CBD and CBG: what are the differences?
A cannabis plant produces over a hundred cannabinoids, the best-known of which are THC and CBD. Recently, new molecules have been gaining in popularity and attracting particular attention. These include CBG, or cannabigerol, which usually appears alongside CBD. What are their differences? Can they be taken together? All you need to know.
Focus on CBD and CBG
While researching a CBD product, you came across the unfamiliar term "CBG". This too is a molecule derived from the cannabis plant. Like CBD, it has no psychoactive effects and therefore doesn't give you a high. What's more, it's legal in France and not addictive. So what's the difference?
- CBG, the parent cannabinoid
CBG is special in that it is the "starting" cannabinoid from which other cannabinoids are derived, notably CBD, THC and CBN. As the first molecule produced by the plant, it is extracted from young cannabis shoots. As the plant matures, the CBG molecule gradually transforms into the CBD and THC molecules[1]. Most mature cannabis plants therefore contain less than 0.1% CBG.
- CBD, the most common cannabinoid
CBD (cannabidiol) is present in high concentrations in the cannabis plant. It has been the subject of much research over the years and has shown signs of efficacy, notably on anxiety, sleep disorders and the reduction of pain and inflammation.
> Read also: All you need to know about CBD
Why are CBD and CBG different?
CBD is considered a major cannabinoid major while CBG is classified as a minor cannabinoid minor. In plain English, this means that the cannabis plant contains higher levels of CBD than CBG.
But that's not all: CBD and CBG have different molecular structures, i.e. the atoms that make them up are arranged differently. And it's their molecular structure that influences how they behave in the body. While they both interact with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the cannabinoid system, they do so in slightly different ways: this is why they each have specific actions.
As a reminder, the cannabinoid system plays an essential role in regulating physiological functions such as stress, immune response, pain management and much more.
What are the advantages of CBG over CBD?
Unlike CBD, CBG has only recently attracted attention and has not yet been sufficiently studied. Given their similar molecular identity, it is thought that CBG and CBD are thought to have fairly similar effects, notably in managing stress and anxiety and reducing inflammation.
However, CBG has its own specific effects. Depending on the results available at present, potential benefits could include:
- appetite stimulation[2].
- relief of chronic inflammatory bowel disease: by attenuating the inflammatory response in the intestine[3].
- neuroprotective properties: preclinical studies show that CBG has superior neuroprotective effects to CBD. As a reminder, neuroprotectants are substances that protect neurons against degeneration linked to factors such as age, oxidative stress, trauma or genetic predisposition.
- antibiotic properties[4] notably against certain bacterial strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
- anti-cancer properties[5][6].
CBG could thus help with bacterial infections or loss of appetite. While current studies are promising, they do not fully understand the benefits of CBG and how this molecule affects the body. Further research, including concrete human trials, is required.
CBG and CBD: why combine them?
As CBG is present in very small quantities in the cannabis plant, it is rare and more expensive. That's why it's usually combined with other cannabinoids. This could change in the years to come, however, as research and innovation enable the creation of new cannabis varieties that can have higher concentrations of a particular cannabinoid (CBD, CBG, THC, etc.).
But above all, combining cannabinoids optimizes their effects: this is known as the "entourage effect". entourage effect ". CBG and CBD have complementary benefits and interact in different ways with the endocannabinoid system. Combining them produces a synergistic effect.
CBD and CBG are usually combined in CBD oils or flowers. These products also contain other compounds with beneficial effects for the body, such as flavonoids and terpenes.
Sources :
[1] "What is CBG (Cannabigerol)?", Leaf Science, April 26, 2017
https://www.leafscience.com/2017/04/26/what-is-cbg-cannabigerol/[2] Brierley, Daniel I et al. "Cannabigerol is a novel, well-tolerated appetite stimulant in pre-satiated rats." Psychopharmacology vol. 233,19-20 (2016): 3603-13. doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4397-4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5021742/
[3] Appendino, Giovanni et al. "Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study." Journal of natural products vol. 71,8 (2008): 1427-30. doi:10.1021/np8002673 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18681481/
[4] Karas, John A et al. "The Antimicrobial Activity of Cannabinoids." Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 9,7 406. 13 Jul. 2020, doi:10.3390/antibiotics9070406 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400265/
[5] Borrelli, Francesca et al. "Colon carcinogenesis is inhibited by the TRPM8 antagonist cannabigerol, a Cannabis-derived non-psychotropic cannabinoid." Carcinogenesis vol. 35,12 (2014): 2787-97. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgu205 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25269802/
[6] Lah, Tamara T et al. "Cannabigerol Is a Potential Therapeutic Agent in a Novel Combined Therapy for Glioblastoma." Cells vol. 10,2 340. 5 Feb. 2021, doi:10.3390/cells10020340 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7914500/