Yo, what’s good everyone? It’s your boy Dan here to break down the difference between CBG and CBD. You know how it is, science is always uncovering new stuff, and lately they’ve been getting hype about this CBG chemical. But how does it compare to the OG CBD? Let’s find out.
So we all know that the cannabis plant has got mad different molecules in it. Like over 100 cannabinoids, ya heard? And while THC and CBD have been getting most of the attention lately, researchers are starting to look into the other compounds too. That’s where cannabigerol, or CBG for short, comes in. Scientists are finding some dope stuff about it, which is why businesses and researchers are getting hyped.
Now, you might be asking yourself, what even is CBG? Well, back in 1964, some Israeli chemist named Raphael Mechoulam isolated CBG with THC. They did some research on rhesus monkeys and found that there were no behavioral changes when they were given CBG. So basically, it’s non-psychoactive. CBG is considered a minor cannabinoid because it doesn’t occur in high concentrations in strains that are selectively bred. However, some breeders have developed strains with 100% CBG profiles by getting rid of certain enzymes. These strains are gonna be getting more attention as research on CBG advances.
Researchers call CBG the “parent” or “stem cell” cannabinoid because it’s the central chemical precursor to many other cannabinoids. Specific enzymes convert CBG into corresponding molecules through cannabinoid biosynthesis. Basically, all cannabinoids first exist as cannabinoid acids in the raw plant. Then when you heat it up, you get a reaction called decarboxylation that removes a carboxyl group from each molecule. This reaction transforms THCA into THC and CBDA into CBD. So by this logic, CBG exists as CBGA in the raw plant.
The enzyme CBGA synthase converts several organic compounds into CBGA. Additional enzymes then break down the mother molecule into major cannabinoids depending on the reaction. THCA synthase, CBDA synthase, and CBCA synthase use CBGA as a substrate to produce the respective cannabinoid acids. Non-enzymatic processes create more than 60 other cannabinoids from CBGA.
Aside from its key role in cannabinoid biosynthesis, scientists have also looked into the potential benefits of CBG. The molecule has multiple mechanisms of action and partially activates the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system while stimulating vanilloid receptor-1.
Now let’s talk about how CBD and CBG are similar and different. But before we get started, I gotta let you know that comparing the two is kinda pointless right now because there hasn’t been enough research done on both of them yet. With that said, here’s what we do know.
First off, both CBD and CBG are non-psychoactive. That means they don’t bind well to the CB1 receptor like THC does, which is what gives you that high feeling when you smoke weed. Because they’re non-psychoactive, researchers can study them more easily without worrying about those undesirable side effects that come with THC.
But here’s where they differ: A 2016 study found that cannabis extracts without THC still caused an increase in appetite in rats. The authors concluded that CBG could be responsible for this effect since it doubled total food intake and increased the number of meals in rats compared to CBD which reduced hunger instead.
Now here’s where things get interesting: while there hasn’t been much attention paid to CBG yet, some strains already exhibit relatively high levels of the cannabinoid. Take Destroyer for example – this pure sativa cultivar was created by blending Meao Thai with a Mexican/Colombian hybrid and produces flowers that are rich in different cannabinoids including 20% THC, 1% CBD, and high levels of CBG. Another strain worth mentioning is Exodus Cheese – an indica-dominant specimen that produces dense flowers with 18% THC, 0.2% CBD, and 0.26% CBG.
So there you have it folks – the difference between CBG and CBD! While there’s still a lot more research needed before we can draw any concrete conclusions about either one of these fascinating molecules, we can definitely say that each one has its own unique properties worth exploring further. Stay lit y’all!
