Understanding CBG: The Mother Cannabinoid

By Mary Pryor

Cannabinoids are a special breed of molecules that you’re probably well aware of thanks to CBD’s meteoric rise to mainstream fame. Within the CBD space, there are many types of blends and formulas storming the beauty, skincare, and ingestible market. New to market formulations utilize cannabinoid combinations in unique ways in order to power up positive effects and results. It’s not just a fad. There are thousands of medical research journals that point to trials and use cases when it comes to treating cancer, skin, internal, and brain function support with the cannabis plant.

A brief breakdown on minor cannabinoids

There are over 100+ cannabinoids that we are currently aware of by the way. Out of those 100+, there are six that researchers, doctors, and scientists are focusing on. “The Big Six”, as they are commonly referred to, are the most notable cannabinoids – they are ones that can be found in full spectrum extracts. THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBC, and THCv. Various types of cultivars (or strains) are being cultivated to enhance the presence of these cannabinoids; new techniques are being established at a rapid pace in order to optimize the extraction, preservation and isolation of these cannabinoids and the capitalization of their benefits.

CBN – Cannabinol – shown to aide in insomnia relief and appetite stimulant

CBG – Cannabigerol – studies support its ability to address inflammation, reduce cancer cell growth and possess antibacterial properties. CBG can also help keep skin moisturized via their effect on lipids in the skin!

CBC – known to relieve pain, act as an anti-epileptic, reduce inflammation and have significant antibacterial properties.

THCv – a psychoactive molecule that can act as an appetite suppressant and reduction in panic attacks.

These are powerful cannabinoids that have a variety of uses. We will do a more in-depth look at each of The Big Six in new articles within the upcoming month. Let’s start with CBG.

Understanding CBG

Cannabigerol, commonly known as CBG, is a non-intoxicating compound that comes from low-THC and high-CBD hemp strains. CBG is actually known as ‘the Mother Cannabinoid’ because it is the precursor to all other cannabinoids and is the key to cannabinoid synthesis. We grew 4,000+ CBG plants on Tricolla Farms this year and one of the strains was very aptly named ‘Stem Cell’ for that very reason! Cannabinoid synthesis – the way in which cannabinoids are produced through the plant’s growth cycle – starts with the production of cannabigerolic acid or CBGA – the acid form of CBG. After a series of reactions spurred by certain enzymes – CBGA is transformed into the acid form of the three main cannabinoids: THCA, CBDA and CBCA.**

**All of those ‘A’s at the end of those common cannabinoids mean that they are in their acid forms. THCA, CBDA, CBCA are the precursors to THC, CBD and CBC. You drop the ‘A’ off of those precursors by exposing them to heat or UV light, a process called decarboxylation. Once decarboxylated, the cannabinoids are active and ready to get to work.

CBG and The Body: Inside and Out

CBG interacts with endocannabinoid receptors located in the brain, but not in the way you may think. The CBG reaction actually decreases the psychoactive  “paranoid feeling” element of THC when consumed at higher levels. Major studies point to helpful results when it comes to cellular regeneration, anti-proliferation, insomnia support, slowing bacterial growth,  and anti-inflammatory support when it comes to pain, stomach aches, and nausea.  Most medical research and use cases address relief from symptoms stemming from Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Cancer, and Glaucoma.

The Benefits of CBG

CBG has a multitude of uses, both externally and internally. Keep in mind that checking out test results, labels, and certificates of analysis are very important when it comes to knowing how much CBG is in an actual product. Also, these key uses below are actively under medical study and reported on quite frequently.

Cancer – This study from 2014 indicates that CBG acts as an aide to decrease cancer cell growth in colon cancer patients. Additional medical cases includes inhibiting the growth of prostate and oral cancer cells. This is quite a game-changer and more studies are underway given some of these impressive results within the bodies of mice.

Brain Health – Tissue and cell degeneration may have a new fighter to contend with when it comes to CBG. In a study with mice, CBG has shown abilities to start new growth of brain cells along with reducing inflammation.

Pain Relief – Dealing with chronic pain? CBG has reported use in relieving pain due to its ability to modulate immune function and TRPV channels. This means less inflammation and less sensitivity to the sensation of pain. CBG is also a powerful antibacterial!

Skin Care – CBG has been showing up in a lot of skincare and beauty formulas due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Something important to note is the way in which CBG specifically affects an action called sebaceous lipogenesis. Sebaceous lipogenesis is the synthesis of fats in the sebaceous glands of your skin. CBG can be a really great tool for keeping skin moisturized because it spurs lipogenesis, but if you suffer from oily skin or acne caused by clogged pores, then CBG could actually be worsen that issue. If you have dry skin, then grab that CBG!

CBG: From flower to oil

We use full-spectrum hemp-derived blends in our TONIC product line because we want to be able to maximize the amount of therapeutic compounds that are present in every drop. Remember Tricolla Farms’ 4,000+ CBG plants that we mentioned earlier? We just finished harvest at the farm and it is time to take that CBG flower over to Bardo Labs. Once it’s there, we will be turning it into CBG extracts to be used in a multitude of products.