Is CBG Good for Pain? (Here’s What Research Says) (2024)

CBG has become a very popular cannabinoid because of its wide variety of therapeutic and health benefits.

But perhaps CBG’s most popular use is for pain. Research suggests CBG may help with many different types of pain and inflammation. CBG’s benefits have even led some enthusiastic users to dub it a “wonder drug.”

From our perspective, CBG is the first thing we recommend when customers come in our doors and tell us they’re looking for something for pain.

However, this doesn’t mean CBG is always a viable replacement for pain prescriptions, or even that it’s always the right choice.

In this article, we’ll discuss how CBG may help with pain, and how you should go about using it.

What is CBG?

Cannabigerol (CBG) is one of more than 100 cannabinoids that naturally occur in the hemp plant.

Unlike CBD and THC, CBG is a minor cannabinoid — it’s only produced in very small amounts in the cannabis plant.

Like CBD, it’s non-psychoactive and doesn’t get you high.

However, it does have energizing and uplifting effects that anecdotal evidence suggests are similar to coffee. And as it turns out, a variety of physically relaxing benefits, too.

Can CBG Help With Pain?

CBG may indeed have therapeutic potential for different types of pain. Research suggests CBG has anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving effects), similar to CBD, and it’s been researched for use with many different types of pain.

CBG is not a solution to the causes of pain, which are often rooted in conditions that take an ongoing effort to treat.

However, it may help with pain by affecting the way you experience pain and inflammatory sensations. Anecdotally, many people say that CBG helps them get through the day and live a normal life without being constantly hampered by discomfort.

Additionally, CBG renders uplifting and energizing effects that may boost your mood and impact how you think about your condition.

CBG is not a proven solution for pain, and more research on it is needed. As a result, we always recommend speaking to your doctor before using it in place of medication or to address any condition.

Still, using CBG products may make your condition more manageable and enable you to get through the day a bit easier.

How CBG Helps With Pain

In this section, we’ll explore the different use cases of CBG for pain.

CBG for Stomach Pain, IBDs, and IBS

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are conditions in which tissues in your digestive tract become chronically inflamed. The main types of IBDs are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

IBDs are not to be confused with IBS, which refers to inflammatory bowel syndrome, a group of symptoms that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of IBS include cramping, abdominal pain, and bloating.

Research suggests that CBG may help with discomfort from IBDs. However, research state that further research is needed on the use of CBG for patients with forms of IBD.

When it comes to IBS, CBG hasn’t been researched as a potential solution (although CBD, which has somewhat similar properties, has). Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests CBG may have therapeutic benefits for pain caused by IBS.

In fact, pain from IBS is one of the main reasons many people begin using CBG products.

CBG may also generally help with other forms of stomach pain and discomfort.

CBG for Nerve (Neuropathic) Pain

Nerve pain results from damage to the nervous system, and can cause sharp discomfort throughout the body.

Research on CBG for peripheral neuropathy found that it may have therapeutic potential for managing the resulting discomfort.

This research also gives insight into why CBG may be effective for stomach or abdominal pain and back pain — pain in these areas is commonly a result of nerve pain.

Another form of nerve pain that CBG may help with, based on anecdotal evidence, is sciatica (pain in the leg caused by injury or pressure on the sciatic nerve).

CBG for Back Pain & Arthritis

There is research showing CBG may have therapeutic potential for arthritis and back pain.

One study showed CBG may have therapeutic potential for arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and other inflammation-based conditions that are commonly treated with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and opioids.

Anecdotally, CBG has been helpful for many of our customers who deal with back pain.

CBG for Other Types of Inflammation & Pain

Although CBG may help with many types of pain, there are only a few studies that investigate its efficacy for specific conditions.

However, based on the research demonstrating CBG has potential anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, it may help with other forms of pain that it hasn’t been researched for (yet).

How CBG Works

CBG works by interacting with your body’sendocannabinoid system (ECS), a transmitter system that regulates most systems used for moment-to-moment functioning. The ECS works to keep your body in a state of balance.

The ECS normally functions fine on its own, but during times of bodily distress (such as nerve pain, back pain, etc.), using outside cannabinoids can provide assistance to the ECS.

Two main types of receptors can be found in the ECS:

• CB1 receptors, located in the central nervous system, that are responsible for how cannabinoids act on your mind
• CB2 receptors, located in the peripheral nervous system and immune system, that are responsible for how cannabinoids act on your body

Studies indicate CBG binds to both types of receptors, thereby creating mentally energizing effects and addressing physical discomfort.

Side Effects of CBG

Although CBG has vast therapeutic potential, it also has a few potential adverse side effects:

• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness
• Dry eyes
• Increased appetite

As a side note, be sure not to take CBG too close to bedtime. While its energizing effects are often a plus, they may interfere with sleep.

How to Use CBG for Pain

There are a variety of different ways you can take CBG to address physical discomfort. In this section, we’ll discuss your options and cover the upsides and downsides of each.

For reference:

• Average Bioavailability— The percentage of the CBG you take that your body can use (in other words, how “efficient” a delivery method is).
• Onset Time— How quickly you’ll feel the effects of CBG in a certain delivery method.

CBG Edibles

Average Bioavailability:10-20%

Onset Time:45 minutes to 1 hour

The most common type of CBG edible is gummies. Edibles offer a fixed-dose way to take CBG, making them great for therapeutic use.

CBG Capsules

Average Bioavailability:10-20%

Onset Time:45 minutes to 1 hour

CBG capsules, like edibles, offer a fast, fixed-dose delivery method. The one downside to capsules is that they aren’t a convenient product if you need a very small dose, since you can’t easily split them in half.

CBG Oil

Average Bioavailability:20-30%

Onset Time:10 to 15 minutes

CBG oil is taken sublingually (under the tongue), rather than swallowed. As a result, it works faster and is slightly more bioavailable than other consumption methods. CBG oil also allows for precise, down-to-the-drop dosing.

However, dosing CBG oil can be a bit confusing. Here’s what you need to know:

Here’s what you need to know:

Oils typically come in 1-milliliter droppers.Based on the strength of your product (our full-spectrum CBG and CBD oilcomes in 500mg, 1000mg, 1500mg, and 3000mg bottles), here’s how much CBG (or in our case, CBG and CBD) will be in each dropper of oil:

100mg bottle= 3.3mg CBG per 1 ml.

250mg bottle= 8.3mg CBG per 1 ml.

500mg bottle= 16.7mg CBG per 1 ml.

1000mg bottle= 33.3mg CBG per 1 ml.

1500mg bottle= 50mg CBG per 1 ml.

3000mg bottle= 100m CBG per 1 ml.

5000mg bottle= 166.6mg CBG per 1 ml.

CBG Dosage for Pain

For pain, we recommend starting with a medium-strength dosage of CBG. This will ensure you feel powerful enough effects to address the discomfort.

You can calculate your dosage using this formula:

(0.3) x (your body weight in lbs.) = your daily CBG dosage in mg.

As you go, you can slightly increase or decrease the amount of CBG you’re taking by 1-2mg per day until you land on the perfect amount.

CBG vs. CBD for Pain

Learn More: CBG vs. CBN for Pain

Scientists haven’t concluded whether either CBG or CBD is more effective than the other at addressing pain. As a result, most of what we recommend about these cannabinoids is based on anecdotal evidence.

Research has shown that both CBG and CBD have benefits for those dealing with pain and inflammation.

The main difference between how CBG and CBD work for pain is in how they make you feel.

Most people report that CBG delivers tangible, easy-to-feel effects. On the other hand, people say that CBD makes discomfort feel less extreme, but you won’t actively “feel” it working.

Based on this, you may be able to decide which cannabinoid is best for your situation. If not, it’s worth trying both. As of now, it’s hard to say which is better for pain and inflammation.

What we do know is that CBD and CBG are better when used together.

This is a result of the entourage effect: an idea that says cannabinoids work best when used together.

CBD is able to slightly dampen CBG’s energizing effects, and CBG is able to somewhat reverse the potentially drowsy side effect of CBD. Both cannabinoids enhance each other’s physically relaxing effects.

Together, these two cannabinoids have more therapeutic benefits for pain than either cannabinoid on its own, and they render a more even-keeled effect.

Conclusion: A Minor Cannabinoid With Major Benefits

By interacting with your endocannabinoid system, CBG may render therapeutic potential for pain by rendering both mental and physical relaxation. However, more research is needed before we know CBG’s efficacy for addressing different types of pain.

As of now, it’s only recommended as a supplement, and no one can guarantee that it will reduce the amount of pain you feel. But anecdotal evidence is promising.

We can see a future in which CBG and other cannabinoids are prescribed in place of the medicines currently being used — and it’s a good future, because CBG may do the same things as prescriptions, but with a fraction of the side effects (and for a fraction of the cost).

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CBG for Pain: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions customers commonly ask us about using CBG for pain.

Is CBG good for pain?

Yes. Like CBD, research suggests CBG may have therapeutic potential for addressing various forms of chronic pain, including IBDs, IBS, nerve pain, back pain, stomach pain, and more. However, more research into how CBG works is needed to support these potential uses and benefits.

Is CBD or CBG good for pain?

Scientific and anecdotal evidence suggests both CBG and CBD are equally effective for pain. However, while CBG’s effects are noticeable, CBD’s effects are more subtle and described as “making the pain feel more distant.”

Is CBG stronger than CBD?

Although neither cannabinoid is psychoactive, CBG’s effects on the mind are more noticeable than CBD’s. However, both cannabinoids exert similarly potent physical effects.

Is CBG good for nerve pain?

Research suggests CBG may have therapeutic potential for addressing the discomfort that results from various forms of nerve pain, including that caused by central as well as peripheral neuropathy.