What is CBG and what is the difference between CBG and CBD?

CBG, or cannabigerol, is one of the naturally occurring compounds in the cannabis plant and has been talked about more and more frequently in recent years. In this article, we’ll look at what CBG is, how it is produced, what the difference is between CBG and CBD, and what CBG oil is.

What is CBG?
How is CBG extracted?
What is CBG good for?
What is the difference between CBG and CBD?
What is CBG oil?
Conclusion: What is CBG?
FAQ

What is CBG?

CBG, or cannabigerol, is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. It is also known as the ‘mother of all cannabinoids’, as the two most common cannabinoids, CBD and THC, are derived from CBG.

How is CBG extracted?

CBG is formed from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which is the precursor for the formation of other cannabinoids, such as CBD or THC.

CBG is usually found in lower quantities in mature cannabis plants, as it is gradually converted into other cannabinoids during growth.

Modern extraction methods are used to obtain CBG, most commonly CO₂ extraction or ethanol extraction.

What is CBG and how is it obtained? A woman holding a bottle of CBG oil, with a cannabis leaf beside her

Due to the low concentration of CBG in cannabis, it is more technologically challenging to extract than more common cannabinoids. One option is to process the plants at an earlier stage of growth, before significant conversion of CBGA into other cannabinoids has taken place.

Another way to obtain CBG is to breed strains so that they naturally contain a higher proportion of CBG.

What is CBG good for?

Are you interested in the effects of CBG and what it is good for? Cannabigerol is being studied in relation to chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches and sexual experiences.

Most of the available evidence so far comes from laboratory and preclinical studies; research on humans is still limited.

What is the difference between CBG and CBD?

Both CBG and CBD are naturally occurring cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Both substances have a similar chemical structure, and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is the precursor compound for their formation.

However, they differ in their abundance within the plant and their interaction with the endocannabinoid system.

What is the difference between CBG and CBD? CBD oil vs. CBG oil, Hemnia logo bottom right

CBG vs. CBD: Amounts in cannabis

CBD is usually found in higher quantities in cannabis, whilst CBG tends to be present in smaller amounts in the plant. The reason for this is that cannabigerol is gradually converted into other cannabinoids as the cannabis plant grows.

Extracting CBG is also generally more technically challenging than CBD.

CBG vs. CBD: Different ways of interaction

Both CBG and CBD are cannabinoids studied in relation to the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which plays a role in a number of biological processes in the human body.

Scientific studies describe how CBG and CBD interact with the ECS in different ways. Research links CBG to interaction with CB1 and CB2 receptors, whereas CBD does not.

CB1 receptors are found primarily in the brain and nervous system and are associated, for example, with mood, memory and pain perception, whilst CB2 receptors are mainly linked to the immune system and inflammatory processes.

You can find out more about the receptors and how the ECS works in the article What is the endocannabinoid system.

CBG vs. CBD: Availability

CBD products are currently more widespread on the market than products containing CBG. One reason for this is that CBD occurs in greater quantities in cannabis than CBG.

Extracting CBG can be more technologically and economically demanding, which may affect the availability of raw materials and the resulting products.

What is CBG oil?

CBG oil is a hemp extract containing cannabigerol (CBG) combined with a carrier oil – such as MCT or hemp oil.

It is produced from industrial hemp and may also contain other naturally occurring cannabinoids or terpenes, depending on the type of extract:

full spectrum
broad spectrum
isolate

What is CBG oil? Bottles of CBG oil, a dropper and the Hemnia logo bottom right

Conclusion: What is CBG?

CBG is one of the minor cannabinoids found in small quantities in cannabis. Unfortunately, CBG products are less readily available than those containing CBD.

Despite promising advances in extraction methods, we still have a long way to go if we want CBG products to be as widely available as other, more popular cannabinoids.

FAQ

1. Is CBG legal?

The legal status of CBG may vary depending on the specific country and type of product. CBG itself was not classified as a psychotropic substance under the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

Within the European Union and individual member states, the regulation of cannabis products is governed, among other things, by the THC content and the specific method of use of the product.

2. Is CBG psychoactive?

CBG (cannabigerol) is generally considered a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. It is not associated with the psychoactive effects typical of THC, for example.

3. How should CBG oil be used?

The method of using CBG oil may vary depending on the specific product, its composition or the concentration of cannabinoids.

Information about the product, its composition and the recommended method of use is usually provided by the manufacturer directly on the packaging or in the product description.

4. Where can I buy CBG oil?

CBG oil can be purchased from online shops specialising in hemp products or from high-street shops selling these products.

5. How can you recognise high-quality CBG oil?

When choosing CBG oil, it is important to focus primarily on the transparency of the ingredients and the availability of laboratory analyses.

6. Does CBG show up on a drug test?

Standard drug tests usually focus primarily on THC and its metabolites, rather than on CBG itself. However, the test result may be influenced by the composition of the specific cannabis product, the testing method used, and the possible presence of other cannabinoids.

Author: Matthias Roth, updated by Lucie Schmidtová

Photo: AI

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