The world of Cannabinoids: What is CBG?
Kayla Zadow
Sometimes referred to as "the mother of all cannabinoids," cannabigerol (CBG) is most abundant in young cannabis plants, in its acid form (CBGA). As the plant matures, that CBGA breaks down and converts into other acid form cannabinoids, like the more widely understood THCA & CBDA molecules (William, A., 2022).
What CBG does when consumed, and its mechanisms for acting on our bodies, is still in the early days of research. Simply put, the research landscape on CBG is lacking, especially when compared to the relative abundance of research into its cannabinoid cousins, THC and CBD. Still, hypotheses are in the many and the research that is getting done is getting fascinating early results. Because this cannabinoid is increasingly showing up in the recreational market, we wanted to do our due diligence in seeing what the research is currently saying, and what it has not been able to say, yet.
While looking into published peer-reviewed articles on CBG, I have come to the conclusion that the main conflicting evidence between cannabis researchers to date is whether or not CBG has the ability to bind to both CB1 and CB2 receptors. The ability to bind to both types of cannabinoid receptors would make this minor cannabinoid psychotomimetic, meaning that it is capable of producing mind altering effects like other hallucinogenic substances (Calapai, F., et al.). If this is in fact the case, this would mean that it is binding to the human endocannabinoid system in a similar way to THC, the main psychoactive compound within the Cannabis Sativa plant, which does also have psychotomimetic properties.
The most recent studies suggest that CBG does in fact bind to both cannabinoid receptors within the human body (CB1 and CB2), but is considered to be a partial agonist. Meaning, although it does interact with the receptors, similarly to THC, it is unable to induce maximal activation, regardless of how much is consumed (Calapai, F., et al.). In addition, CBG is a partial agonist as a regulator of endocannabinoid signalling (Calapai, F., et al.). This allows CBG to still interact directly with our body's internal systems and is the main reason scientists are now exploring its potential at addressing issues within multiple human physiological systems.
Although this continues to be a hypothesis within the scientific community, anecdotal feedback from customers and many of our team would lead us to believe the above data. Anecdotally speaking, at least some psychoactive response is being observed, commonly experienced as a kind of “headband” effect. Here’s Tiff, our store manager on how she likes to combine various cannabinoids, creating her own unique desired experience:
“For myself, combining CBG with THC and/or CBD seems to be a great fit. Combining cannabinoids together in a more full spectrum way, seems to elevate while also balancing out my high, so I actually end up consuming less, because the effects are felt longer.”
On top of being able to partially interact with CB1 and CB2 receptors, scientists have discovered other potential pharmacological targets for CBG through multiple preclinical studies. Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are one such interaction. There are a variety of different types of TRP channels, however scientists have specifically been looking at the interaction between TRPV1 and TRPV2 channels, which are deeply involved in transducing inflammatory and chronic pain (De Petrocellis, L., et al.). It is possible that CBG may be able to regulate these ion channels, controlling whether the body receives various feedback loop information, or if those messages are able to be suppressed completely.
CBG has also been found to target cyclooxygenase (COX-1 & COX-2) enzymes (Calapai, F., et al.). These enzymes also play an important role in the inflammation and pain pathways throughout the human body, and are commonly targeted by anti-inflammatory drugs. Researchers are now experimenting to see if CBG could replicate the effectiveness of these kinds of pharmacological medications. Studies have shown that both CBG and CBGA are capable of inhibiting both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes within a higher concentration range, compared to conventional anti-inflammatory compounds (Calapai, F., et al.).
5-HT1A receptors are also among the many targets of CBG and are primarily involved with neuromodulation within the human body, responsible for decreasing blood pressure and heart rate through central mechanisms, as well as inducing peripheral vasodilation and stimulating the vagus nerve. In one research study on rats and mice, scientists were able to compare the effects of THC, CBG and CBD on 5-HT1A receptors (Calapai, F., et al.). Results showed that, while THC caused an increased acute anxiogenic (anxious) behavior in the mice and rats, CBD and CBG did not change the anxiety-like response at all. Further studies are needed to confirm if CBG could play a role in aiding in the reduced experience of anxiety-like responses within humans, similarly to what was shown in these animal models. CBG has also been shown to target alpha-2 receptors, which, when stimulated, decrease the sympathetic nervous system activity, resulting in a decreased blood pressure and heart rate (Calapai, F., et al.).
Fun fact: CBG is not only present in cannabis plants! Beyond its discovery in Cannabis Sativa, it has also been found in the phytochemical profile of an extract from Helichrysum umbraculigerum, a perennial herb, considered to be the most abundant natural source of CBG (Calapai, F., et al.). Because CBG is a minor cannabinoid and only found in small concentrations in young, immature cannabis plants, researchers and cannabis growers are continuously attempting to cross various breeds of cannabis plants to produce as much naturally occurring CBG as possible. However the process is expensive, with little rewarding output, making it a less attractive avenue for producers to branch into. CBG has also been found to exert antioxidant activity comparable to vitamin E (Calapai, F., et al.).
Future research studies are developing as CBG’s potential therapeutic pathways are further explored. Interestingly, potential benefits for central nervous system pathologies are among these. Although the majority of research is derived from animal studies, investigations into the potential neuroprotective effects of CBG have been explored in combination with oxidative stress. In two in vivo models, CBG’s protective effects have begun to be explored in relation to Huntinton’s Disease models and Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease commonly characterised by neuroinflammation (Calapai, F., et al.).
While the majority of research is focused on the internal health of the human body, others are looking outwards, specifically for acne treatment purposes. The author of one peer reviewed article, containing data obtained from multiple experiments involving CBG, was led to believe that CBG behaves as a transcriptional suppressor, able to control proliferation and cell differentiation, making it a substance potentially useful for new therapeutic approaches for skin disorders (Calapai, F., et al.). If the author of this experiment is correct, this would mean the CBG has the capability to control cell growth and division, alongside cell differentiation; the process where young, immature cells with no specific function or job start to take on individual characteristics and develop into their mature form and function. Because of these hypotheses, CBG has been studied as a possible anti-acne drug. The anti-acne effects of CBG on the viability and proliferation of sebocytes were observed. Sebocytes play a major role in lipid production, which functions to moisturize the skin (Calapai, F., et al.).
While this early research is fascinating, we want to be very clear that more research, especially on human subjects, is in order before any kind of health or wellness claims can be made about CBG. Its pharmacological role will surely be further unearthed as interest grows in its potential effects, but as we know, the research is evolving and many of the hypotheses listed above concerning how CBG interacts with the human body is susceptible to being proven wrong, partially wrong, or perhaps proven correct through future research.
When it comes to the recreational use of CBG, the waters are even less clear. The Health Canada limit prescribed to THC products, like the 10mg cap on edibles, has created incentive for Licensed Producers to explore the addition of cannabinoids like CBG and CBN to their products, in hopes of elevating the potency or effectiveness of their products. We are in a moment of the wagon getting ahead of the horse, where we as consumers have to be, to some degree, our own guinea pigs. Like all cannabinoids, we see an extremely wide range of effects from folks trying out CBG recreationally. When experimenting with CBG, we recommend journaling your experiences to track effects and lessening your typical dose of THC until you see how your body responds to the addition of CBG. We should be wary of any product suggesting that CBG is non-psychoactive or non-intoxicating, as that has not been definitively borne out in the research to date. Even as a partial CB1 agonist, we can expect some psychoactive effect, which has been anecdotally noted by most of our team.
References:
Calapai, F., Cardia, L., Esposito, E., Ammendolia, I., Mondello, C., Lo Giudice, R., Gangemi, S., Calapai, G., & Mannucci, C. (2022, November 8). Pharmacological aspects and biological effects of Cannabigerol and its synthetic derivatives. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9666035/
De Petrocellis, L., Ligresti, A., Moriello, A. S., Allarà, M., Bisogno, T., Petrosino, S., Stott, C. G., & Di Marzo, V. (2011, August). Effects of cannabinoids and cannabinoid-enriched cannabis extracts on TRP channels and endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes. British journal of pharmacology. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165957/
Williams, A. (2022, September 14). What is CBG (Cannabigerol) & What does this cannabinoid do? Leafly. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.leafly.ca/news/cannabis-101/what-is-cbg-cannabinoid