How Does CBG Help with Digestion?

CBG is a cannabis chemical component that is known for its medicinal properties. Read this article to know about CBG for constipation, CBG for an inflammatory bowel disorder, and other benefits of CBG. You will also know how to buy CBG.

People who believe in cannabis, especially for its therapeutic reasons, are like travelers in the cannabis world as they are always curious about the extra benefits that cannabis can offer. The most common cannabis derivative is CBD. You will hear of CBD derivatives in oils, creams, lotions, gummies, capsules, etc. The other famous cannabis component is THC which is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. But within cannabis, there are hundreds of chemical elements, and one other famous one is CBG, which has been referred to as the mother of all cannabinoids. Can CBD help with digestion? Read on to find out;

What are CBG, CBD, and THC?

Wang (2018) referred to cannabinoids as a group of chemical elements found in cannabis. CBG (cannabigerol) is the mother of all cannabinoids because all cannabinoids, including CBD and THC, start as CBG before they part ways to take up their new identities. For that reason, young cannabis plants have more CBG than older cannabis plants. CBG, CBD, THC, and other components are found in cannabis. CBG is extracted from young cannabis plants before some of it converts into other cannabinoids. THC is known to be the component that makes the user "feel high' while CBD is known to provide relief from pain, inflammation, and insomnia, emotional and mental distress. CBG is known to deliver everything CBD does, but it is believed to be more effective. However, CBG is also referred to as a minor cannabinoid because it is present in small quantities in cannabis but not because of its role. Like CBD, CBG does not have psychoactive properties.

So, How Does CBG Help with Digestion?

CBD and CBG are therapeutically similar, but the therapeutic benefits of CBG are better than CBD. Below are the benefits of CBD in digestion;

CBG for Constipation

The leading cause of constipation is the inability to eliminate waste from the rectum effectively. CBG helps constipation by providing relief, reducing inflammation, and relieving bloating. During constipation, the stomach veins swell as a fight-or-flight mechanism. CBG will also prevent constipation.

CBG for Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD)

IBD is believed to be caused by a weak immune system. Consequently, the immune system responds abnormally to pathogens, causing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms associated with IBD are rectal bleeding, diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Although IBD is not fatal, it is a debilitating disease. IBD usually refers to Chrohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which share the same symptoms. Ulcerative colitis is believed to be autoimmune, meaning that the white blood cells mistakenly attack tissues. The immune stem should release white blood cells to attack an infection. Still, during ulcerative colitis, it instead attacks the lining of the digestive tract hence causing inflammation and sores (ulcers). The ulcers can produce pus or bleeding. As ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition, it may be unbearable to cope with.

How CBG Works

Endocannabinoids are naturally present in the body and are responsible for hemostasis, which means that the activities in the body are unaffected by the external environment. The CBG acts as the endocannabinoids and attaches itself to receptors. While bound to the receptors, CBG interferes with the transmission of pain signals, thus making it an effective anti-inflammatory and a pain reliever. The main difference between CBG, CBD, and THC is that CBG binds itself to endocannabinoids but does not activate them. THC attaches itself to the endocannabinoids and activates them, while CBD does not bind itself to the endocannabinoids.

Other Benefits of CBG to the User

CBG is popular among its users because it does not have psychoactive properties. Below are more benefits of CBG;

Treating Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that affects eye vision by damaging the optic nerve. The condition is believed to be genetic and is manifested in the later years of a person's life. Glaucoma is caused by pressure in the eye and can lead to irreversible blindness if not managed. CBG helps treat glaucoma because it can reduce stress while also increasing the fluid produced by the eye to maintain eye pressure, known as the aqueous humor fluid. All treatment plans meant to manage glaucoma seek to reduce the stress in the eye. Cairns et al. (2016) stated that CBG may help manage glaucoma.

Managing Huntington Disease

According to Aguareles et al. (2019), CBG may be used to manage Huntington's disease. Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that affects the brain's nerve cells and the person's mobility and causes cognitive and physiatrist issues. The symptoms of Huntington's disease include memory lapses, depression, clumsiness, and mood swings. CBD is helpful in the protection of brain nerve cells.

As an Antibacterial Agent

Like CBD, CBG also has antibacterial properties and can help prevent the spread of infections. CBG is effective in treating drug-resistant staph infections.

How to Buy CBG

CBG is available as oil infused with CBG. You can purchase it online so long as the amount of THC does not exceed 0.3% in jurisdictions that allow hemp use. CBG is more scarce than CBD and THC because its presence in cannabis is negligible, at around 1%, and the extraction process is also expensive. Therefore CBG is not only scarce in the cannabis market but also pricier than CBD. It is purchased as a broad-based cannabis product; thus, the user enjoys the entourage effect.

Is CBG Legal?

The legality of CBG or not depends on the jurisdiction and whether it approves of cannabis use. The laws that allow cannabis use stretch to the derivatives too. Most regulations allow hemp use; therefore, hemp-derived CBG is more available than marijuana-derived CBG. Marijuana is illegal in many countries because of its THC content. Marijuana contains high levels of THC of up to 90%. The standard threshold of hemp-derived CBG is that its THC content should not be beyond 0.3%. Analakkattillam et al. (2022) concluded that the amount of THC determines the legality of cannabis.

Conclusion

Cannabis contains hundreds of cannabinoids, and curiosity drives users and researchers to discover more therapeutical properties in cannabis. THC and CBD are the famous cannabis components, and the new "kid on the block" is CBG which has medicinal properties. CBG can help manage glaucoma, inflammatory bowel diseases, Huntington's disease, etc. CBG is considered more effective than CBD and advantageous to users who do not want to use cannabis with THC. The legality of CBG depends on the legality of cannabis. If cannabis is legal, the law allows its derivatives, too, but if cannabis is illegal, the products will also be forbidden.

References

Aguareles, J., Paraíso-Luna, J., Palomares, B., Bajo-Grañeras, R., Navarrete, C., Ruiz-Calvo, A., ... & Galve-Roperh, I. (2019). Oral Administration Of The Cannabigerol Derivative VCE-003.2 Promotes Subventricular Zone Neurogenesis And Protects Against Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Neurodegeneration. Translational Neurodegeneration, 8(1), 1-15.

Analakkattillam, S., Langsi, V. K., Hanrahan, J. P., & Moore, E. (2022). Analytical Method Validation For Assay Determination Of Cannabidiol And Tetrahydrocannabinol In Hemp Oil Infused Products By RP-HPLC. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-11.

Cairns, E. A., Baldridge, W. H., & Kelly, M. E. (2016). The Endocannabinoid System As A Therapeutic Target In Glaucoma. Neural Plasticity, 2016.

Wang, Y. H., Avula, B., Elsohly, M. A., Radwan, M. M., Wang, M., Wanas, A. S., ... & Khan, I. A. (2018). Quantitative Determination Of Δ9-THC, CBG, CBD, Their Acid Precursors And Five Other Neutral Cannabinoids By UHPLC-UV-MS. Planta Medica, 84(04), 260-266.