, the less is contained.
In total, CBG makes up less than 1% of the total cannabinoids.
CBG as has the acid CBGA as its basic building block. An additional carboxy group has to be split off to make CBG out of CBGA. The better-known cannabinoids CBD and THC are also formed from these forms at a later stage. Enzymes can convert CBGA into other basic forms (such as those for CBD and THC). This is why there is less CBG in the plant later in its growth.
What is the difference between CBG and CBD?
CBG is formed from an acid form that is present in the young hemp plant. CBGA is a basic building block of the different cannabinoids that will later be present in the plant. But first, enzymes form other acids from CBGA, which then serve as precursors for CBD, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and other cannabinoids. After harvesting, the acids form the cannabinoids that we have in our CBD oils.
So CBG and CBD have a different chemical structure, but derive from the same chemical acid form. The concentration of CBG and CBD in the cannabis plant is also divided differently. If the CBG content is still very high at the beginning of growth, it becomes lower and lower the more CBD and THC the hemp plant develops.
How is CBG produced?
Often the focus is on CBD and THC when hemp is cultivated. CBG has only recently started to get more attention. The highest amount of cannabigerol is found in the young cannabis plant. However, if more CBD and THC are to be harvested from the cannabis plant, it is often harvested late in the flowering phase. At this stage, a lot of CBG acid has already been converted into the precursors for CBD and THC, so that the CBG content is only very low, often even less than 1%.
For this reason, research is focusing on hemp varieties that develop a higher CBG content. Earlier harvesting of the plant can also lead to a higher CBG content. Often, the oil of the hemp seeds is also used as a carrier oil for CBG oils, which can also have a low CBG content. This broadens the profile of the CBG oil.
How is CBG used?
As a natural component of the hemp plant, CBG is often found in CBD products. In CBD products, the CBD content is naturally higher than the CBG content or CBN content. The purchase is legal. Application via the mucous membranes: As a cannabinoid, it is absorbed via the mucous membranes in the mouth. CBD oils or CBG oils are drizzled under the tongue and then take effect. The difference between the oils: CBG oil is usually slightly more bitter than CBD oil or CBN oil.
As with CBD, you should start with a small dosage of CBG. This way, the body can slowly get used to the cannabinoid and you can find out your individual dosage.
How does CBG work?
It can communicate in the endocannabinoid system. However, it does not have a psychoactive effect. Research suggests that CBG acts as an antagonist to the CB1 receptor. This would mean that CBG can prevent other cannabinoids from docking with the CB1 receptor. In this way, the effect of, for example, THC, could be weakened. Whether CBG docks at the CB2 receptor or prevents other cannabinoids from doing so has not yet been conclusively clarified. It is also still unclear whether CBG can have a sedative effect or an antibacterial effect.
Cannabis research has been intensified for years and CBG is now also coming under the spotlight of one or the other study. This is due to a medicinal potential to which there are repeated indications. However, it will certainly take some time before definite statements can be made on the effect of CBG and other cannabinoids.
CBG: Pay attention when buying
When buying products of the cannabis plant, it is particularly important to pay attention to the following characteristics:
- EU-certified cultivation
- Organic quality
- trustworthy traders --> research is recommended
When buying CBN products, CBD products or CBG products, it is precisely these criteria that are so important, because cannabis has the property of absorbing many nutrients, but also pollutants, from the soil during harvesting.
