CBG: The Mother of Cannabinoids
Sarah Hines
Today, we’re adding one more acronym into your vocabulary, and it’s a really important one: CBG. Let’s answer your first question first: will CBG get me high? No. CBG is non-psychoactive. Like CBD, it will not make you feel “high” like THC can.
CBG (Cannabigerol) is a cannabinoid made by the cannabis plant. It’s actually the “Mother” of all other cannabinoids, in the sense that the cannabis plant makes CBG before anything else, then turns some of those CBG molecules into the other cannabinoids you know and love: CBD, THC, etc.
All major cannabinoids have some shared traits, and CBG is no different: they’re all known as powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial agents. This covers a wide variety of mechanisms, which is why more and more people are moving to cannabis to see if it can help them with a wide variety of maladies.
More specifically, CBG has been included in a number of studies related to gut health (irritable bowel disease, colon cancer) as well as neuroprotectivity (ALS, Huntington’s disease). In these preliminary studies, CBG has been found to have a notable positive effect in regulating these systems. (See sources cited for more information about these studies!)
Without larger and more in-depth studies, it’s not possible quite yet to answer exactly and definitively “What will CBG do for me? Who should take CBG?” etc. That said, we can use the fundamentals of what we know about cannabinoids to make a case for this novel cannabinoid.
Cannabinoid fundamentals:
1. Cannabinoids regulate your body’s endocannabinoid system by influencing cannabinoid receptors in your body, namely, CB1 and CB2 receptors.
CB1 and CB2 receptors are found throughout the body. CB1 receptors are more congregated in the central nervous system (especially the brain) whereas CB2 receptors are more congregated in the peripheral nervous system (especially the immune system). THC has a greater affinity for CB1 receptors, whereas CBD and CBG both have greater affinity for CB2 receptors.
2. Your endocannabinoid system influences a multitude of different body systems
The human endocannabinoid system is still not fully understood, but studies have shown that it influences mood, appetite, pain, inflammation, memory, metabolism, sleep, and many other processes.
3. Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system can be improved by introducing cannabis.
This is a really vague concept, but it’s also why everyone’s reactions to cannabis can be so different. Let’s say one person’s endocannabinoid system is out of whack in a way that’s causing fatigue. Using cannabis might help them maintain their energy level. Someone else’s system might be out of whack and causing them anxiety - taking cannabis could help them feel more calm. These two people might benefit from different cannabinoid ratios, or have a different reaction to the same cannabinoid ratio.
4. The endocannabinoid system is not binary
To simplify it, you can think of a cannabinoid receptor like a computer chip. CBG shows up at a CB2 receptor and says “on,” and the channel attached to that receptor starts performing a function that it wasn’t performing before. That is how these receptors work, but it’s a highly oversimplified explanation, and doesn’t do the system justice.
Zoom out, and you’ll find that that “channel” has a multitude of receptors, some might be getting “on” commands, some “off”, and some of those commands are stronger than others. The different cannabinoids present (as well as other chemicals in your body) each have a different effect on those receptors. The channel’s behavior, therefore, is a cumulative response to a plethora of stimuli.
This is why the “entourage effect” is important in cannabis. Isolated cannabinoids are almost never as effective as they are when they’re accompanied by their other cannabinoid cousins. The endocannabinoid system was developed alongside the cannabis plant - both are based on, and thrive in, a complex mosaic of interacting chemicals.
So let’s bring it back to CBG, shall we?
Remember how CBG is the “Mother” of all cannabinoids? That means an early-harvest plant will have more CBG in its makeup. This young plant will have a lighter, less-psychoactive effect, as the more sedative “heavier” cannabinoids such as THC are in lower concentrations.
It truly is the opposite of our “sleepytime” CBN formula. CBN is a result of the degradation of THC as it ages, and therefore is only present at the end of the cannabis plants’ life.
There’s a reason we created this important formulation and put a sunrise on the packaging: It represents the early stages, when CBG is still present in the plant. It represents the birthplace of the cannabinoid mosaic, interacting with the other cannabinoids to influence your system in a completely different way. Intuitively, it makes sense to try this formula if you’re seeking energy, balance, and new beginnings. Scientifically, it makes sense to try this formula because it’s unique, and so are you. Everyone is different, so we wanted to be sure to provide a formula for every shade of the cannabis spectrum; this might be your sweet spot.
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