What is CBG Cannabigerol?

Hemp oil companies primarily used CBD as the main ingredient in their products. However, CBD is just one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis plants. The properties of the majority of these compounds is still fairly unknown. But one compound is starting to attract attention as a stand-out amongst its peers: CBG.

CBG Background and Effects

CBG is short for cannabigerol. It makes up less than one percent of mature cannabis plants, so scientists consider it a minor cannabinoid. However, some hemp plant breeders are beginning to challenge this paradigm by breeding plants with between two and four percent CBG.

CBG is actually a precursor to many other cannabinoids, including CBD and THC. CBG is abundant in a hemp plant during the early stages of its life cycle. As the plant grows, it converts CBG into other cannabinoids.

Despite being a subject of study amongst researchers since the 1960s, CBG is still fairly mysterious. What we do know is that CBG works on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Like its cousin, CBD, CBG is non-psychoactive, so it won’t make a user feel “high.”

CBG’s Role in Concentrates

While a CBG-specific concentrate has yet to be introduced on the market, the compound is present in all full-spectrum concentrates. Because these concentrates are made by extracting all the ingredients from a hemp plant, any CBG found naturally in a hemp plant will also occur in a concentrate made from that plant.

Because CBG is found in young plants, some concentrate companies will harvest their hemp plants while they’re still young. This way, any concentrate that the company makes will have more CBG than if the plant fully matured.

CBG is not present in concentrates that utilize CBD isolate. Isolate is nothing but pure CBD and doesn’t include any other cannabinoids or terpenes.