Will CBG be the next CBD?

Until now, cannabidiol (CBD) has monopolized media coverage of legal cannabinoids, giving the authorities a hard time: is it authorized? Is it banned? Can it be incorporated into food? In cosmetics? Each product category judges it differently, a complexity amplified by the regulatory differences between each country of the European Union, not to mention the United States or Canada.

But the cannabigerol (CBG) is also one of the non-psychotropic cannabinoids derived from hemp/cannabis. It is found in very small quantities in the majority of THC varieties, and more so in industrial hemp varieties, which have so far been poorly bred to maximize the presence of CBG, but its properties are beginning to attract the attention of health professionals and consumers alike.

CBG is the precursor of all cannabinoids. Initially present in its acid form of CBGA, it is transformed into CBG by the action of time and heat, then decomposes into THC and CBD, CBC...

Like CBD, CBG is not psychotropic. Little research has yet been carried out into the effects of CBG on humans, but several animal studies have revealed an interesting potential for medical use.

Animal studies have shown that CBG stimulates receptors involved in pain and heat sensation, and can also stimulate a2-adrenergic receptors in the brain and blood vessels, which play a role in regulating blood pressure. CBG is also said to have certain anti-inflammatory properties.

However, these effects have also been observed with CBD, which is produced by the plant in greater quantities, although no details on the differences in effect with CBG have yet been provided.

Two animal studies have also focused on specific diseases. They showed that CBG could be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) and Huntington's disease (an incurable brain disorder). In vitro studies have also shown CBG to have antibacterial properties and prevented colon cancer.

In addition, it may increase dopamine levels and help regulate sleep and appetite. CBG has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of glaucoma, from cancer and Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

More research is of course needed to draw conclusive conclusions for humans. However, the profile of this cannabinoid strongly resembles that of CBD, with complementary properties, and it could follow CBD into the mainstream. Some CBD oils also incorporate CBG at 1:1 ratios.