What is CBG?

Cannabigerol is one of the organic compounds found in the cannabis plant—aptly named cannabinoids. It is considered a minor cannabinoid, as a harvested plant will generally contain up to 1% of CBG (rarely up to 2%).

CBG vs. CBD

CBD and CBG both derive from cannabigerolic acid. But while they do have a lot of similarities, they are also very different cannabinoids.

Starting with some of the similarities, both CBD and CBG act on the endocannabinoid system, and share a wide array of potential benefits. For example, cannabinoids have exhibited antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties in a wide array of studies. On top of that, both CBG and CBD mediate the psychotropic effect of THC, i.e. they reduce the “high”. And they have both been observed to participate in the entourage effect, magnifying the therapeutic effect of each one when administered together.

Advantages of CBG

An advantage that CBG has over CBD is the way it interacts with the endocannabinoid system. While CBD’s ability to directly interact with the brain’s cannabinoid receptors is limited, CBG binds directly to the CB1 and CB2 receptors and provides more direct effects to the system.