Cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) are cannabis-based (Phyto cannabinoids). Like other cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plant (eg, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC), they are more similar than they are different. However, while sharing commonalities, these cannabinoids have distinctly unique characteristics that consumers can use to help decide which one might be appropriate for them.
CBD: Cannabidiol
Properties and Sources
CBD is one of the major cannabinoids in both cannabis and hemp, and can account for 10 per cent or more of the chemical profile of a quality hemp crop – unlike THC, it is a non-psychoactive compound, meaning it cannot get you high.
How It Works
CBD’s effects on our ECS are dominated mainly by its actions on CB2 receptors, which are expressed widely in the peripheral nervous system, that is, the nerves of our immune system, muscles and skin. This modulating activity affects processes such as pain, inflammation and immune activity.
Potential Benefits and Uses
CBD has become well-known for its potential health benefits and is used for a number of different conditions:
- Chronic pain
• Anxiety and depression
• Sleep disorders
• Epilepsy: FDA-approved CBD medication Epidiolex is used to treat certain types of epilepsy.
CBG: Cannabigerol
Properties and Sources
Others nickname it ‘mother cannabinoid’ because it is the intermediate from which almost every other cannabinoid, including CBD and THC, is synthesized. It’s so scarce in flowering cannabis that you’ll find roughly 10 times more CBD in your cannabis buds. Even your ‘high-CBD’ buds. Typically, CBG amounts to less than 1 per cent of any flower from any given cultivar. This makes it a harder, and more expensive, extract.
How It Works
This modulation of both of the ECS’s major cannabinoid receptors – CB1 that’s heavily implicated in the modulation of central nervous system processes, and CB2 that’s mainly located in the peripheral nervous system – suggests that CBG could potentially have an influence on a very wide variety of ECS-associated physiological functions, and ultimately, a distinctive therapeutic profile. If you’re looking for cbg for sale online, Simple Leaf is highly recommended online as one the best places to buy CBG online.
Potential Benefits and Uses
Unfortunately, research into CBG is still in its early stages, while indications are that it is promising for many uses. The following list is only partial:
- Inflammation and pain
• Neuroprotection
• Eye health
• Antibacterial properties
Comparing CBD and CBG
Chemical Structure and Interaction
While both compounds are non-psychoactive as the vernacular names describe and they both originate from the same plant species, Cannabis sativa, their effects are different due to their chemical structures. CBD binds more strongly to the CB2 receptors, while CBG has an affinity for both CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Therapeutic Benefits
While each cannabinoid has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, CBG could have health benefits beyond pain relief, like neuroprotective and antibacterial effects. Customers are more likely to know CBD, of course, which is often sold as a cannabis-derived ‘medicine’.
Availability and Cost
Given the high content of CBD in cannabis, it is easier and cheaper to harvest this compound compared with THC, which is why there are more CBD products available on the market. CBG is much less abundant than CBD, so products containing CBG are more difficult to produce and therefore more expensive.
Which Is Better for You?
When it comes to CBD vs CBG, the choice will boil down to personal needs and the particular condition you may wish to address. For anyone seeking to swap in a supplement or feel a general sense of ease, CBD sounds like a pretty broad option, with a high degree of broadly studied benefits and deliverables. However, for anyone suffering from a neurogenerative disease or bacterial infection, you may benefit from using CBG; for such conditions, CBG will bring more benefits to the table – and more specific ones at that.
Conclusion
CBD and CBG are both major cannabinoids and valuable medicines in their own right, and as we continue to learn more about them both, the benefits of using each in promoting health and wellness will become apparent. For anyone wanting to include either CBD, CBG or both in their wellness regime, it is highly advisable to have this discussion with healthcare advisors to ensure the best option for specific healthcare needs is recommended.
But in the meantime, when consumers do come to understand those differences, they will, ideally, make better choices – and perhaps even be healthier for it.
