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What Exactly Is CBG, and Is It Legal?

Why is this the case of CBG?

by tomlatham501

Like CBD before it, another cannabinoid has recently gained popularity in the cannabis industry. CBG is the cannabinoid in question (cannabigerol). CBG, like CBD, is one of the 100+ molecules found in the cannabis plant. CBG Distillate Wholesale is unique in the scientific community for the “precursor” role it plays in the synthesis of other cannabinoids, including THC and CBD, as well as the overall chemical composition of the plant. From a regulatory standpoint, CBG Distillate Wholesale products may be less problematic than CBD products.

In the cannabis industry, 2019 was the year of cannabidiol (CBD). CBD has found its way into a wide range of consumer products, from soda to sports bras. We first covered CBD in 2015, when the industry began promoting CBD products in earnest and the FDA issued warning letters (a time-honored tradition at this point) telling people to stop making health claims and to stop selling this stuff altogether.

Why is this the case?

First, some background. We explained on this blog that adding CBD to many products is illegal in the eyes of the FDA due to the “drug exclusion rule.” According to the FDA, CBD products cannot be sold as dietary supplements because CBD was investigated and approved as a new drug (Epidiolex). The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits the introduction of non-exempt “drugs” into the food supply. We’d like to see someone take on the FDA for this interpretation of CBD, but for the time being, that’s the framework.

CBG, unlike CBD, has not been approved as a drug, and the FDA has stated that “parts of the cannabis plant that do not contain THC or CBD may fall outside the scope of the [drug exclusion rule].” If CBG Distillate Wholesale is approved as a drug at some point in the future, it appears unlikely that the drug exclusion rule will apply: the rule includes an exception for substances marketed as foods or dietary supplements prior to any FDA clinical investigation. CBG Distillate Wholesale products are already being marketed as foods and dietary supplements.

This domestic legal framework, combined with the fact that CBG can be lawfully produced and extracted from hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill, appears to give Wholesale CBG Distillate a legal foothold. Of course, nothing here is guaranteed unless manufacturers and sellers avoid making unapproved health claims.

The international legal framework also appears to be promising. CBG is not listed on the schedules established by the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and does not appear to be governed by any other international treaty. This means that countries are not obligated to regulate Wholesale CBG Distillate. The cannabinoid is most likely legal under international law and could be ready for export.

Two things are likely to occur before CBG takes off in a big way.

First requirement:

The first is that consumers must be interested. It’s difficult to predict how this will play out, but industry may feel compelled to promote CBG given its obvious potential and the possibility of avoiding FDA entanglements. CBG, like CBD, CBN, and other cannabinoids, appears to have promising medical applications, even if they should not be advertised. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in the United States, for example, announced last year its intention to conduct research on CBG for pain management. CBD research has also resulted in the publication of industry white papers.

Second requirement:

The second requirement is that Wholesale CBG Distillate be grown on a large scale in order for prices to fall. CBG genetics are improving, but CBG distillate is still roughly six times the price of CBD distillate at wholesale. High prices are often beneficial to farmers, but some producers may be hesitant to enter the market because: 1) CBG is more expensive to extract than CBD, and 2) plants must be harvested early to produce pure CBD (before it synthesises into other cannabinoids). Finally, given today’s alternative—growing hemp for CBD and dealing with the new and very problematic “total THC testing protocol” adopted by USDA for finished hemp products—the early harvest requirement may not be all that bad.

We will continue to monitor CBG as the story unfolds in 2020 and beyond. For the time being, it appears that this cannabinoid may have a promising role to play, and hemp growers and processors should pay close attention to CBG this spring.

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