Have you seen something called CBG recently and are wondering, what is CBG? Maybe you know a little about CBG, but you are not sure where to get it in the Baltimore area. Well, this article is going to walk you through what CBG is, what forms it comes in, and where to get it.
What Is CBG?
Cannabigerol or CBG as it is often called is a key cannabinoid found in hemp, it is considered the precursor to other cannabinoids like CBD. Research suggests it may have powerful benefits of its own and in combination with other compounds and may be a supportive factor in recovering from exercise-induced inflammation. In full-spectrum CBD oils, it is typically found in quantities of less than 3%.
How Does CBG Compare to CBD?
Cannabidiol or CBD is something we have all heard about. It is literally everywhere. Generally, CBD is useful in helping with a whole host of conditions, but specifically it can help with pain, inflammation, and anxiety. When you ask what is CBG it is often useful to understand how it compares to CBD.
CBG and CBD are both nonintoxicating cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. When we think of cannabinoids we are often accustomed to thinking about THC, which is the part of the marijuana plant that gives you the euphoric or “high” sensation.
Where Does It Come From?
CBG is the foundational compound from which other cannabinoids are created. It is the first cannabinoid to form in cannabis plants like hemp or marijuana. Both hemp and marijuana plants produce CBG.
Over time, as the hemp plant matures, typically enzymes in the plant break CBG down into other cannabinoids. A majority of the time, CBG becomes CBD in a hemp plant or THC in a marijuana plant.
Hemp farmers have started to experiment with plant cross-breeding to obtain higher yields of CBG. Scientists have also found they can extract higher levels of it from budding plants in the form of CBG oil about six weeks into the eight-week flowering cycle, when levels are highest because it has yet to be converted into other compounds.
Similarities Between CBG and CBD
While CBG and CBD are both nonintoxicating, they do have some other similarities as well. CBG and CBD are both an analgesic. This means that they can both help to relieve pain. They also both have anti-bacterial properties. This means that they can both either kill or slow bacteria growth.
They are both an anti-inflammatory, which means that they can both reduce inflammation and help with joint pain. In addition to both being an anti-inflammatory, they are also bone stimulants. This means that they can both help promote bone growth.
What Does The Research Say?
Since hemp-based products have only been fully federally legal since 2018 there has not been a lot of time yet to have many human studies done, however, the limited human studies and animal studies that have been done are promising.
In 2013 there was a study done on mice looking at the effects of CBG that found promising results for inflammatory bowel disease. The study showed that it seemed to reduce the effects of inflammatory bowel disease in mice.
A study of glaucoma also appeared to show some promising results. In 2008, a study was done looking at the ability of medical cannabis to effectively treat glaucoma. It found that CBG may be responsible for medical cannabis’ ability to help with glaucoma because it reduces intraocular pressure.
And a study in 2008 found that CBG may have strong anti-bacterial effects. The 2008 study suggests that CBG can kill bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which causes drug-resistant staph infections. These infections can be hard to treat and fairly dangerous.
How Does It Work?
It interacts with our body through the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is a receptor system responsible for supporting and maintaining healthy balance, or homeostasis. It’s composed of cannabinoid receptors–CB1 and CB2–on cell membranes that regulate processes of eating, sleeping, relaxation, and cognition.
CB1 and CB2 receptors are activated when cannabis is consumed. CB1 receptors are found mostly in the brain and other areas of the body, and CB2 receptors are found mainly in the peripheral nervous system, organs, immune and gastrointestinal system.
Ways To Take It
Advances in science and manufacturing techniques mean that higher levels of CBG in hemp have become more feasible. Hemp strains and extracts with higher CBG content have become increasingly available as oils and in ingestible and topical forms. The benefit of using an oil is that you can gradually increase (or decrease) the amount of CBG you take each day based on how your body is responding to it.
In addition to consuming CBG in an oil form, you can also now take it in a smokable form. Hemp flower strains high in CBG have become increasingly more common. It is now possible to buy loose hemp flower strains that are high in CBG. The benefits from a smokable form are that the effects are nearly instantaneous. The downside is that it does not last as long as an oil which can last in your system for 4-8 hours compared to smokable products which lasts only about 2-3 hours in your system.
Where To Get CBG In Baltimore?
Since it is relatively new not many places are carrying it at the moment. However, reputable CBD shops in the Baltimore area will often have CBG products such as oils or CBG hemp flower. As when you are buying CBD or any product, it is always good to know what and where you are buying. Any reputable CBG store should have lab results on the products they are selling to demonstrate that it is a CBG product.
The store should have a basic understanding as well about the differences of CBG versus CBD. If they are unable to answer basic questions about CBG than you should probably look elsewhere.
Finally, you should check out the reputation of the store. If a store has many positive reviews on a reputable review site like Google than you are likely to also have a positive experience. If there are not many reviews or you see a lot of negative reviews, you may want to go somewhere else.
Takeaways
Research on CBG has historically been more difficult to do because it naturally transforms into other cannabinoids while still in the young hemp plant. This has meant that only limited amounts were available to study. But that situation has begun to change in recent years. More research is needed, especially clinical trials with people, but the early results seem to indicate beneficial results from CBG.