CBG vs CBD: They're Not the Same Thing
Everyone knows CBD. Almost nobody knows CBG.
Walk into any grocery store and you'll find CBD in the supplement aisle. It's in gummies, tinctures, lotions, dog treats. The market hit $5 billion and keeps growing. CBD won.
But there's another cannabinoid that most people have never heard of, and the early research on it is arguably more interesting. It's called CBG, short for cannabigerol. We've been putting it in our coffee since day one. Here's why.
CBG is where every other cannabinoid starts
In the hemp plant, CBG is the precursor molecule. Every cannabinoid, including CBD and THC, begins its life as CBG-A (the acidic form of CBG). As the plant matures, enzymes convert CBG-A into CBD-A, THC-A, and other compounds.
By the time the plant is harvested, less than 1% of its cannabinoid content is still CBG. That's why it's expensive. That's why most companies don't bother with it. And that's why the ones who do charge more for it.
How they feel different
CBD is known for calming effects. At higher doses, some people find it makes them drowsy or foggy. That's fine if you're winding down at night. It's less ideal if you're trying to start your morning sharp.
CBG tends to work differently. The feedback we get from customers, consistently, over years of selling CBG coffee: focused without being wired. Clear-headed energy. No sedation, no spaciness. Just steady.
That's not a clinical claim. It's what people tell us. But it lines up with the preclinical research showing CBG interacts with different receptor pathways than CBD, particularly around focus and inflammation.
The research gap
CBD has thousands of published studies. CBG has far fewer. That's not because CBG is less promising. It's because CBG is harder and more expensive to study. The raw material costs more. The extraction is more complex. Researchers go where the funding is, and CBD had a 10-year head start.
What does exist is encouraging. Studies have looked at CBG's effects on inflammation (Borrelli et al., 2013, Biochemical Pharmacology), neuroprotection (Valdeolivas et al., 2015, Neurotherapeutics), appetite regulation without intoxication (Brierley et al., 2016, Psychopharmacology), and antibacterial activity against MRSA (Farha et al., 2020, McMaster University).
None of these are conclusive. All of them are worth watching.
Why we chose CBG over CBD
Most CBD coffee companies chose CBD because it was cheaper and easier to source. We chose CBG because it pairs better with caffeine.
Coffee is a morning drink. You drink it to wake up, focus, and get moving. A cannabinoid that supports clarity and focus makes more sense in that context than one known for relaxation and drowsiness.
We also went a step further this year. We developed a proprietary water soluble CBG formula, the only one on the market, that absorbs 4-5x better than oil-based CBG. Every other CBG product uses oil infusion. Oil doesn't dissolve in water. Your body is mostly water. You do the math on how much of that oil-based dose you're actually absorbing.
The short version
CBD calms. CBG focuses. Both are non-intoxicating. Both are legal. Both come from hemp. But they're not interchangeable, and for a morning coffee, CBG makes more sense.
If you've only tried CBD, CBG is worth experiencing for yourself.
Shop CBG coffee and our exclusive water soluble CBG tincture at buddhabeanscoffee.com.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
