While there hasn’t yet been a lot of research done on cannabigerol (CBG), a 2022 survey of CBG users found that many people prefer this hemp-derived cannabinoid to traditional medicines for stress, anxiety, pain, and more.
But before you give it a try, you’re probably wondering whether CBG will get you high.
The short answer is no. CBG is non-psychoactive and will not cause you to experience a high like THC will. In fact, CBG may even reduce unwanted side effects of THC, such as anxiety and paranoia. Instead, CBG will create a clearheaded and uplifting mental effect akin to caffeine.
In this article, we answer questions related to whether CBG will get you high, from how it works in your body to how it makes you feel when combined with other cannabinoids.
What is CBG?
Cannabigerol, or CBG, is one of 100+ cannabinoids that naturally occur in the hemp plant. The acidic form of CBG, CBGa, is the cannabinoid in hemp from which all others are derived, which has earned CBG the title “the mother of all cannabinoids.”
CBG is not as popular as CBD, but that may be changing. Many are discovering how CBG can help with things like stress, anxiety, and pain, and it’s been scientifically researched for a number of brain conditions, including glaucoma, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Does CBG Get You High?
No, CBG will not get you high. CBG is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that will not create a head experience similar to that of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Instead, CBG will create an uplifting, energizing mental effect that’s similar to caffeinated coffee.
Additionally, CBG tends to reduce the inebriating effects of THC if these two cannabinoids are taken together.
How Does CBG Make You Feel?
Although CBG won’t get you high, it does create noticeable mental effects. But instead of the euphoria and inebriation commonly associated with THC, CBG creates feelings of energy, focus, and clarity while promoting physical relaxation and comfort.
For this reason, many people use CBG during the day to support mental and physical comfort and performance.
How CBG Works in Your Body
To understand why CBG doesn’t get you high but does create many therapeutic benefits, we have to take a look at how CBG interacts with the various systems in your body.
CBG & the endocannabinoid system
CBG and other cannabinoids work by interacting with your endocannabinoid system (ECS), a receptor system in your body that regulates your vital functions, including your pain and inflammatory responses, sleep-wake cycle, and mood. The ECS works to keep your body in a state of homeostasis, or balance.
The ECS normally produces its own cannabinoids (called endocannabinoids) to fulfill its function on its own. But during times of mental or physical stress, supplementing with cannabinoids like CBG can help your ECS perform better.
Two main types of receptors can be found in the ECS:
- CB1 receptors, which are primarily located in the central nervous system and are associated with mental effects
- CB2 receptors, which are primarily located in the peripheral nervous system and immune system and are associated with physical effects
CBG binds to both the CB1 and CB2 receptors, thereby rendering both mental and physical effects.
However, CBG doesn’t bind as strongly to the CB1 receptors as THC does. Strong activation of CB1 receptors may lead to a high, but because CBG doesn’t activate these receptors to the same degree, it’s able to create mental effects that, while noticeable, aren’t in any way psychoactive.
How CBG reduces the side effects of THC
Not only will CBG not get you high: anecdotal evidence suggests CBG can counteract the negative effects of THC if you take them together.
THC’s interaction with your CB1 receptors is what causes a high, and CBG is thought to prevent THC from binding with your CB1 receptors (to a degree), therefore reducing the high feelings.
And it’s not just the high that CBG influences: taking CBG with THC will reduce unwanted side effects typically associated with THC, such as anxiety and paranoia.
This is the entourage effect in action: the entourage effect is a theory that cannabinoids provide more benefits and have fewer side effects when they’re taken together.
This theory helps to explain how CBG is able to reduce the downsides of THC.
Potential Benefits of CBG
Although CBG won’t get you high, it will create a myriad of beneficial mental and physical effects. Research shows that CBG may have therapeutic potential in a variety of areas:
- Pain & Inflammation: 2021 research from King’s College in London, England found that CBG may have anti-inflammatory effects [1]. Anecdotally, many people use CBG for physical discomfort.
- Anxiety: A 2022 survey conducted by prominent cannabinoid researcher Ethan Russo and colleagues found that many people use CBG for anxiety [2]. Respondents to the survey reported that CBG was highly effective for this use. Anecdotally, CBG is a beneficial choice for promoting a calm, anxiety-free mind due to its uplifting, yet focusing properties.
- Energy & Focus: A 2021 survey published in the International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine found that many people with attention disorders improved their focus after using products that contained a mix of CBG and cannabidiol (CBD) [3]. Anecdotally, CBG helps many people focus because of its uplifting, yet not distracting effects.
- Neurological Health: CBG has been researched for various neurological disorders. Research from Konkuk University in South Korea found that CBG may slow the progression of neurological problems [4].
- Appetite: In a 2016 study, scientists at the University of Reading found that CBG may increase appetite. They concluded that CBG has therapeutic potential as an appetite stimulant [5].
Because CBG supports mental and physical health without creating psychoactive effects, it’s become an extremely popular cannabinoid for therapeutic use.
You deserve better. That's why you won’t find weak, ineffective, or dangerous products here. Only high-strength, American-made CBG products that have been 3rd-party lab tested.
Side Effects of CBG
While CBG’s effect profile is largely beneficial, it also has the potential to create adverse effects.
Potential side effects of CBG include:
- Dry mouth
- Sleepiness
- Increased appetite
- Dry eyes
- Digestive upset (nausea, diarrhea)
- Dizziness
- Headache
The best way to avoid feeling the side effects is to start by taking a low dose of CBG, then slowly adjusting so your body doesn’t become overwhelmed.
For more on this, see our CBG dosage guide.
Effects of CBG When Combined With Other Cannabinoids
By itself, CBG won’t get you high and has a variety of beneficial effects. But CBG may actually be at its most beneficial when consumed alongside other cannabinoids.
Here’s what you can expect after taking CBG with either THC or CBD:
- CBG and THC: Taking these cannabinoids together will create a more uplifting, less sedating head high with less paranoia and anxiety. CBG won’t completely mitigate the psychoactive and euphoric effects of THC; instead, it tends to reduce the least enjoyable parts of the THC experience.
- CBG and CBD: Taking these cannabinoids in combination will render a focused, energetic mental sensation along with a comfortable physical effect. Both CBD and CBG have a laundry list of therapeutic benefits that go far beyond their noticeable effects; combining them amplifies these benefits.
Full-spectrum CBG products will contain CBD and THC by default, however, there are also a lot of products that specifically combine CBG with other cannabinoids in significant amounts.
Will CBG Show Up on a Drug Test?
CBG by itself won’t show up on a standard 12-panel drug test.
However, if you’re using a full-spectrum CBG product, which contains small amounts of THC, you will fail a drug test because THC is target analyte on drug tests due to its presence in marijuana, which is federally illegal.
If you have to regularly undergo drug testing, ensure you buy a broad-spectrum or isolate CBG product, neither of which contain THC.
Conclusion: How CBG Makes You Feel
CBG won’t get you high, and in fact, it may actually dampen the negative effects of THC, allowing you to get the benefits of this cannabinoid without the psychoactive effects. It’s also a great companion to CBD, a similarly beneficial cannabinoid.
Thankfully, there are already a large variety of CBG products that combine this cannabinoid with other cannabinoids in all sorts of beneficial ratios. So get out there and give it a try – just be sure you buy from a reputable brand.
Does CBG Get You High: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions our customers frequently ask us about whether CBG creates a high.
Will CBG make me feel high?
Though CBG interacts with your body similarly to THC, it will not produce a head high. Anecdotal evidence even suggests that CBG can reduce the high feeling you get from THC if you take the two cannabinoids together. However, CBG does have benefits in other areas: many people find it useful for stress, anxiety, ADHD, and more.
Does CBG get you stoned?
No, CBG is not psychoactive and won’t create any sort of a stoned effect. Instead, it will promote feelings of energy and mental clarity.
Does CBG make you trip?
No, CBG will not make you trip. It is not psychoactive as THC is and does not create any sort of effect comparable to “magic mushrooms.”
What does CBG do for you?
CBG creates a mentally uplifting, physically relaxing full-body sensation. It promotes comprehensive health without creating a head high.
What type of high is CBG?
CBG does not create any type of high, although it does create uplifting mental effects. The reason CBG’s effects aren’t considered a “high” is because they are not inebriating or impairing in any way.
Sources
[1] Navarro G, Varani K, Reyes-Resina I, Sánchez de Medina V, Rivas-Santisteban R, Sánchez-Carnerero Callado C, Vincenzi F, Casano S, Ferreiro-Vera C, Canela EI, Borea PA, Nadal X, Franco R. Cannabigerol Action at Cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 Receptors and at CB1-CB2 Heteroreceptor Complexes. Front Pharmacol. 2018 Jun 21;9:632. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00632. PMID: 29977202; PMCID: PMC6021502.
[2] Robaina Cabrera, Carmen Lorena et al. “The anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol and cannabigerol alone, and in combination.” Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics vol. 69 (2021): 102047. doi:10.1016/j.pupt.2021.102047
[3] Russo, Ethan B et al. “Survey of Patients Employing Cannabigerol-Predominant Cannabis Preparations: Perceived Medical Effects, Adverse Events, and Withdrawal Symptoms.” Cannabis and cannabinoid research vol. 7,5 (2022): 706-716. doi:10.1089/can.2021.0058
[4] Kaufmann, Robert. (2021). Nano-processed CBG/CBD effect on pain, adult attention deficit hyperactive disorder, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 14. 235-240. 10.15406/ijcam.2021.14.00567.
[5] More, Sandeep Vasant, and Dong-Kug Choi. “Promising cannabinoid-based therapies for Parkinson’s disease: motor symptoms to neuroprotection.” Molecular neurodegeneration vol. 10 17. 8 Apr. 2015, doi:10.1186/s13024-015-0012-0
[6] Brierley, Daniel I et al. “Cannabigerol is a novel, well-tolerated appetite stimulant in pre-satiated rats.” Psychopharmacology vol. 233,19-20 (2016): 3603-13. doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4397-4
