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CBG

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CBG (cannabigerol): what it is, and why it is called the parent cannabinoid

  1. Cannabigerol, a minor cannabinoid whose acid form, CBGA, is the starting point for THCA and CBDA in the plant.

By The glossary desk. Published

CBG /ˌsiːˌbiːˈdʒiː/ abbr. Cannabigerol. A minor cannabinoid whose acid form, CBGA, is the starting point for THCA and CBDA in the plant.

  1. (chemistry) The compound C21H32O2, molar mass 316.5 g/mol (PubChem CID 5315659). In the plant it is made as cannabigerolic acid, CBGA; heat turns CBGA into CBG.
  2. (commerce) Short for products sold for their cannabigerol content, including “CBG flower” from hemp bred to keep its CBGA.

Origin Canna(bis) + ger(anyl) + -ol: the molecule carries a geranyl chain, the same building block as geraniol in rose oil. It was first described in 1964 by Yehiel Gaoni and Raphael Mechoulam (Nachnani and others, 2021).

See also cannabidiol · CBDA · CBDV · CBN · hemp

Checked against the sources below on Oct. 4, 2026.

Notes

Why is CBG called the parent cannabinoid?

Because its acid comes first. The plant builds CBGA, then one of several enzymes turns it into another acid: THCA synthase makes THCA, and CBDA synthase makes CBDA (Taura, Morimoto and Shoyama, 1996). A 2021 review in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics calls CBG “the precursor molecule for the most abundant phytocannabinoids” (Nachnani and others, 2021). Since most of the CBGA is converted, a typical mature plant holds only a little.

Where does CBG flower come from?

From plants that lack working THCA and CBDA synthase, so their CBGA stays as it is. Dutch breeders described such CBG-dominant plants, and showed the trait is inherited, in 2005 (de Meijer and Hammond, 2005). Hemp bred from that kind of line is what sellers call CBG flower.

What is known about how CBG acts?

Less than for CBD. The 2021 review describes CBG binding the cannabinoid receptors with strength between THC’s and CBD’s, and acting at other targets too. It notes that CBG is sold with many claims while little research has been done, and that its possible hazards also need study (Nachnani and others, 2021). No CBG product is FDA-approved for any use, and this glossary makes no claim for it.

How is CBG shown on a lab report?

As two lines, CBG and CBGA, and a total: CBG + 0.878 × CBGA. The factor is the ratio of the two molar masses (316.5 ÷ 360.5), slightly different from the 0.877 used for CBD and THC.

What does federal law say?

Hemp is defined by its THC, not its CBG. From Dec. 11, 2026, the federal definition counts total THC, THCA included, at 0.3% of dry weight, and it excludes products with cannabinoids synthesized or manufactured outside the plant (P.L. 119-37, sec. 781; date set by H.R. 6500, sec. 2019). State law varies; check yours.

The shop on this site

The shop does not sell CBG flower today. Our menu today is high-THCA hemp flower, not CBD flower. Smoked, it gets you high and shows up on THC drug tests.

Sources

Questions

What is CBG?
Cannabigerol, C21H32O2, a cannabinoid of the cannabis plant. Its acid form, CBGA, is the compound the plant converts into THCA, CBDA and CBCA.
What does CBG mean on a label?
That the product contains cannabigerol. A lab report should show how much, as CBG and as CBGA, and a total CBG figure.
Why is CBG called the mother cannabinoid?
Because CBGA is the shared precursor: enzymes in the plant turn it into the acids of THC, CBD and CBC. Most of it is used up that way, so mature plants usually hold little CBG.
Is CBG approved for any medical use?
No. The FDA has approved no CBG product. A 2021 review notes that far less research has been done on CBG than on CBD.

See also CBDV (cannabidivarin): CBD's shorter-chained relative · CBDA (cannabidiolic acid): the raw form of CBD · CBD as a medical abbreviation: the common bile duct, and three other meanings

A note on our shop: it sells high-THCA hemp flower, not CBD flower.