Opinion by Jake Crossman

For far too long the Hemp Industry has had a negative light shed on it because billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies have tried their best to prove that hemp is bad and man-made drugs are better for you, which leaves a lot of people asking – what are the side effects of CBG and some of these other extracts? While we won’t argue the efficacy of modern-day medicine – turning a blind eye to the hemp industry at this point is a ridiculous notion. Hemp has now become one of the largest markets in the world, and all of its counterparts are rising with it. 

Using CBG as a hemp extract to help with healing and combatting pain is not a new idea. In Ancient China they used hemp extracts such as CBG for pain, inflammation, and stress relief. It was believed that hemp extracts contained powerful healing properties. We now know this is true because of something that is inherently in the body called the endocannabinoid system, or the ECS. This is an intricate network of receptors in your body that influence all of these major organs and organ systems. 

Our bodies need phytocannabinoids to function. This is a fact, the Ancient Chinese knew it, the Ancient Indians knew it, and now with the help of modern cannabinoid research, USA Medical knows it as well. This is why we are going to break down some of the misconceptions surrounding hemp extracts specifically, CBG – and dig into any side effects that CBG might have so that you are able to make an informed decision if you are purchasing CBG. 

What Are The Side Effects Of CBG: What Is CBG?

Cannabigerol or CBG is considered the “stem cell” of phytocannabinoids which are cannabinoids that come from plants. There are over 100 different cannabinoids that are produced from hemp plants with CBG being the first. CBG was properly discovered in 1964 and was considered the missing link for the biosynthesis of THC (NCBI). The reason it is considered such is that CBG has to be extracted from sapling hemp plants – CBG is the first cannabinoid to appear in a hemp plant which is what makes it the stem cell of other cannabinoids like CBD, CBC, THC, etc. This also is what makes CBG a lot more potent in treating health-related issues because it has the strongest presence in the plant. This, in turn, also makes CBG one of the most expensive cannabinoids you can purchase because of the extraction process and the efficacy of the end product. 

Inside of the body there is something called the endocannabinoid system. This system is regulated primarily by CB1 and CB2 receptors which are scattered throughout the body. CB1 receptors are one of the catalysts in the body that when ingesting THC allow you to experience psychotropic effects. CBG interacts with both receptors but is something called a “non-psychoactive” which means that it is not able to get you high, or in a different mental state. In several lab tests CBG has been proven to interact quite efficiently with the CB2 receptors which are responsible for immune response, and inflammation (NCBI). 

CBG has the potential to be a life-changing medicine to treat illnesses that have been medicated in other more dangerous ways for years. An example of this would be using CBG as a replacement for anti-inflammatory medication. Typically chronic inflammation and pain is treated with steroid injections, which can be painful, and sometimes do more harm than good because of the side effects steroids have such as cartilage damage, nerve damage, and in some cases even death of nearby bones. 

CBG would allow the user to experience all of the relief that a steroid injection might bring without any of the main side effects. There are several studies that show very promising evidence of this. 

“Notably, having mechanisms both in common and distinct from THC and CBD respectively, it was of interest to explore the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of CBG, which may be relevant in the aforementioned disease areas (NCBI).”

Let’s break into what are the side effects of CBG and how effective it may or may not be in treating modern-day health issues. 

What Are The Side Effects Of CBG: Effectiveness 

To be clear, there are no known major side effects of CBG. The only side effects ever reported on CBG were primarily dry mouth. This was in a clinical study with hundreds of people and only 15% percent of those in the study reported dry mouth. With this minute side effect, the adverse positive effects of CBG were extremely promising. 

To name a few, CBG has been shown in both clinical and associated studies to have several positive impacts on overall health: 

• Relieve Your Chronic & Inflammatory Pain
• Reduce Your Inflammation In The Brain & Body
• Boost Your Mental Focus & Energy
• Increase Mental Focus

The primary effect that CBG has on the body is reducing chronic inflammation and having analgesic properties to reduce pain. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBG are also able to influence the metabolic properties in our bodies that can decrease the chances of obesity, and being overweight. 

“Obesity is an “epidemic” of the developed world [47]. It causes abnormal physiological metabolism, which leads to a series of physiological, psychological, and social problems. Additionally, obesity is an important risk factor for diseases such as hypertension [48], hyperlipemia [49], diabetes [13] and even cancer [50] (NCBI).” 

The more that science studies and looks at CBG the more that is found out about how much this cannabinoid can actually do for our bodies. 
Another major reason to take CBG is the way that it impacts your mood and energy levels. Unlike CBD which can make you tired and is good to use to relax and de-stress, CBG gives you a mental energy boost and increases focus as well as helps with pain. So you are able to live your day-to-day life with a lot more mental clarity. This is done by boosting your decreasing cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone, and increasing the production of dopamine levels through the CB1 receptors. 

Many users claim that taking CBG when they wake up in the morning is the best time to take it because it adds an extra level of energy that kick-starts the day and eliminates brain fog. 

At USA Medical we sell CBG in combination with CBD due to something in the hemp industry called “the entourage effect.” There is tons of supporting evidence that shows when taking two or more hemp extracts at the same time the efficacy of those extracts is amplified as they interact with each other causing the user to get the full experience of CBG. USA Medical is one of the only companies that is incorporating the use of the entourage effect in our CBG. 

What Are The Side Effects Of CBG: Final Thoughts 

As research continues on phytocannabinoids so does the world’s understanding of the incredible properties they possess. Our ancient ancestors knew the powerful uses these plants had and used them for thousands of years. Big pharma doesn’t want hemp extracts to come back into the mainstream world of medicine because it is a natural plant, and accessible to everyone. 

CBG is just the beginning of this new wave of holistic medicine and USA Medical will continue to stay transparent and at the frontlines of all research to provide the best quality products we can for you. 

Works Cited

“CBG Boost Energy: Effects of CBG: CBD vs CBG.” Tanasi, 10 Sept. 2021, https://tanasi.com/blog/does-cbg-boost-energy-what-you-need-to-know/.

Katrina Lubiano BA in EnglishKatrina has always had a passion for health sciences and literature. She works as a content writer, et al. “7 CBG Benefits That’ll Make It the next Big Thing.” Neurogan, https://neurogan.com/blogs/news/cbg-benefits.

Kogan, Natalya M, et al. “Novel CBG Derivatives Can Reduce Inflammation, Pain and Obesity.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 15 Sept. 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8467477/.

Cannabidiol Displays Unexpectedly High Potency … – Wiley Online Library. https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/sj.bjp.0707133.