Although many cannabis users know how to differentiate between CBD and THC, there are many fewer users who are familiar with cannabigerol (CBG). One of the minority cannabinoids, CBG is gaining lots of popularity thanks to its great medicinal value.
For all of these reasons, we are pleased to present CBG Zerodue, a cannabis variety that will surely be a household name in no time.
CBG Zerodue offers a unique experience from the cannabis world as it is a unique genetic that has an incredible high percentage of CBG – up to 15% – and is very low in THC – under 0.2% – which means that this cannabis is legal nearly all over the world.
This level of CBG has – until now – been impossible to obtain from commercially available varieties of cannabis. These quantities of CBG were previously restricted to genetic laboratories who had successfully discovered methods of blocking the biosynthesis of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component, while raising the accumulation of cannabigerol (CBG) which would have normally only been found in trace amounts.
Now CBG Zerodue, a fast blooming plant with impressive yields of flowers rich in CBG, becomes a new standard for the medical community as well as for marijuana growers seeking new sensations.
CBG Zerodue is a cross between CBD Critical XXL and an Italian research genetic, which produces vigorous phenotypes that reach from 1m up to 1.5m, tall. However, despite being a first generation cross, many plants will express their BCN Critical XXL ancestry by showing gigantic yields. When growing outside, flowering times will greatly depend upon the climate in which you live.
Thanks to the parental lineage, CBG Zerodue should be ready for harvest around 7 weeks after the first signs of flowering occur, usually about 2 weeks after changing the light cycle, if growing indoor. When growing outside, flowering times will greatly depend upon the climate in which you live.
CBG is one of more than 120 identified cannabinoids (up until the point this article is written) although it usually only constitutes a small portion of the cannabinoids present in the flowers – typically less than 1%. These low concentrations have made it incredibly difficult for researchers to obtain sufficiently large samples for investigation of its properties and benefits. However, this doesn’t mean that its not already an important cannabinoid on a therapeutic level.
What is CBG exactly? CBG forms from CBGa (cannabigerolic acid), which is the precursor considered the mother cannabinoid by which the plant synthesises all other cannabinoids. Cannabionoids in their acidic forms are found in the fresh flowers of cannabis. Once the plant has matured – the majority of the CBGa has been converted by plant enzymes into different portions of the three main cannabinoids found on cannabis: THCa, CBDa, and CBCa.
These cannabinoids in their acidic forms, change into their non acidic form through heat and oxidation – during a process called decarboxylation – transforming into THC, CBD, and other minor cannabinoids. As a result, CBGa virtually disappears as it is only exists in a brief stage during the production and synthesis of other cannabinoids.
In order to obtain higher yields of CBG, breeders have started to experiment through selection. They have also successfully identified the optimum window of harvest, preserving the greatest amounts possible of CBG and recommending that harvest is performed about at about 6 weeks in an 8 week flowering cycle.
Similar to other cannabinoids, CBG influences our endocannabinoid system which regulates the balance of our physiological function. However, unlike CBD which acts primarily through indirect interactions with the endocannabinoid system, CBG is believed to elicit its effects directly through interaction with the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in the brain.
THC produces its psychoactive effects by way of interactions with these receptors; and it has been observed that CBG acts as a buffer against this psycho activity and can even alleviate the feelings of anxiety or paranoia that sometimes accompany high levels of THC.
CBG has also demonstrated a great capacity to increase amandamide, commonly known as the “happiness molecule,” which is an endogenous cannabinoid that helps to regulate many bodily functions, including appetite, sleep, mood, and the immune system.
Thus, different effects of this cannabinoid can be observed that answer the question: what does CBG do?
The complete interaction between our endocannabinoid system and different phytocannabinoids is known as “the entourage effect” – or synergy – which suggests that a combination of compounds found in the plant is more beneficial than to use each compound separately. In essence, the end result is more than the sum of its parts.
Its important to keep in mind that scientists are only just now starting to understand the implications of this interaction. This weekly research article, by Dr. Ethan Russo, presents a convincing summary of studies that have demonstrated the therapeutic effects obtained from the combination of cannabinoids and terpenes present.
The article describes, for example, that the terpenoid limonene expresses a synergistic effect with CBG, allowing apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Linalool, which is a terpene present in lavender, also expresses synergistic effects with CBG in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
CBG Zerodue is a strain which is very rich in myrcene, which can reach up to 63% of its terpene profile. According to Dr. Russo, the data would support the hypothesis that myrcene is a sedative terpene and, combined with certain cannabinoids, may be responsible for the “couck-lock” effect produced by certain chemotypes – an effect that users usually look for in Indica cannabis genetics.
Research on the therapeutic benefits of CBG remains relatively sparse compared to the wealth of information available on THC and CBD within the scientific community.
Although it is yet to be tested in human clinical trials, there are preliminary studies linking this compound to a host of potential therapeutic uses.
¿What is CBG for?
CBG is one of the lesser abundant cannabinoids, although – as we’ve observed – it reduces inflammation, combats pain and even slows down the proliferation of cancer cells. Having no psychoactive effects and a huge potential for therapeutic use, why hasn’t CBG become as popular as CBD?
The real question is, In which cases would one prefer CBG to CBD?
The biggest obstacle in front of the use of CBG as a therapeutic treatment is the cost of production. Thousands of kilos of biomass are needed for even small amounts of isolated CBG oil. The majority of cannabis varieties only contain minimal quantities of CBG while at the same time there are genetics which exist containing up to 20% CBD. If the yield old of CBG from the same cultivated harvest is only 1%, that means that one needs to extract 20x that quantity of flower in order to obtain the same amount of CBG.
Another deterrent that keeps growers from focusing on CBG is that plants must be cut early to avoid CBGa transformation and maximize the harvestable amount of this cannabinoid. With the high demand for CBD and THC, most growers are unwilling to harvest their plants so early and forgo other cannabinoids in favour of CBG.
That is why the creation of varieties rich in CBG such as CBG Zerodue is important, since the genetics of the plant is the main factor in lowering its price, and because the development of CBG seeds with a high genetic yield of cannabigerol would allow cheaper isolation and purification process.
In short, the medicinal benefits of CBG are very numerous, and it can have a positive impact on the lives of many people who are looking for a more sustainable cannabis, by reducing the side effects of THC in the same way that CBD does.