A lesser-known cannabinoid known as CBG has surprised scientists after a first-ever human clinical trial found that it appears to improve memory, while also “significantly” reducing anxiety and stress.
The non-intoxicating cannabinoid might not be as well-known as THC and CBD, but as it’s grown in popularity, researchers at Washington State University (WSU) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) set out to investigate it, amid anecdotal, survey-based reports about its therapeutic potential.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports in July, found that cannabigerol, or CBG, caused “significant overall reductions in anxiety as well as reductions in stress” among study participants compared to the placebo. “CBG also enhanced verbal memory relative to placebo,” with “no evidence of subjective drug effects or impairment.”
“The finding that it significantly enhanced [memory] was kind of shocking to me and completely, entirely unexpected, which was why I triple-checked.”
That finding about CBG’s effects on memory took the research team by surprise. Lead author and WSU Associate Professor of Psychology Carrie Cuttler said in a press release that they “triple-checked to ensure accuracy, and the enhancement was statistically significant.”
“The finding that it significantly enhanced [memory] was kind of shocking to me and completely, entirely unexpected, which was why I triple-checked the direction and the result,” Cuttler told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview, adding that “we definitely want to replicate that finding before we make too big of a deal about it.”
To assess the efficacy of CBG, researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled field trial where 34 healthy adults were given either 20mg of hemp-derived CBG or a placebo tincture over two sessions.
Participants were first asked to complete online assessments rating their anxiety, stress and mood. After administration of the cannabinoid, they took another series of assessments, including a survey, stress test and verbal memory test.
“CBG may represent a novel option to reduce stress and anxiety in healthy adults,” the study authors said. “Results indicate that CBG reduces global feelings of anxiety and stress and that it may enhance memory in the absence of intoxication, impairment, or subjective drug effects.”
On average, cannabigerol was linked to an average 26.5 percent reduction in feelings of anxiety, and researchers also found a “significant effect of CBG on subjective stress ratings.”
But the results of the verbal memory test, which involved having participants listen to and immediately recall two sets of 16 words, were especially surprising to the research team.
Cuttler said her working theory was that the reduced anxiety people feel after consuming the cannabinoid could potentially be at play.
“We hypothesized that CBG would not impair memory, but our finding that CBG significantly enhanced verbal memory was unexpected,” the study says.
Asked whether she had any thoughts about why CBG might uniquely enhance memory, Cuttler said her working theory was that the reduced anxiety people feel after consuming the cannabinoid could potentially be at play. That is, the cognitive function could be bolstered when people are feeling less stressed or anxious.
The clinical trial was informed by an earlier survey that found 51 percent of people who use CBG say they primarily consume it to mitigate anxiety. Nearly 80 percent of CBG users said it was more effective at treating anxiety than conventional anxiety medications.
“CBG is becoming increasingly popular, with more producers making bold, unsubstantiated claims about its effects,” Cuttler said. “Our study is one of the first to provide evidence supporting some of these claims, helping to inform both consumers and the scientific community.”
Cuttler cautioned that the researchers don’t want the results of this novel study to give people the impression that “CBG is a miracle drug.”
A follow-up would enable the team to substantiate the findings and also assess the physiological effects of CBG.
“It’s new and exciting, but replication and further research are crucial,” she said. “Ongoing and future studies will help build a comprehensive understanding of CBG’s benefits and safety, potentially offering a new avenue for reducing feelings of anxiety and stress without the intoxicating effects of THC.”
Cuttler said she’s currently awaiting approval to carry out a follow-up clinical trial that would be conducted in-person in a laboratory setting, rather than via Zoom as was the case in this latest study. This would enable the team to substantiate the findings and also assess the physiological effects of CBG, such as its impacts on blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels and body temperature.
She’s also in initial talks about a separate study investigating how CBG might affect menopause symptoms, and said she’s interested in hearing from potential participants who might want to be involved in that research.
Meanwhile, another recent first-of-its-kind study found that applying CBD-infused lotion to the skin appears to be tied to a lower risk of damage from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
A separate study on the possible therapeutic value of lesser-known compounds in cannabis, published in the journal BioFactors, says that a number of minor cannabinoids, including CBG, may have anti-cancer effects on blood cancer that warrant further research.
In May, industry-backed research into the potential anti-anxiety effects of cannabidiol separately found that an oral CBD solution effectively treated mild-to-moderate anxiety, as well as associated depression and poor sleep quality, with no serious adverse events observed.
Image by MarihuanayMedicina via Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0
This story was originally published by Marijuana Moment, which tracks the politics and policy of cannabis and drugs. Follow Marijuana Moment on X and Facebook, and sign up for its newsletter.