What is CBG (Cannabigerol) Oil and Why Should I Use It?

Takeaways:

• CBG is known as the mother cannabinoid in the cannabis sativa plant. Meaning: she gives birth to the hundreds of other cannabinoids and terpenes found in hemp – like CBD, CBD-V, CBC, CBN. It’s for this reason that CBG (aka cannabigerol) holds remarkable potential as a nutritional supplement. But if you are asking, “What is CBG oil?” You must know that the answer to this question is still in its nascent stages of being known.

So what is CBG oil anyway?

CBG stands for cannabigerol. It has pharmacological properties, just like CBD, that are even more mysterious because they are studied even less. However, the research that has been conducted is showing that the benefits of CBG have the potential to be just as powerful as CBD – with some very specific potential health effects that differentiate the two. 

CBG is considered a minor cannabinoid, because it occurs in such a low amount in most hemp oil. Most full spectrum hemp oil includes less than 1 percent of CBG in its content. However, when CBG is administered to people in isolate form (as it’s typically found) and in concentrated dosages, it’s unique impact on the body can be distinguished.  

CBG is the chemical precursor to CBD and all the other terpenes and cannabinoids found in hemp. Hemp starts CBG dominant when it first blooms, and then naturally occurring enzymes transform it into CBD (and THC if we’re talking about marijuana vs. industrial hemp). 

This is why hemp plants, when harvested, contain so little CBG. It’s also why CBG is sold at a much higher price point. With most strains you have to extract 20 times more hemp to produce the same amount of CBG as you would CBD from a fully matured plant. 

Our next product released is going to be a high CBG oil tincture, which we are selling at the same price as our CBD formula. This is going to be a beyond full spectrum CBG oil. We can offer this product at the same price as our CBD oil because we are using hemp strains that are bred for high CBG content. 

How Does CBG Make You Feel?

A lot of people want to know the difference between what is CBG oil vs. CBD oil. Mainly because the only reference point they have to understand CBG is the other. 

“Taking CBD is great for people with anxiety,” says Emerald Ascent cofounder Connor McCarrick. “It mellows you out. Taking CBG is ideal for someone with depression. It brings you up.” 

Initial studies show that CBG boosts GABA reuptake inhibitors, which helps boost brain and neural activity. 

That said, there are plenty of similarities between CBD oil and CBG oil. They come from the same plant, afterall. Both are non-psychoactive. Test tube studies have shown that CBG has similar neuroprotective, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory qualities as CBD. 

However, while CBD stimulates the endocannabinoid system as a whole, CBG is being found to have the potential to target acute bodily systems like the eyes and colon. Because of this, more research is being conducted to determine if CBG can support glaucoma and colon cancer treatment. 

All this said, it’s important to reiterate that the medical community is just beginning to understand what is CBG oil, as well as the impact that the hundreds of other cannabinoids found in hemp have on the human system. There’s a lot to be discovered.

How is CBG extracted?

Most CBG is extracted through a process known as chromatography, that separates different components of a substance. Solvents (sometimes in gas form, other times in liquid, solid, or ion) that have the power to separate compounds on a molecular level are used in different phases of the process to achieve this end result. 

This method is great for creating isolates. However, if you want full-spectrum CBG oil without any chemical solvents added, rosin pressing your CBG is the way to go. 

“We chose to use a full spectrum rosin extraction for our CBG oil to maintain the entourage effect of all of the phytocannabinoids and stay true to the natural properties inherent in the living plant,” says Conrad Poston, co-founder of Emerald Ascent. 

Emerald Ascent’s CBG oil is produced in a 2:1 CBG to CBD ratio through the Hemp Raw Zen™ extraction method. 

Why Should I buy CBG Oil?

People who are thinking about buying CBG products as an investment in their health (as opposed to a full spectrum CBD oil), should do so to target the specific systems that preliminary research has shown CBG has the potential to influence. 

More distributors are starting to manufacture CBG as market demand increases. And as they do, the price of CBG for sale will start to decrease. Hemp strains bred and harvested for high CBG content are also starting to become more prevalent in the market, which will continue to create a price drop, making CBG less of a luxury expense for those who find that it helps them.  However, as of now, there is a lot less CBG oil for sale than CBD, which is one reason why Emerald Ascent decided to make it their second product in their hemp oil line. 

“People are still discovering how different cannabinoids impact their unique biochemistry, and we think it’s important to have options available that will support different needs,” says Poston 

Are you in the vanguard of those experimenting with how CBG can support you in a healthy lifestyle? Leave a comment about your experience.