A new review of scientific research on the lesser-known cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) says the compound has the “potential to modulate multiple physiological processes,” which could give it “therapeutic power to alleviate various conditions, including cancer, metabolic, pain, and inflammatory disorders, among others.”
“CBG has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent with a diverse range of effects,” says the new paper, published this month in the journal Molecules. “Although research on CBG is still in its early stages, its unique molecular mechanism and promising therapeutic profile warrant further exploration.”
The research looks not only at the potential effects of CBG but also its mechanisms of action. Like delta-9 THC and CBD, it says, CBG interacts with the body’s cannabinoid receptors—but it also “has a unique affinity for other receptors, such as the α2AR and 5-HT1A receptors.”
The cannabinoid’s “diverse mechanisms,” the report says, “translate into a wide range of potential therapeutic applications, including neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, antibacterial properties, hypotension, cancer treatment, pain management, and metabolic syndrome.”
Some CBG users also report improved sleep, it adds, “although this has not yet been confirmed by clinical studies.”
The 10-person team behind the new review includes researchers from Guangdong University of Techonology in Guangzhou, China; Cedars-Sinai Cancer Institute, in Los Angeles; the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, in Duarte, California; Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine; and Sun Yat-Sen University, also in Guangzhou.
Authors said that while there have been “some excellent reviews on CBG, discussing pharmacological potential, the bioactivity of CBD and its analogs, the biomedical relevance, and its interactions with volted-gated sodium channels,” their own review differs from others in that it discusses “the molecular mechanisms of action of the therapeutic effects of CBG within different disease contexts.”
From there, the report runs through evidence for CBG’s role in various applications. It points, for example, to possibilities for neuroprotection—noting potential applications for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis—noting that CBG treatment has been shown to improve motor function and reduce markers of stress in the brain.
Some of the reviewed studies looked at CBG in combination with other cannabinoids, authors noted, adding that “studying CBG independently from other cannabinoids could pinpoint the distinct therapeutic properties and specific mechanisms in the context of the central nervous system.”
Regarding pain, authors pointed to evidence suggesting CBG treatment can reduce pain sensitivity in mice, noting that one possible explanation is that the cannabinoid “might make it harder for pain signals to be transmitted effectively.”
“This research unveils a potential mechanism for CBG’s indirect neuroprotective effects. By reducing pain signaling in the nervous system, CBG might offer relief from chronic pain conditions,” they wrote. “This finding adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting CBG’s potential role in protecting the nervous system by managing pain.”
The report also looks at evidence for CBG’s anti-inflammatory effects, which might be helpful in managing inflammatory bowel disease—including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitus—rheumatoid arthritis, allergic asthma and liver injury. And it points to studies into the cannabinoid’s possible antibacterial effects and role in treating hypotension or vasoconstriction.
Studies indicate that CBG “may disrupt the bacterial cell membrane, a crucial barrier to cell survival,” authors wrote. “This disruption can lead to the leakage of essential cellular components and ultimately cell death.” The cannabinoid appears to also inhibit the formation of some biofilms, communities of bacteria that can be highly resistant to antibiotics.
New studies are also looking at CBG in anti-cancer treatment, the paper notes, adding to a research that until recently focused on THC and CBD.
“Accumulating evidence has substantiated the anti-tumorigenic properties of CBG, showcasing its efficacy in reducing cell proliferation, migration, and survival in various tumor types,” it says, “including prostate cancer, glioblastoma, colorectal carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer.”
Combining CBG with conventional chemotherapy “holds promise for enhancing treatment efficacy,” the report notes, though a mix of cannabinoids may also offer benefits in some cancers.
Both CBG and CBD appeared to suppress prostate-cancer development in mice to some degree, for example, but “the two in combination exhibited potent anti-cancer effects even in mice unresponsive to enzalutamide (androgen receptor agonist) treatment,” it explains. “As such, combination therapy may be an attractive adjuvant therapeutic option for prostate cancer models.”
Another condition authors considered was metabolic syndrome, which is linked to the development of other ailments such as cardiovascular disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes.
“Recent studies on CBG provide a potential pharmacotherapy strategy for metabolic syndrome,” they wrote, noting that CBG is “the sole known cannabinoid that activates the adrenergic receptor.”
The review says CBG “has been shown to reduce appetite and induce weight loss by blocking CB1 receptors” and “to increase the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is responsible for burning calories and generating heat. HUM-234, a derivative of CBG, has been shown to prevent high-fat diet-induced weight gain and lower serum levels of liver enzymes ALT and AST.”
Many of the studies evaluated in the new review involved research in cells or mouse models. In many areas where CBG has shown to be promising, human trials will be crucial to moving treatment forward, the research team said.
“As research progresses, CBG presents as a promising therapeutic agent with a unique molecular profile and a broad spectrum of potential benefits,” they wrote. “As deepen our understanding of CBG, it may lead to breakthroughs in treating complex conditions, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding the scope of cannabinoid-based medicine.”
Further research, authors added, should focus not only on “clinical trials, detailed mechanistic studies, and optimized delivery systems” but also the its “synergy with other cannabinoids and traditional medicines.”
“The next decade could see CBG integrated into mainstream medical practice,” the paper says, “revolutionizing the approach to many chronic and debilitating conditions.”
Despite ongoing obstacles to marijuana research generally, investigation of marijuana’s many chemical components has expanded considerably as the nation’s war on cannabis has waned. As a separate paper published earlier this year found, “a diverse array of lesser-known phytocannabinoids, along with terpenes, flavonoids, and alkaloids” have been shown to “demonstrate diverse pharmacological activities” and could offer a multitude of therapeutic applications.
“Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuromodulatory effects position them as promising agents in treating neurodegenerative disorders,” said that report, authored by a pair of researchers from the Center for Dementia Research at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in New York.
That study followed separate research published this summer into the lesser chemical components of marijuana, which found that minor cannabinoids may have anticancer effects on blood cancer.
That research, published in the journal BioFactors, looked at minor cannabinoids and multiple myeloma (MM), testing responses in cell models to the cannabinoids CBG, CBC, CBN and CBDV as well as studying CBN in a mouse model.
“Together, our results suggest that CBG, CBC, CBN, and CBDV can be promising anticancer agents for MM,” authors wrote, “due to their cytotoxic effect on MM cell lines and, for CBN, in in vivo xenograft mouse model of MM.”
They also noted the cannabinoids’ apparently “beneficial effect on the bone in terms of reduction of MM cells invasion toward the bone and bone resorption (mainly CBG and CBN).”
A more recent study, meanwhile, found that while it’s “plausible” that terpenes produced by cannabis are responsible for modulating a marijuana high, it’s still “unproven.”
A federally funded study published in May, meanwhile, found that terpenes could be “potential therapeutics for chronic neuropathic pain,” finding that an injected dose of the compounds produced a “roughly equal” reduction in pain markers when compared to a smaller dose of morphine. Terpenes also appeared to enhance the efficacy of morphine when given in combination.
Unlike with morphine, however, none of the studied terpenes produced a meaningful reward response, that research found, indicating that “terpenes could be effective analgesics with no rewarding or dysphoric side effects.”
Another study published earlier this year looked at the “collaborative interactions” between cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other molecules in the plant, concluding that a better understanding of the relationships of various chemical components “is crucial for unraveling cannabis’s complete therapeutic potential.”
Other recent research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that a citrusy-smelling terpene in marijuana, D-limonene, could help ease anxiety and paranoia associated with THC. Researchers similarly said the finding could help unlock the maximum therapeutic benefit of THC.
A separate study last year found that cannabis products with a more diverse array of natural cannabinoids produced stronger psychoactive experiences in adults, which also lasted longer than the high generated by pure THC.
And a 2018 study found that patients suffering from epilepsy experience better health outcomes—with fewer adverse side effects—when they use plant-based CBD extracts compared to “purified” CBD products.
Scientist last year also discovered “previously unidentified cannabis compounds” called flavorants that they believe are responsible for the unique aromas of different varieties of marijuana. Previously, many had thought terpenes alone were responsible for various smells produced by the plant.
Similar phenomena are also beginning to be recorded around psychedelic plants and fungi. In March, for example, researchers published findings showing that use of full-spectrum psychedelic mushroom extract had a more powerful effect than chemically synthesized psilocybin alone. They said the findings imply that mushrooms, like cannabis, demonstrate an entourage effect.
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