What Is CBG and Why the Hype?

Most people know about THC and cannabidiol (CBD), but have you heard about cannabigerol?

CBG is one of over 100 different active compounds that make up the classification of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It comes in lower concentration levels than THC or CBD, but that fact doesn’t mean there aren’t potential benefits to discover.

Although the health benefits of CBG aren’t entirely understood, there is research available to support the hype for this cannabinoid.

History of Commercialised Cannabigerol

The first commercialised version of CBG reached the market in 2015. It came in a variety of cosmetic products and oral care items, such as toothpaste. 

Tinctures began appearing in 2016, and now several items are following as the legal restrictions on cannabis and hemp products continue to ease globally.

CBG is considered a minor cannabinoid because of its low content levels. It is also the precursor to THC, CBD, and CBC. You could call it the “stem cell” cannabinoid because as it changes and breaks down, it becomes the base molecule from which the other cannabinoids start forming.

Although there is the potential for some pharmaceutical duplication with CBD and CBG, these compounds serve entirely different purposes with their administration.

What Are the Benefits of CBG?

The potential health benefits of cannabigerol are many. It doesn’t have the same effects as THC does on the body, so its ability to boost anandamide levels is thought to provide help with mood regulation.

Researchers are looking at CBG as a tool to stop issues like Huntington’s disease because of its neuroprotectant capabilities. It also shows promise as an antibacterial product with enough strength that it could treat MRSA infections.

Studies from 2013 found that the regular use of CBG in animals with inflammatory bowel disease could reduce the presence of inflammatory markers. It also relieved the symptoms of colitis.

CBG could also act as an appetite stimulant. The cannabinoid produced no adverse effects in animal studies looking at this issue, demonstrating that it can increase meal frequency while reducing feed latency without neuromotor side effects.

The anti-inflammatory properties of CBG could help in the fight against certain cancers or help with certain bladder conditions.

With all of these potential benefits, why are we not using cannabigerol in almost everything? The problem with CBG is that it is quite expensive to produce.

What Does It Take to Produce CBG?

It takes several thousand pounds of biomass to create a small quantity of CBG. If you’re using a hemp strain that produces 20% CBD in a single crop, then you might get 1% of cannabigerol in that same product.

That means growers must either give up the entire crop being produced to create pure CBG or allow it to become a hemp harvest. By the time cannabis reaches a mature age for harvest, the plant converts it into other cannabinoids so that only small levels of cannabigerol are available.

Even with the possibility of a “pure” harvest, most cannabis plants contain less than 2% CBG by volume. The means producers must extract between 10 to 20 times the amount of hemp biomass to get the same amount of CBG compared to CBD levels in today’s strains.

Cannabis plants are currently bred to maximize their THC and CBD levels because of the levels of consumer demand. Since each plant has a finite of cannabinoids available, the amount of CBG that forms is often minimal. Until more strains become available with high cannabigerol levels, it will remain the “Rolls Royce” of cannabinoids.

That’s one reason why CBG can be expensive. The current levels of demand also cause prices to rise.

Current CBG demand levels are outpacing the production of hemp for almost every grower. 

How Can I Find CBG Today?

The best way to experience the potential benefits of CBG is to purchase the cannabinoid directly. CBD Ultra provides a variety of products that fit into every budget and lifestyle.

You can experience the benefits of CBG cosmetics and CBG drops by combining them with CBD balm items and other forms of topical use. Every product goes through independent laboratory testing to ensure you receive the quality printed on the label. 

Each crop is fully traceable from organically-grown hemp. That means you don’t need to worry about solvents, pesticides, or GMOs.

CBG is just now starting to gain the attention it deserves because of the potential advantages it can provide. It might not be the most prevalent cannabinoid on the market right now, but cannabigerol offers an intriguing opportunity to explore another layer of benefits from the cannabis plant.