In this post, I\u2019m going to continue talking about my favorite cannabinoid, CBGA. We discussed previously about CBGA being the mother cannabinoid. Today, we\u2019ll look at what it is, what it does, and how it might be used for medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is CBG?<\/strong> Where is CBG found?<\/strong> When was CBG discovered?<\/strong> Some CBG facts<\/strong> What\u2019s the Difference Between CBD and CBG?<\/strong> Figure 1. Chemical structure of CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid), CBG (Cannabigerol), CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid), and CBD (Cannabidiol). <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why Is CBGA Called the Mother Cannabinoid?<\/strong> Does CBG Have Medical Benefits?<\/strong> However, CBG (cannabigerol) hasn\u2019t been studied as much as THC or CBD, which have been more popular for a longer. A few clinical trials are currently being done or have been finished recently to see if CBG might help with certain health problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does CBG Have Cosmetic Uses?<\/strong> How Do People Use CBG?<\/strong> CBG Oil<\/strong> That\u2019s why most CBG oils are only sold for external use<\/strong>, like in skin care products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you use full-spectrum cannabis oil, it probably has small amounts of other cannabinoids in it too\u2014including CBG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CBG Power<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CBG is a cannabinoid with exciting medical possibilities, but we still have a lot to learn about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an evolutionary biologist, what I love most about CBG is how it works at the biochemical level, and its gene structure. This “mother cannabinoid” helps make many different proteins and is key to producing other cannabinoids during the plant\u2019s natural process. You can read more about this in our previous post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope I\u2019ve shown you why CBG is my favorite: it\u2019s cool, important, and full of potential. Until next time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Smith, C.J., et al., The phytochemical diversity of commercial cannabis in the United States.<\/em> PLoS one, 2022. 17<\/strong>(5): p. e0267498.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Gaoni, Y. and R. Mechoulam, The isolation and structure of cannabinolic cannabidiolic and cannabigerolic acids.<\/em> J Am Chem Soc, 1964. 86<\/strong>: p. 1646-1647.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Navarro, G., et al., Cannabigerol action at cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and at CB1\u2013CB2 heteroreceptor complexes.<\/em> Frontiers in pharmacology, 2018. 9<\/strong>: p. 632.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Valdeolivas, S., et al., Neuroprotective properties of cannabigerol in Huntington\u2019s disease: studies in R6\/2 mice and 3-nitropropionate-lesioned mice.<\/em> Neurotherapeutics, 2015. 12<\/strong>(1): p. 185-199.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Borrelli, F., et al., Colon carcinogenesis is inhibited by the TRPM8 antagonist cannabigerol, a Cannabis-derived non-psychotropic cannabinoid.<\/em> Carcinogenesis, 2014: p. bgu205.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Anderson, L.L., et al., Cannabigerolic acid, a major biosynthetic precursor molecule in cannabis, exhibits divergent effects on seizures in mouse models of epilepsy.<\/em> British journal of pharmacology, 2021. 178<\/strong>(24): p. 4826-4841.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Dr. Daniela Vergara CBG: What Is It and What Does It Do?In this post, I\u2019m going to continue talking about my favorite cannabinoid, CBGA. We discussed previously about CBGA being the mother cannabinoid. Today, we\u2019ll look at what it is, what it does, and how it might be used for medicine. 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CBG stands for cannabigerol. It\u2019s a type of cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.<\/em>).
It\u2019s not psychoactive, which means it won\u2019t make you feel high. CBG is usually found in smaller amounts than THC or CBD [1], but it may have very helpful health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CBG is made in the sticky resin glands (called trichomes) on the surface of the cannabis plant\u2014mostly on the flowers of the female plant. All the other cannabinoids are made in these glands, which are basically a factory of cannabinoids (and other compounds)
CBG comes from a compound called CBGA, which is the starting point for all the other cannabinoids in the plant. That\u2019s why people call CBGA the \u201cmother cannabinoid\u201d, and you can read more about it in this previous post. From CBGA, which is the precursor molecule, the plant also makes THCA, CBDA, and CBCA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CBG was first described in 1964 by researchers Gaoni and Mechoulam [2]. But for many years, most research has been focused on THC and CBD. Now, more attention is being given to this lesser-known but really interesting cannabinoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa<\/em>) makes all of its cannabinoids in an \u201cacidic\u201d form. You can tell because their names end with the letter \u201cA,\u201d like CBGA, THCA, and CBDA.
CBG (cannabigerol) is the \u201cneutral\u201d form that comes from CBGA (cannabigerolic acid) after it\u2019s heated. This happens through a chemical reaction called decarboxylation, where the compound loses a small piece called a carboxyl group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CBD (cannabidiol) and CBG (cannabigerol) are two of many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. They are similar in some ways, but they also have big differences in how they\u2019re built and how they affect the body (figure 1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both CBD and CBG work with your body\u2019s endocannabinoid system.
One key difference is that CBD has a more complex ring structure than CBG, and this small change makes them act differently in the body [3].
CBD has been studied a lot more and is approved for some medical uses. CBG still needs more research before we fully understand what it can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabisworkforce.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-670x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
CBGA is known as the \u201cmother\u201d of all cannabinoids. That\u2019s one of the reasons I like it, because it reminds me of the wonderful job of being a mom.
When the cannabis plant makes cannabinoids, it starts with CBGA. Then, enzymes called THCA synthase, CBDA synthase, and CBCA synthase turn CBGA into THCA, CBDA, and CBCA.
That makes CBGA the starting point or \u201cprecursor\u201d of these three cannabinoids.. In lab settings, CBGA can lead to up to eight different cannabinoids. In our previous post we mentioned why are these synthases the party enzymes (promiscuous and sloppy), so check it out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we mentioned in that previous post, CBG and CBGA may have therapeutical benefits: by having neuroprotective effects on the brain [4], having anticancer properties and helping fight the illness [5], and useful treating epilepsy [6]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Yes! In Europe, CBG is approved as a cosmetic ingredient. It\u2019s on the official CosIng list (a list of allowed cosmetic ingredients), along with other cannabinoids like CBD and CBN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right now, there is no official dose of CBG for taking it by mouth because we still don\u2019t have enough research or clear rules. We also don\u2019t know how it might interact with other medications. Since there\u2019s not much information yet about how well CBG works or how safe it is, it might not be the best or first option for treatment at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CBG oil is in a \u201cgray area\u201d when it comes to the law. Because CBG doesn\u2019t cause a high like THC, it\u2019s not considered a drug. However, there aren\u2019t clear rules yet about using it internally (like swallowing it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n