We here at Panacea Life Sciences talk often about cannabidiol (CBD), which is pretty understandable, considering that we are a CBD company. However, CBD is not the only component of cannabis that is worth our attention. That would be cannabigerol (CBG). But what exactly is CBG and how does it differ from CBD? Let’s talk about it.
What is CBD?
Let’s start with the one that you may be a bit more familiar with, CBD.
There is a group of chemical compounds that are found in cannabis plants like hemp and marijuana generally known as cannabinoids. There are over 113 that cannabinoids found in cannabis researchers have identified so far, with more that are likely to be found in the future. CBD is one of these cannabinoids.
CBD is definitely one of the more famous cannabinoids and for good reason. There are many potential benefits that CBD may offer that have been looked at by researchers. As a result, it has gained in popularity in recent years. This popularity has led to a plethora of different CBD products available for people to purchase. They range from oils to edibles, and topicals to capsules. No matter what kind of product you may prefer, you can likely find a CBD product that fits your needs.
But what are some of these benefits that CBD may provide? One common use for CBD is to help achieve a heightened sense of calm and manage a nervous disposition. Another use for CBD that you will often see is to help support joint health. There are even people who use it to fight acne. One particular area that has been looked at a lot is CBD’s effect on seizures. This area has been studied enough that there is even a CBD based medication called Epidiolex that is aimed at reducing seizures.
What is CBG?
Now it is time to answer the big question. What is CBG and what could it do?
Much like CBD, CBG is a cannabinoid. One of the differences is availability. CBD is found in high concentrations in hemp and sometimes high sometimes low concentrations in marijuana. CBG, on the other hand, is found in low concentrations in pretty much every strain of cannabis. There are some that are being crossbred to produce more CBG, but for now, it is low enough to make the extraction and isolation of the cannabinoid a bit difficult. However, it is not impossible.
When CBD, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for that matter, is first extracted from the hemp plant, it is not in its ideal form, ready to be made into a CBD product, it starts out as cannabidiolic (CBDA). Then it is refined down into CBD. CBG goes through a similar process. It starts out as cannabigerolic (CBGA). Then it is broken down until it is just CBG.
After reading the section on CBD, you are likely wondering if CBG has similar health benefits as CBD. Well, the answer to this is maybe. CBG has not been nearly as popular in the research work as CBD or THC. So, there are not as many studies looking at what CBG may do. But that does not mean that there are no studies about the cannabinoid. Let’s talk about what some of these studies looked at and what they said.
One study, that was published in 2008, was aimed at understanding CBG’s effect on glaucoma. This study was a review of several other studies that were testing glaucoma against cannabinoids. The researchers concluded that many cannabinoids, including CBG, could be helpful in reducing the damage done by glaucoma, with minimal side effects.
Another study, published in 2013, wanted to see if CBG could be helpful in managing inflammatory bowel disease. The researchers induced colitis in mice and then tested their inflammatory rates. Then some of the mice were give CBG, while others where treated as a control. When the inflammatory rates were tested again, the researchers found that the mice that were given CBG had significantly decreased inflammation.
One final study, that was published in 2008 as well, looked at the antibacterial properties of several cannabinoids. The researchers tested several cannabinoids, including CBG, against a particularly resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus. The researchers concluded that many of the cannabinoids, including CBG, were able to help stem the growth of the bacteria.
These studies are not the only ones out there. There are still plenty that we did not cover in this article. That being said, there are still not as many studies out there that are focused on CBG as there are ones focused on CBD or THC. However, the results of most of the current CBG studies are promising. It is likely that as time goes on, we will see more of these studies pop up and we will understand the cannabinoid better.
So, what is the difference between CBD and CBG. Well, the main difference is that their chemical make-up is a bit different and researchers expect that the differences between CBG and CBD will result in slightly different health benefits Another difference is that we understand CBD better than CBG. Beyond that, they are pretty similar. They are both found in cannabis plants and both have the potential to offer some health benefits.
At the moment, there are few CBG products out there on the market. However, there are many CBD products. If you are interested in trying some then you are on the right site. Here on the Panacea Life Sciences website we have a shop page with many different CBD products. Our high-quality products are all made using locally sourced, organically grown hemp that adheres to the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines regarding hemp and CBD products. We carry a wide range of products that could benefit just about everyone from yourself to your dog. So, why not give one a try?
If you have comments, questions, or concerns that you need addressed, you can get ahold of a member of our team by emailing us at [email protected] or by visiting our contact page.
