When we think of cannabinoids — the ingredients from hemp and marijuana — the most common is the psychoactive cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The other more common cannabinoids are the oils containing cannabidiol (CBD). Both have gained significant attention for recreational use or medicinal use.
While there are more than 100 cannabinoids, a third cannabinoid — cannabigerol (CBG) — recently gained greater recognition in Canada with the release of a new medical product. The company, Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation (WMMC), is a producer of medical marijuana. Their product is a cannabis oil made with a combination of three parts THC to two parts CBG.
"Basic research has indicated that CBG exerts a variety of effects in cell culture and animal models, including acting as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-fungal," said Brishna Kamal, the director of medical research at WMMC.
WMMC released the oil product following two years of research to identify the ideal seeds that yield a phenotype plant with significant amounts of both THC and CBG at maturity, providing the base material for the oil. CBG is generally found in hemp plants that are low in THC (Wiki), so the phenotype with a higher amount of THC is unusual. Hemp and marijuana are both strains of cannabis, and strains of hemp that have zero THC are allowed in the United States under restricted circumstances.
CBG has not been as extensively studied as THC or CBD, but studies are indicating that it may have a wide range of health benefits.
Antimicrobial effects of CBG have been reported. Other independent studies have demonstrated positive outcomes with bladder dysfunction — CBG reduced contractions in the bladder. CBG was demonstrated to hamper colon cancer progression in vivo. An animal model of Huntington's disease was slowed with CBG. And CBG reduced the inflammatory process in a cellular model of irritable bowel syndrome.
The International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) is an organization dedicated to scientific research in all fields related to cannabinoids. During the ICRS 2016 meeting, a group led by Daniel I. Brierley, Ph.D., from the Schools of Psychology and Pharmacy at the University of Reading, Berkshire, U.K., first reported that CBG may be of benefit in the control of cachexia wasting syndrome associated with cancer in an animal model.
More research is clearly needed. Cannabinoids are complex, and the potential for cannabinoid-related synergy and entourage effects in medicinal products such as the CBG oil needs to be further explored.
