What is CBG?
Cannabigerol (CBG) makes up 1 of the over 120 cannabinoids present in cannabis with effects comparable to the more well known cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD). CBG is known as “the mother of all cannabinoids” because all other cannabinoids are derived from it.
As cannabis matures, more and more of the CBG present naturally converts into cannabinoids such as CBD or THC. Since CBG is more commonly found in the earlier stages of growing, it has a critical time to harvest within the plant's life cycle, as waiting too long would result in a harvest with very little CBG. Then if it's such a pain to make, why is it so important?
Potential Benefits
CBG is being researched mainly for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Researchers from the Canadian biopharmaceutical lab Signum Biosciences conducted the study, “In Vitro and Clinical Evaluation of Cannabigerol (CBG) Produced via Yeast Biosynthesis” where they tested topical applications of CBD and CBG on the skin. In their results, they found that “CBG outperforms CBD by selectively targeting collagen, elastin and other key skin health and hydration genes.” The most interesting part of this study in my opinion is the fact that these scientists did not harvest the CBG from a hemp plant, but instead modified the genetic information of yeast to synthesize pure CBG. This technique works on virtually any cannabinoid and could be another amazing way of obtaining higher quantities of these harder to extract cannabinoids in the near future.
CBG is also being tested in survey groups to treat other issues such as anxiety and depression. A study done by a group of researchers at Mary Ann Liebert Inc, a peer reviewed medical journal, used a sample group of 127 CBD-predominant cannabis users to help determine the therapeutic effectiveness of CBG. They found the majority of participants feeling their condition greatly improved with “73.9% claiming superiority of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional medicines for chronic pain” as well as “80% for depression, 73% for insomnia, and 78.3% for anxiety.” The main takeaway I got from this information is that we haven’t put enough time into learning how beneficial CBG could be for some individuals, especially when comparing it to the effectiveness of CBD.
These recent discoveries in cannabigerol and its therapeutic benefits have shown the potential change it can create in people's chronic pain, complexion, and mood. With seemingly more and more information coming out every year on this rare cannabinoid, we will hopefully develop an even further understanding of how this compound can benefit us. However, with expensive production costs and a challenging manufacturing process, it can be difficult to find a CBG product that is higher strength and cost efficient. Water soluble solutions could be the key to help people get the most out of their CBG by making it easier for your body to absorb.
Why Water Soluble?
CBG is also similar to CBD in the sense that they are not soluble in water. To overcome this we must specifically formulate them to be water soluble. This usually is done by encapsulating the cannabinoid in something called a colloid. Colloids are like very small bubbles, measuring around 1 nanometer, with a fatty interior and water-like exterior. When the colloid traps the cannabinoid inside of it, it allows the previously insoluble cannabinoid to be evenly dispersed into the solution. This makes it so a greater proportion of CBG, or any other cannabinoid, can be absorbed into your system.
On average, water soluble solutions allow 4 times better absorption, 2-3 times as fast which means water soluble solutions could be a good option for people used to a higher dose of their product. In the case of CBG, this allows a much more difficult to derive cannabinoid to be absorbed at a higher rate by our bodies, rather than just ending up as waste.
First Impressions of CBG
When trying CBG for the first time, I ended up going with the water soluble CBG tincture from Active CBD Oil. This tincture comes in a 1 ounce bottle with 150mg of CBG and is priced at $34.99 before tax.
As someone who has dealt with chronic pain and stomach problems for some years now, I was curious how CBG could help me with my issues compared to my regular dose of CBD. I decided to rate this product using the following criteria.
Packaging - 8/10
For me, the dropper was easy to use to achieve my desired milligram dose just like any other tincture dropper I’ve used in the past. The bottle itself is pretty durable for glass and comes in a cool dark blue shade which helps limit the tincture from being exposed to direct sunlight. My only real issue with the packaging is that there isn't an option for a bigger size option.
Taste - 6/10
If you've taken a broad or full spectrum tincture in the past, you should definitely be familiar with the taste of CBG. That plant-like, earthy taste comes from the additional cannabinoids and terpenes present which some people may not be a fan of. Personally I didn't mind the overall flavor even after holding it under my tongue for about 2 minutes, although I definitely needed something to wash it down afterwards.
If the taste of broad spectrum isn't for you, this tincture is completely water soluble as well. Something I enjoyed trying was mixing 1-2 full droppers into my tea before going to bed. Doing this completely masked that broad spectrum taste however it took longer to take full effect compared to taking the tincture under the tongue.
Experience - 10/10
After finding out all of these potential benefits of taking CBG, I was super excited to get my hands on the stuff to see how it could help me. I started off by taking a full dropper of 5 milligrams.
The first thing I noticed was how it affected my stomach problems and nausea after waking up. Previous to trying this tincture, waking up with an upset stomach was pretty normal to me and usually resulted in me going through the first half of the day without much of an appetite and feeling somewhat sick. After a few days of taking 5 milligrams twice a day and even increasing my dose to 10 milligrams at night, I began to notice how my nausea in the morning was much less intense and subsided much quicker. Taking it at night as a preventative measure and then again the following morning is where I began to feel the most amount of relief.
I’ve also been dealing with more muscle pain in my legs and feet lately so I was curious how it could help me deal with these pain flare ups as well. Specifically to see how quickly I could notice any sort of relief after consuming CBG. After getting home from work and sitting on the couch, I could feel a tight pain on the sides of both of my legs. I took 2 full droppers, put on a movie and waited to observe any potential effects. Within around 20 minutes I realized that the pain I was experiencing prior began to weaken to the point that I forgot I was sore in the first place. In the past, CBD tinctures that I used for similar pain took closer to 30 minutes in order to start feeling any sort of relief. However, since this tincture uses a water soluble formulation, the rate of absorption is much higher than something like an oil based tincture. In addition to being faster at absorbing, water soluble tinctures are also much more effective at absorbing so even at a smaller milligram amount compared to my typical CBD dose, I was able to observe very similar benefits.
Overall - 8/10
If you are already familiar with CBD, or familiar with the same sort issues mentioned above, CBG could be what you have been looking for. By the time I was finished with the bottle of tincture, I could already tell I was going to be coming back for more. I do feel that a 2 ounce size option of a higher strength would be nice for easier experimentation of dosage but ultimately if you are already considering using CBD as a natural remedy, CBG could be worth trying as well. Don’t just listen to me though, see what our customers have to say about our water soluble CBG tincture as well.
