We’re all pretty familiar with CBD now, or at least have heard all about it but when we focus on CBD (or THC) we’re losing sight of a whole range of other compounds which make up the whole plant. These compounds are known as ‘Cannabinoids’. Every strain of cannabis has its own specific mix of these cannabinoids and ultimately they all combine together to create a distinct effect, or provide a particular benefit. A good example of this is how you see most cannabis being somewhere between 18-30% THC with maybe 1% CBD, which would give you a veerrrryyy different experience than if it was the other way round.
Unbelievably there are over 120 different cannabinoids to be found in the cannabis plants with each one of them having their own unique properties. Now, I’m sat here in two minds. On one hand that’s amazing! So much goodness can be found from these compounds and we’re only just scratching the surface. On the other hand, 120 different things to choose from is total overload and more personal to me the sections on the canzen store might be a bit hard to manage…
We are in the very early days of understanding these cannabinoids and for the most part that’s due to regulation being well behind the needs and demands of everyday people. Fortunately, that means we can take it slow. Next time we’ll look at CBC but today it’s time to answer what CBG is, and why you might want to give it a try?
What is CBG? Is it really any different from CBD?
What is CBG?
CBG stands for cannabigerol and it’s a good one to start with because it’s one of the cannabinoids that forms when the plant is youngest and that all sorts of others (CBD, CBC, THC) develop from.
Because it’s a compound that turns into others as the plant matures it means that when it gets to the point where the cannabis is ready the CBG (cannabigerol) has reduced to the point where getting any significant amount of it is difficult. As more labs get the opportunity to really test and understand these products they find ways to get the larger amounts they need, for example harvesting much younger plants or even cross-breeding different strains to help push those CBG levels up.
What does CBG do?
As with all of these compounds there seems to be a range of very exciting potential benefits anecdotally and a growing number of studies are being done to fully understand the ways in which they interact with the body. It’s early days so a lot of labs are only just managing to get CBG in large enough amounts to properly work with so although there is a whole lot of promise at the moment until those studies are concluded the benefits are strictly claims. CBD started in much the same way and look how much things have developed over just the past year or two
Potential benefits:
- Anti-Inflammatory: CBG seems to reduce inflammation and according to a 2013 study it seemed to reduce inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease
- Glaucoma – CBG seems to reduce pressure within parts of the eyes which means potentially glaucoma which is often treated by sufferers with THC. CBG could be a non-psychoactive option which is really exciting.
- Anti-bacterial – Some studies suggest CBG may kill some bacteria. One study showed results of a particular strength against MRSA.
- Relaxation – CBG may contribute to the reuptake of a neurotransmitter called GABA that exists within the body. Higher GABA uptake correlates with relaxation, tension relief, and feeling calm.
- Helps fight neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s – CBG may have neuroprotective properties and studies have shown potential uses to help treat diseases like Huntington’s. This is a big claim but if it’s true how great would that be!
- Potentially fight cancer – CBG has been proven in some studies to inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells. Again, if it really is able to relieve some of the suffering cancer causes then this would be absolutely amazing.
- Improve skin – The ability for CBG to help treat eczema and psoriasis was looked at in one study
- Appetite loss – In a 2016 study one study suggested that CBG could be used to help stimulate appetite.
According to the Ai I used to craft the odd cool piece of art CBG will have you smiling like this. Maybe something else is in the bottle…
Does CBG get you high?
First of all only living in the moment and connecting with the universe really gets you high so jot that down… Jokes aside the actual answer is no. CBG is non-psychoactive, the only psychoactive cannabinoid is THC.
It’s generally suggested that cannabinoids perform best when used together which is why full spectrum products are so popular, although sometimes people just want the particular effect of one and that’s fine too.
When mixed with THC users report a much more balanced or zen high with reduced paranoia, this would make sense as a lot of modern cannabis seems to have had everything but THC stripped out and by introducing these back into the mix is balanced a bit.
It’s so exciting that everyone can essentially tailor the effect they want now. Want a bit of CBG and CBC? Just get a vape for each, want it all? Get something full spectrum. We can’t wait to see what comes next.