CBG oil is a hemp or cannabis oil made with a high concentration of cannabigerol (CBG), a cannabinoid found in both plants.
Because it was originally found in small quantities in these plants, CBG was expensive and hard to come by in oils and other product formulations. Consumer interest and demand for CBG has encouraged breeders, cultivators, and manufacturers to focus their efforts on more CBG-rich plants and products, and today CBG oils are more widely available.
What is CBG?
Cannabigerol is often referred to as “the mother of all cannabinoids” since it serves as a molecular precursor to other cannabinoids you are familiar with, like THC and CBD.
Hemp and cannabis plants produce CBGA, the acidic form of CBG called cannabigerolic acid, throughout the vegetative phase of their growth cycle. When the plant moves into its flowering phase, CBGA is used to synthesize other cannabinoids in their acid states, CBDA and THCA, for example. Acidic cannabinoids can then be decarboxylated into their active forms after harvesting — CBG, THC, CBD, etc.
Because CBGA is the mother cannabinoid from which others are made, historically there were small amounts of CBGA left in the plants when they were harvested and processed for extraction.
Now, there are more and more cannabis and hemp cultivars (or strains) being bred to have higher levels of CBG upon harvest, meaning CBG products are becoming more widely available and used by consumers.
What is CBG oil good for?
Since medical interest in CBG is growing, we can expect more clinical trials in humans soon. Initial animal research suggests a number of potential benefits of CBG.
Anti-inflammatory
Like its cannabinoid counterparts CBD and THC, CBG shows potential as an anti-inflammatory agent. In 2013, one study showed that CBG was effective for inflammatory bowel disease in mice. Another, from 2007, showed that CBG might be effective for treating the inflammation caused by psoriasis. Because of its impact on cortisol, a hormone that regulates a wide range of processes in the body, another paper from 2017 suggests that CBG might be effective in treating general inflammatory diseases.
Antibacterial
CBG appears to have great promise against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph infection that is highly resistant to treatment. A 2008 study also showed that other cannabinoids, like THC, CBD, CBN, and CBC, could also be effective ways to fight this hard-to-treat infection.
Neuroprotectant
Similar to both CBD and THC, CBG also seems to have great potential as a protective agent in the brain. One 2015 study in mice showed that CBG might be useful for treating Huntington's and other neurodegenerative diseases, while another study from 2018 demonstrates CBG's potential in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain. A more recent study from 2020 demonstrated its general potential as a neuroprotectant.
Anti-cancer agent
Another application for CBG could be in fighting cancer, with two studies showing that it may slow tumor growth in certain types of colon and breast cancer, and indeed it might be useful in fighting several different forms of human cancer.
Appetite stimulant
Two studies suggest that CBG could be a novel way of stimulating appetite for patients undergoing chemotherapy along with treating “other disorders of eating and body weight regulation.”
Glaucoma treatment
THC has long been used by glaucoma patients for its ability to relieve ocular pressure. In a study from 1990, cannabigerol was also shown to be effective in reducing pressure in the eye and could provide a non-intoxicating alternative for treating glaucoma.
What is the difference between CBD and CBG oil?
If we are talking about full- or broad-spectrum oils, there is probably some CBD in your CBG oil and some CBG in your CBD oil.
That's because these oils are made with plant extracts that contain the full or near-full (a.k.a. “broad”) spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and all the other active chemical compounds found naturally in hemp and cannabis. Some quantity of both CBD and CBG will be found in most cannabis and hemp strains.
It is widely believed that the chemical compounds in cannabis work together synergistically. Research supports the entourage effect, or the idea that the multitude of active chemical compounds work together to provide a higher therapeutic value than any one compound could on their own.
But generally speaking, the main difference between CBD and CBG oils will be in the concentration of both cannabinoids. So naturally, CBD oil will contain predominantly CBD, and CBG oil will contain predominantly CBG.
Bottom line
Since CBG and CBD are different molecules, they act in different ways and produce different effects in the body. As we've outlined here, initial research on CBG has suggested it could help tame inflammation, relieve symptoms of glaucoma, stimulate appetite, fight hard-to-treat bacterial infections, and exert anti-cancer effects. That said, the research on CBG is still very limited and there is much more to uncover about this exciting cannabinoid.