CBG Anyone?
You might’ve seen the name floating around lately in new products. CBG is now a part of the unique cannabinoids being separated and added to products in the legal market. We can thank science for this! But before we dive into what products you can get with this great cannabinoid, let’s chat a bit about, what it is, where it’s from, and what it does!
What is CBG? Cannabigerol (CBG) is a type of cannabinoid obtained from the cannabis plant. It’s often referred to as the mother of all cannabinoids because other cannabinoids are derived from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), an acidic form of CBG. Think of it as a stem cell for the plant. Other more common cannabinoids obtained from cannabis plants include cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBG is found in smaller quantities than other cannabinoids in cannabis plants. In most plant strains, only 1% of CBG can be found compared to 20 to 25% of CBD or 25 to 30% of THC.
This makes consumer products derived from the cannabinoid rare and often expensive. However, CBG is growing in popularity due to the many potential benefits the cannabinoid offers, so prices have come down for products, and we are starting to see more!
CBG is derived from young cannabis plants because they contain higher amounts of CBG than fully developed plants. Some strains of cannabis like Acapulco Gold, White CBG, Super Glue, and Jack Frost also have higher CBG content than other strains. Many of these strains are specifically cultivated to produce higher quantities of CBG. Both CBD and THC start as CBGA, an acidic form of CBG. This is why younger cannabis plants contain higher concentrations of CBG. In fully developed plants with high concentrations of THC and CBD, you’ll find very low concentrations of CBG. This happens because most CBG has already been converted to CBD and THC as the plant developed. Due to the difficulty of getting CBG, cannabis growers have been experimenting with cross-breeding and genetic manipulation to help cannabis plants produce more CBG.
The body’s endocannabinoid system processes CBG. The endocannabinoid system is made up of molecules and receptors in our bodies that are responsible for keeping our bodies in an optimal state regardless of what’s going on in our external environment. In our bodies, CBG imitates endocannabinoids, the natural compounds our body makes. Like CBD, CBG has been used to combat pain without having the intoxicating effect of cannabinoids like THC. CBG is also used for creativity, focus, and hunger suppressants.
Research shows that CBG can also have therapeutic effects. However, human studies on this are sparse and more research needs to be done in this area.
Here are some products on the market now you might enjoy!
1. Spinach Feelz – Sour Diesel THC + CBG cart
I loved the flavor of this cart even though I am not a massive fan of distillates, but I loved the effect and the haziness I got from this cart. I used it while working on music and writing, and I felt very focused on what I was doing.
2. Spinach Feelz Pineapple Starfruit THC + CBG Gummies
These come with two gummies per bag at 5mg THC and 2.5mg CBG per gummy. They are delicious and work great!
3. Jonny Chronic – Acapulco Gold 3.5g Cured Herb
This isn’t a strain grown for CBG, but the team at JC has found a way to produce a delicious smoke high in THC, which also carries a lot of CBG for dry flowers—coming in around 1.29% with CBG on average.