Is CBG Good for PTSD?

Are you looking forward to using CBG to manage your PTSD effects, but you aren't sure it will be effective? Don't worry; this article clears all your doubts by giving you details if CBG can manage PTSD or not.

CBG is one of the beneficial organic chemicals in hemp or cannabis plants. Although it is beneficial, most people are familiar with THC and CBD – the main active chemical compounds in CBD. CBG has benefits such as managing the effects of anxiety, stress, and pain, making it popular, and gaining popularity currently. Unlike THC, CBG does not cause the user to feel euphoric or intoxicated. This has made CBG an option for those dealing with PTSD or other forms of mental disorder. Although CBG and CBD are cannabinoids with the same chemical structures, each interacts with the endocannabinoid system, bringing different effects. CBG also exists in lower concentrations than CBD or THC, which has made the latter overshadow it in industrialization and research. In this article, we explore the mental effects of CBG to manage PTSD.

What Is CBG

Scientists didn't know how important it was to the field of medicine, like CBD and THC. Fortunately, the discovery of CBG led to a better understanding of cannabis plants today, leading to the major discovery of other compounds and their uses. CBG is different from other cannabinoids and occurs in less than five percent concentration.

Clements (2013) stated that despite many people overlooking CBG due to THC and CBG being in the limelight, it has several potential benefits. Swift et al. (2013) suggested that CBG doesn't intoxicate like THC. its low concentration and the shadow of THC and CBD have made studies about this compound hard. Therefore, not many scientific studies, anecdotal data, or clinical tests prove some of its effects. There is a lot of doubt surrounding this compound, and analyses are still underway. Its discovery led to a better undertaking of hemp or cannabis sativa. CBG works with other cannabinoids in hemp to bring out exemptional effects than when taken alone.

How Does CBG Work?

Di Marzo & Piscitelli (2015) suggested that CBG works like any other cannabinoid by directly interacting with the receptors in the endocannabinoid system, but the mechanism is different. The endocannabinoid system is complex in the animal body that's believed to control or regulate almost all the essential processes to maintain homeostasis. It is a collection of receptors – CB1 and CB2 –, enzymes, endocannabinoid chemicals, etc. Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids produced by animals that help support the endocannabinoid system. These endocannabinoids bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors to regulate numerous physiological processes and maintain a balance between them.

CB1 receptors are mainly found in the nervous system and brain, while CB2 receptors are primarily in the immune system cells. Many endocannabinoids can interact with these receptors, but two overshadow the rest - 2-arachidonoylglyerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA).

Anandamide binds with the CB1 receptors, acting as neurotransmitters, thus affecting your overall cognitive function and mental state. Arachidonoylglyerol interacts with both CB1 and CB2 receptors, thus leading to the development of anti-inflammatory effects in your body.

Phyto-cannabinoids – CBG – also interacts with these receptors due to the same chemical structures and nature. For example, taking THC interacts with these receptors, thus altering your thinking ability thereby bringing its euphoric effects. CBD does not readily bind to these receptors but greatly influences how they interact with other cannabinoids.

Navarro et al. (2018) showed that CBG mainly binds to the CB2 receptors. The study above also suggested that the interaction between the CBG and the receptors brings about mental stability and mitigates the effects of mental disorders like anxiety and depression. High doses of CBG block other compounds, such as other cannabinoids, from interacting with the CB1 receptors. Although it has these effects, it does not terminate the effects of THC taken beforehand.

The interaction of the cannabinoids and the receptors in the body is known as the entourage effect. Comprehension of taking CBG is still underway, so we know little about its mechanism. However, these studies suggest that taking CBG with other cannabinoids such as CBD, terpenes, and THC yield more result than when it is used alone.

CBG for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders – PTSD

Medicinal hemp has garnered popularity around the globe, therefore, leading to studying its effects on managing therapeutic complications such as post-traumatic stress disorders. Bonaccorso et al. (2019) revealed that CBG – cannabigerol – is useful in managing mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Wells et al. (2014) determined the effects of CBG in managing the effects of PTSD, stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental state disorders. All the mice in the study above were subjected to contextual fear continuing for better conclusive results after the study—the study above fed these mice with 1 to 60 milligrams per kilogram of CBG intraperitoneally.

The study above then examined the effects of long-term usage of CBG on post-traumatic stress disorder and fear memories. The study above assessed whether short-term CBG impacted various fear-induced effects like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The study above also evaluated the effects of CBG on stress-induced anxiety, PTSD, and other mental effects.

The study above concluded that repetitive exposure to CBG did not affect the conditioned fear after twenty-four hours. Moreover, the CBG administration does not alter the acquisition reconsolidation and consolidation of the conditioned fear. The study later concluded that CBG is ineffective in maintaining post-traumatic stress disorder or is low efficiency. That's because all the study results were negative after the study. Learn more about can cbg make you feel high?

The Bottom Line

Studies show that CBG is not suitable for managing post-traumatic stress disorders. Therefore, you should not consider it as an option. Due to its efficiency in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, you will not feel the effects. CBG works like any other cannabinoid by directly interacting with the receptors in the endocannabinoid system, but the mechanism is different. The endocannabinoid system is complex in the animal body that's believed to control or regulate almost all the essential processes to maintain homeostasis. Research reveals that CBG mainly binds to the CB2 receptors. The interaction between the CBG and the receptors brings about mental stability and mitigates the effects of mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Taking high doses of CBG blocks other compounds, such as other cannabinoids, from interacting with the CB1 receptors. Although it has these effects, it does not terminate the effects of THC taken before hand. endocannabinoid system and cbg

References

Bonaccorso, S., Ricciardi, A., Zangani, C., Chiappini, S., & Schifano, F. (2019). Cannabidiol (CBD) Use In Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review. Neurotoxicology, 74, 282-298.'

Di Marzo, V., & Piscitelli, F. (2015). The Endocannabinoid System And Its Modulation By

Clements, A. D. (2013). Salivary Cortisol Measurement In Developmental Research: Where Do We Go From Here? Developmental Psychobiology, 55(3), 205-220.

Phytocannabinoids. Neurotherapeutics, 12(4), 692-698.

Navarro, G., Varani, K., Reyes-Resina, I., Sanchez De Medina, V., Rivas-Santisteban, R., Sanchez-Carnerero Callado, C., ... & Franco, R. (2018). Cannabigerol Action At Cannabinoid CB1 And CB2 Receptors And At CB1–CB2 Heteroreceptor Complexes. Frontiers In Pharmacology, 9, 632.

Swift, W., Wong, A., Li, K. M., Arnold, J. C., & Mcgregor, I. S. (2013). Analysis Of Cannabis Seizures In NSW, Australia: Cannabis Potency And Cannabinoid Profile. Plus One, 8(7), E70052.

Wells, S., Tremblay, P. F., Flynn, A., Russell, E., Kennedy, J., Rehm, J., ... & Graham, K. (2014). Associations Of Hair Cortisol Concentration With Self-Reported Measures Of Stress And Mental Health-Related Factors In A Pooled Database Of Diverse Community Samples. Stress, 17(4), 334-342.