April 30, 2021

CBG, CBD, and CBN. What’s the Difference?

If you happened to be just starting to explore the world of hemp derived CBD products that are available in the marketplace you may have found that there is more to it than just CBD. There are CBG products, CBD products as well as CBN products. This can get really confusing for a person who is just getting started. What do all these acronyms mean? How do these things affect us? What’s the benefit?

CBG, CBD, and CBN are what are referred to as Cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are naturally occurring chemical compounds that are found in the hemp plant’s leaves and flowers. These chemicals are responsible for the plant’s effects and each compound offers it’s own set of unique benefits. More than 200 cannabinoids have been found since its discovery in Israel during the 1960’s. It’s very likely that even more will be found as we continue to explore the chemical composition of the hemp plant.

I think CBG (Cannabigerol) is a good place to start. Why is this a good place to start? Because CBG is where it all starts. It’s the point of origin of all cannabinoids. As the plant begins to develop and mature, the first cannabinoid that is created is CBG. As the plant continues to mature CBG breaks downs and evolves to create new cannabinoids like CBD and CBN. So, considering this is where it all starts you’re probably wondering if this will get you high. The answer is no, CBG is not a sedative. It’s an Anti-Inflammatory and an Anti-Spastic just like CBD. Now you know where it gets its inherited traits. It has also been found to be an Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Proliferative, pain reliever, sleep aid, appetite stimulant, mood lifter, and is both a bone and brain cell stimulant which promotes their growth.

CBD is Cannabidiol, it has become one of the most talked about and researched topics in both medical and natural wellness arenas. This compound has intrigued both researchers and scientists alike due to its multiple health benefits. Best known for it’s Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Spastic properties, CBD has been researched for the potential treatments in other areas such as its neuroprotective effects. Federal restrictions have made it difficult for researchers to conduct human clinical trials on CBD. But not impossible. Human trials have been conducted on epilepsy, cancer pain and chemotherapy, stress and anxiety, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which successes. CBD is also closely related to THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), this is the psychoactive compound found in Cannabis that gets you “high”. Both compounds have very similar therapeutic abilities, but unlike THC, CBD has no intoxicating side effects. This way one can still receive all the benefits and still be able to drive.

Last but certainly not the least, we have CBN (cannabinol). CBN was the first naturally occurring cannabinoid to be isolated in its pure form back in 1896. People originally thought it was responsible for the high found in cannabis, but later found out that is was tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which produced the intoxicating effects of cannabis. It was discovered that CBN is actually an oxidation product of THC; THC will slowly turn into CBN when exposed to heat and light. So as THC degrades and breaks down it turns into CBN. CBN has shown great potential as a treatment for sleep disorders, pain relief, and inflammation, among other medical benefits. For instance, in an analysis shared by Steep Hill Labs in 2017, researchers found that a 2.5-to-5 milligram dose of CBN was as effective as a 5-to-10 milligram dose of the pharmaceutical sedative diazepam. Researchers also discovered that CBN demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-convulsant properties on its own. CBN also acts as an appetite stimulant and could act as a pain reliever when combined with CBD.

So, as you can see that these cannabinoids may have slightly different points of origin they not only share similar traits they have unique ones as well. But the one thing that they all have in common is that they can better our health in the long term. From pain relief to sleep aids, these cannabinoids have an array of benefits. It really is amazing to know that all these benefits can come from a single plant.

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