Cannabigerol (CBG): Effects, Benefits and Uses

Are you familiar with CBG? Cannabigerol is a primary cannabinoid that is attracting increasing attention. Nicknamed the mother cannabinoid, it plays a key role in the synthesis of other cannabinoids such as CBD and THC.

CBG acts directly on CB1 and CB2 receptors, offering unique potential benefits : anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, neuroprotective and even anti-cancer effects.

But what are its true effects? How does it compare to CBD? How can it be used effectively? Discover everything you need to know about CBG, its benefits, and its optimal use in this article.

CBG: the first of the Cannabinoids

Cannabigerol (CBG) is one of the major cannabinoids naturally produced by hemp and cannabis. For most people, CBG pales in comparison to other cannabinoids. It lacks the notoriety of CBD and the psychoactive effects of THC. Yet, without it, neither would be present in cannabis.

CBG is sometimes called the “mother cannabinoid,” and rightly so, as it is considered the “precursor” of other major cannabinoids, at least in its raw form, its acidic form: CBGA.

 

 

Indeed, CBGA is the first compound synthesized by the plant during its growth. It is then modified by various enzymes that convert most of it into THCA, CBDA, and CBCA, the acidic forms of THC, CBD, and CBC, respectively. A small portion is not converted by the enzymes and is transformed into CBG through decarboxylationboxDoes CBG then transform into CBG9 ? That's far from certain. But what is certain is that, ultimately, after this enzymatic conversion, CBG represents only 1% of the cannabinoids on average, while CBD or THC can exceed 25% in some varieties.

What are the effects of CBG?

In terms of effects, CBG is much less studied than CBD and THC, but some preliminary studies have nevertheless highlighted some properties that could prove interesting:

Anti-inflammatory effects

A 2013 study on mice demonstrated that CBG had a positive effect on certain inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis. Although evidence of this anti-inflammatory effect was only proven over a limited area, it could prove effective in treating inflammation more generally.[1]

Neuroprotective effect

Like most other known natural cannabinoids, CBG exhibits a neuroprotective effect. It has been noted that it can have a positive impact on the prevention and management of Huntington's disease by reducing its cellular toxicity.

Cannabigerol may also have interesting properties against other neurodegenerative discheckouts such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, but further studies will be needed to be certain2]

Antibacterial properties

A 2008 study by an Italian-British team investigated the antibacterial properties of cannabinoids. The study demonstrated that certain cannabinoids, such as CBG, had an effect comparable to, and sometimes even greater than, that of existing antibiotics against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)3]

Anticancer potential

Some in vitro studies have shown that CBG may inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells, particularly in the colon. These findings have been confirmed in animal models, where it reduced colon cancer tumors.[4]

Effect on intraocular pressure

Early in the history of cannabinoid research, in the early 1970s, researchers explored the role of cannabinoids in reducing intraocular pressure. CBG showed a positive impact on intraocular pressure, particularly in cats. These results suggest a beneficial effect of CBG on glaucoma.[5]

CBG and CBD: similarities, differences and combination

It is interesting to compare CBD and CBG both for their similarities and their differences.

Among their differences, the most visible is their concentration; CBG represents about 1% of the total cannabinoids, while CBD can naturally exceed 25% in some varieties.

Another, less visible but far more interesting difference lies in their mechanism of action. CBD interacts weakly with CB1 and CB2 receptors, but it has other mechanisms of action at serotonergic (5-HT1A) and vanilloid (TRPV1 and 2) receptors that impact the management and regulation of anxiety, stress, and pain.

CBG, on the other hand, directly impacts CB1 and CB2 receptors, although it has no psychoactive effect. It is this impact on cannabinoid receptors that produces the effects mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Although somewhat different, these modes of action can produce similar effects, which can reinforce each other. This is particularly interesting for products in the THM range, since they contain CBG, CBN, CBC, and CBDP.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a table of the effects of CBG compared to CBD and which effects are enhanced when consumed together:

 

Effect	CBD	CBG	CBN	CBG + CBD
Anti-inflammatory	YES	YES	YES	Enhanced effect
Antibacterial	YES	NO	YES	—
Neuroprotective	YES	YES	YES	Enhanced effect
Potential anticancer agent	YES	YES	YES	—
Anti-stress	NO	YES	YES	—
Anticonvulsant	NO	YES	YES	—
Analgesic	NO	YES	YES	Enhanced effect
Antioxidant	NO	YES	YES	Enhanced effect
Sedative / sleep	NO	NO	YES	—
Immunomodulator	NO	NO	YES	—
Stimulates appetite	NO	NO	YES	—

CBG Legality

CBG shows no signs of addiction or habituation and does not produce a "high." It is therefore perfectly legal in most European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.

At least, it follows the same rules as CBD; in France, it is perfectly legalas long as it contains less than 0.3% THC.

How to use CBG

With its growing popularity, CBG is becoming more accessible and the market is expanding. Today, CBG can be found with or without CBD in a multitude of forms.

CBG oil

can be found in oil form, particularly in so-called full-spectrum oils. These full-spectrum oils contain all the natural cannabinoids present in the plant, which significantly increases their potency. Easy to use, simply use the dropper to place a few drops of oil under the tongue.*

CBG Flower & Resins

Here you can find CBG combined with CBD in the form of resins and flowers. These quality products, to be consumed as an infusion or vaporized, promise you a delightful moment of relaxation.

CBG Concentrate

If you want to consume "pure" CBG and only CBG, concentrates are for you. Available as isolates, crumbles, or terpsolators, for use in a vaporizer, concentrates can contain up to 97% CBG!

*

*Ingesting CBD is prohibited in France since May 15, 2026. For more information, we have written an article on this subject: CBD gummies, cookies, oils, capsules: the end of edibles scheduled for May?