It’s time to add another cannabinoid to your marijuana lexicon. Cannabigerol, or CBG, is a minor non-psychoactive cannabinoid that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant. While lesser known than its popular counterparts such as THC and CBD, CBG actually plays an integral role in forming these beloved cannabinoids; and has subsequently earned the nickname of being the “mother of all cannabinoids.”
This is because CBG acts as a predecessor to cannabinoids like THC and CBD. CBG begins its journey as cannabigerolic acid, where it eventually becomes CBG as the cannabis plant matures; but the cannabigerolic acid also evolves into THC and CBD in the process. Thus, at the end of a plant's growing cycle, trace amounts of CBG remain, but a robust amount of cannabinoids are left in its place.
The medicinal benefits of CBG are still not entirely known, but the science is promising. Historically, CBG has primarily been associated with having anti-inflammatory properties, helping with neuropathy and gastrointestinal issues, and stimulating an appetite. However, most of these findings stem from studies conducted on mice.
Interestingly enough, a 2024 peer-reviewed study published in the journal of Scientific Reports, aimed to explore the effects of CBG, particularly regarding anxiety, stress, and overall mood, on human beings. The study also placed a secondary emphasis on motor and cognitive impairment, and conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled trial on 34 healthy adults to assess how, if at all, CBG impacted participants.
Researchers found that CBG posed no real risk of impairment and side effects, and could, in fact, be beneficial to managing stress and anxiety. Additionally, there could be possible benefits to verbal memory retention as well, stating that “CBG also enhanced verbal memory relative to placebo. There was no evidence of subjective drug effects or impairment. CBG may represent a novel option to reduce stress and anxiety in healthy adults.”
Because CBG only occurs in small amounts, not all cannabis strains have high amounts of this cannabinoid present. But luckily, cannabis cultivators are creative; and can cross-breed different strains in order to achieve a strain that is rich in CBG. Strains such as White CBG, Jack Frost, Sage & Sour and Goliath tend to have a decent CBG profile. And because of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp plants with less than 0.3% of THC are federally legal, opening the doors to a wide-scale production of CBG, and can be consumed in oils, tinctures, topicals and edibles.
Of course, everybody is different, and what may work for some, may not work for the others. That’s kind of the beauty of cannabis, the fact that it’s such a personal experience that can be individually explored.
