CBG
We’ve talked about Delta 8, we’ve talked about HHC, we’ve all seen CBD take over the health food stores and news. The question now is, are you familiar with CBG? What is CBG, where does it come from, and how does it work?
Where does it come from? What is CBGA?
Cannabigerol, or CBG, is essentially “the mother of all cannabinoids”. It was first isolated in 1964 (along with THC), by Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam and his team. Of course, it would be decades before anything super constructive would be done with this discovery, and in order to understand CBG, we have to talk about CBGA. In 1996, Japanese researchers discovered that cannabigerolic acid is where CBG originates, and scientists were able to better analyze this interesting cannabinoid.
CBGA exists in the trichomes (fuzzy growths on the plant, named from the Ancient Greek word for ‘hair’) of young cannabis and hemp plants.. CBGA works with the plant’s cells to maximize energy. Eventually, CBGA creates three groups of cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and cannabichromenic acid (CBCA). Later, these convert to THC, CBD, and CBC. Sometimes, CBGA becomes CBG, but it is less common than THC and CBD, and is typically only found in trace amounts in full grown plants. In fact, most adult plants are only 1% CBG.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp on a federal level in the United States. Hemp is really just cannabis with less than .3% THC. This bill paved the way for scientists to complete more research on non-THC cannabinoids; hence, the sudden rise of delta 8, HHC, CBD, and now CBG. Farmers and scientists have actually started to breed plants specifically to have a higher concentration of CBG, making this cannabinoid more widely available than it ever was in the past.
How does it work?
Because CBG can now be enjoyed in higher dosages, its effects can finally be analyzed. This cannabinoid attaches to both our CB1 and CB2 receptors to work with our body’s endocannabinoid system. (Learn more about the endocannabinoid system here.) Unlike THC, it does not produce a high. Though CBG won’t get you high, it does bind to the same receptors as THC, and different receptors than CBD. More research is definitely needed, but due to the receptors that it binds to, CBG can potentially work to alleviate issues found in the nervous system. This 2021 survey yielded some promising information that is definitely worthy of further research. I won’t go into specifics since these findings are still very much in the early stages, but it will absolutely be exciting to see what the future holds for this cannabinoid!
Last week we discussed the entourage effect, which essentially means that cannabinoids work better in groups than they do alone. Leave it to the earth’s most magical plant to provide a successful example of a group project! You can experience the entourage effect yourself by trying any of our prerolls or blunts. We have tons of delta 8 or HHC prerolls to choose from, and they all contain CBG. If blunts are more your speed, you can enjoy CBG right alongside delta 8 and choose from blue dream, pineapple haze, runtz, sour diesel, or purple punch. I personally love the runtz especially because I never did master the art of blunt rolling and they save me a lot of time and embarrassment in that regard.
TL;DR
So, essentially CBGA evolves like a Pokémon to bring us all the cannabinoids that we know and love. Sometimes it yields a little bit of CBG, but not always. Here at DVNT, we’ve done the hard work for you and have products ready to go that contain measurable amounts of CBG, which is typically not super prevalent in most strains. CBG works synergistically with the other cannabinoids present to give you a more layered experience than if you were to smoke something that only contained one cannabinoid. Deepen your high and feel the effects for yourself, all without experiencing the burnout and paranoia that typically accompanies traditional delta 9 THC.