What is CBG?

#Cannabis has a lot of chemicals that can make up the whole plant itself. #CBG, not to be consumed with CBD, is one of them, and here, we’ll discuss what this molecule does in the cannabis plant, and why both #CBD and #THC need this, and any other unique and interesting effects that this has as well.

 

What is It?

This is a part of the plant that’s been isolated from the plant itself.

 

We know THC as the psychoactive part of this, but CBG doesn’t produce that.

 

It actually creates a high because of how it interacts with the #endocannabinoids, which are network receptors that create cannabinoids. This latches onto the CB1 receptors directly, which gives you a high.

 

But CBD actually doesn’t bind directly onto the CB1 and CB2 receptors, but instead goes for the more expanded system, including some of the vanilloid receptors and the nervous system signals.

 

CBD is something that works as a precursor to the other cannabinoids that we have here. This is actually a precursor to CBD and THC and it actually is called the “mother cannabinoid for this very reason.

 

The biosynthesis

In order to understand how this works, let’s talk about the biosynthesis of this, which is basically how the cannabinoid becomes what it is.

 

In the cannabis plant, there are a bunch of biosynthetic paths that are used to create cannabinoids of all different kinds, with one start with #CBGA or cannabigerolic acid

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After the creation of such, the plant enzymes then act upon this, and it crates other compounds as well as a result of this, including #CBDA and #THCA as well.

 

It does take specific kinds of enzymes in order to convert this into the right molecules.

When you have it act upon the THCA synthase, this then changes the CBGA to THCA, which later on when it’s decarboxylated, it becomes well, CBD and THC, which we know of today.

 

Where does it Come from?

 

Well, it starts with sunlight where the cannabis plant uses photosynthesis in order to take the light and then make it into sugars that become the energy source in plants as well. These units then start to offer energy to the plant, which then turns into the basic functions, including the coenzyme acetyl-COA which then causes more and more chemical reactions.

 

This creates two molecules called geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid, also known as P and OA. These two molecules then do most of the work, and from there they create the cannabinoids that you know and love in your weed.

 

What’s the Use of this?

 

So should we use CBG at all? THC gives us the high, and CBD offers a bunch of benefits without it.

 

But here’s what’s cool about this. It can still work with the endocannabinoid receptors that we normally don’t think about, going beyond mere THC and CBD that we have.

The research is still quite basic, and right now, we don’t have a ton of different evidence that suggests the full gamut of what CBG can do, but it is the mother #cannabinoid, so it might be able to give us a whole lot more than we ever expected.

 

It actually works well with the nervous system. They also work with the #TRPV1 receptors too which do work with the pain and heat sensations, and it can actually help with locking into these receptors and reducing pain, without causing irritation that capsaicin and other types of #chemicals too.

 

There is a chance that this can also help with the reuptake of the GABE neurotransmitters too.

 

Done