Cannabigerol (CBG) and anxiety

Cannabigerol (CBG) is a minor cannabinoid that is on its way to becoming major. Sometimes referred to as the “mother of all cannabinoids,” CBG has recently become more available due to the rise in new genetics and product diversity. Read on to learn more about the new research emerging on CBG’s ability to reduce anxiety!

Image Description: A colorful depiction of the cannabigerol (CBG) molecule on a blue and green background

The “Mother” or the “Precursor”

CBG is often called the “mother of all cannabinoids,” because CBG is at the beginning of the biosynthetic pathway the plant uses to produce many other cannabinoids, called a precursor molecule. All cannabis plants will make cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) first and then CBGA is the molecule that gets transformed into either THCA or CBDA in the flower.

But CBG has its’ own distinct structure that differs from both THC and CBD with only one aromatic ring. It’s a flexible molecule, with two long chains that can either be extended across from one another or coiled into a number of different shapes. The different shapes can interact with different targets in our body, something we are still in the early stages of uncovering for CBG.

But with more and more CBG products becoming available both in dispensaries and online, there is a growing body of evidence that it can be helpful in reducing anxiety in real world examples!

CBG Patient Survey, Case Study, and Field Trial

In an online survey of consumers who typically use CBD products, a majority reported that CBG was superior to conventional medicines for chronic pain, depression, insomnia, and anxiety. Of the participants who reported a product preference, 47% of respondents preferred CBG products as opposed to CBD or THC products. A large majority of the participants used cannabis products medicinally with only 6.3% responding as recreational consumers only and only 1.6% had ever been diagnosed with a cannabis dependency issue.

In the reported medical conditions that CBG was being used to help alleviate symptoms for, anxiety was the top listed with 51.2% of respondents endorsing CBG for anxiety and 78.3% reporting that CBG was effective for anxiety. The other top conditions were chronic pain, depression, and insomnia or disturbed sleep. These categories are representative of the most common therapeutic benefits for cannabis in general, including both THC and CBD. Interestingly, the average amount of CBG-dominant flower used per week was 3.46g while the average amount of CBG-predominant concentrate was 1.09g per week, which represents a much higher dosage on average per week for participants who were using CBG concentrate.

In a case study published by our team at NAP evaluating the addition of CBG to a medical cannabis patient treated with high CBD and low/moderate THC, CBG was effective in decreasing general anxiety that increased due to the onset of COVID-19. The report covered a neurodivergent medical cannabis patient with a history of negative responses to traditional psychopharmaceuticals who consulted with a cannabis formulation specialist before adding full-spectrum CBG tincture to their cannabis regimen. CBG was effective at significantly reducing anxiety levels at a dose of 20-30mg of full-spectrum CBG tincture per day.

Most recently, a double-blinded, placebo-controlled field trial evaluated the anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects of CBG as well as assessing any possible impairment effects. There were 34 eligible participants with a majority reporting no prior experience using CBG products, but all participants had prior experience with cannabis. In contrast to the previous two reports, the majority of these participants (82.4%) reported using cannabis for recreational purposes with none reporting using only for medicinal purposes.

The trial found a statistically significant decrease in CBG on self-reported ratings for anxiety with a mean decrease rating greater than that experienced by the placebo, diluted Chartreuse liquer and water. However, there was no significance found between CBG and placebo for the STAI state-trait anxiety test ratings. Authors posit that this may be due to CBG’s ability to reduce overall broader feelings of anxiety rather than specific components measured in the STAI such as jittery, confused, or indecisive. There were no findings of impairment or self-reported intoxication.

While these studies are all very recent, there is evidence in real world efficacy that CBG can be beneficial for reducing anxiety and is a promising new potential for personalizing cannabis medicine!

REFERENCES

Bioactivity of the cannabigerol cannabinoid and its analogues – the role of 3-dimensional conformation. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 21, 4683–4693 (2023).

Russo, E. B. et al. Survey of Patients Employing Cannabigerol-Predominant Cannabis Preparations: Perceived Medical Effects, Adverse Events, and Withdrawal Symptoms. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 7, 706–716 (2022).

Kirk, R. et al. Minor Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Report. AJEM (2023).

Cuttler, C., Stueber, A., Cooper, Z. D. & Russo, E. Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial. Sci Rep 14, 16163 (2024).

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