The Mother of All Cannabinoids - Will CBG work for you?
The “Mother of All Cannabinoids” will soon be showing up in products on Delta 9 store shelves, and it might be just what you’re looking for.
Cannabigerol (CBG) is often referred to as “the mother of all cannabinoids” because the majority of its acidic precursor, CBGA, is transformed into the better known THCA→THC and CBDA→CBD. Only about one percent of CBGA actually becomes CBG. The amount of biomass required and the cost of extracting this tiny amount of CBG from cannabis plants has caused it to lag behind both THC and CBD with regards to research, development and common use.
Advances in technology combined with mounting research have now resulted in the inclusion of CBG in relatively new cannabis products such as Feelz Pineapple Starfruit THC and CBG Gummies, with more new CBG creations coming soon.
How CBG works
Like THC and CBD, CBG is processed by your endocannabinoid system, which plays a critical role in maintaining the homeostasis of the human body. CBG binds to the CB1 receptors found primarily in brain cells, and to the CB2 receptors found in your immune system, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and white blood cells. CBG has no psychotropic effects, and like CBD, it appears to counteract and neutralize the psychoactive effects of THC. Additionally, compounding research appears to indicate the benefits of CBG are many and varied, and should be studied further.
Research on the benefits of CBG
While thousands of studies have been conducted the psychoactive effects of THC and the therapeutic benefits of both THC and CBD, studies on CBG are limited but promising in areas that include a variety of diseases, as well as anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, inflammation and pain reduction.
Is CBG better than CBD and THC for pain, inflammation, and aging? The jury is still out on that, but Leafly.com certainly makes a good argument for CBG at the aforementioned link. Additionally, as the studies below indicate, CBG has shown potential for people suffering from inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), glaucoma, and neurodegenerative diseases, among others.
A 2009 study discovered that CBG could bind more directly than THC and CBD, to receptors in the endocannabinoid system that mitigate pain and anxiety, without the side effects that accompany traditional medications.
A 2013 study found that the administration of CBG reduced inflammation in the colons of mice and concluded that it was worth considering for clinical experimentation in human patients suffering from IBS. A 2009 study suggested that that CBG and related cannabinoids might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of glaucoma.
Advances in technology combined with mounting research have now resulted in the inclusion of CBG in relatively new cannabis products such as Feelz Pineapple Starfruit THC and CBG Gummies, with more new CBG creations coming soon.
A 2014 study on the neuroprotective properties of CBG in Huntington’s Disease observed that that CBG acted to protect nerve cells in the brain and improved motor deficits. A 2020 study concluded that CBG showed promise with regards to blocking receptors and inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in the colon and suggested that more research should be done in this area.
A 2020 study showed that CBG had antibacterial properties, especially with regards to drug resistant bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is the culprit behind staph infections. And with regards to pain relief and inflammation, a 2017 study found that CBG held promise as an anti-oxidant agent and suggested it might be used in clinical practice as a new approach in oxidative-stress related disorders.
Is CBG for you?
Everyone’s body chemistry is different, and what works for one person may not work for another, but anecdotal evidence and research has already shown what CBD can do for people, both on its own and in combination with THC. CBG is now at the stage that CBD was at when medical cannabis became legal.
“This is just the beginning,” said Delta 9 Cannabis Specialist Bob Hanson. “With medical patients, we started with CBD, then we offered them THC and CBD combined. If that didn’t work, we tried THC only. While the same cannabis strains can affect people differently, technically there were only three options.
“The addition of CBG will help us accommodate a much wider range of people, because if one of the combinations doesn’t work, no matter what your biology is, no matter what you're suffering from, there’s a good chance one of these formulas is going to work. You just have to find the right one.”
