CBG: My Personal Journey

I’ve been using CBD in its common oil form for about a year now, and to tell you the truth I wouldn’t stop. CBD came into my life amidst a flurry of popularity in early 2019, and like many people I was keen to try it for myself. Maybe a bit less like other people, though, I have always been very cautious, yet curious and inquisitive, about natural supplements – as someone who lives with a chronic condition, I’m always very careful about what I choose to put in my body and why.

CBD is tricky – there’s no denying that. When I started taking CBD oil, I was wholly unaware of the things you should look out for before you buy. I didn’t know the difference between Isolate, Broad or Full Spectrum CBD, I didn’t know to ask/look for a Certificate of Analysis, and I was unsure of how much or how little to take.

I learned these things over time, though, and learned my preferences. I now always look for a COA, I know how much I should take in a day and when, and I’ve learned that I prefer a Broad Spectrum Oil (with all the naturally occurring cannabinoids present in the final product).

What’s CBG?

CBG is becoming an increasingly popular cannabinoid, and if you don’t know exactly what it is, that’s ok. My knowledge of this new and somewhat elusive compound was a bit sparse before my trial, but I picked up some great fundamental knowledge with Hemp Company’s blog about what, exactly, CBG is.

Very simply, CBG is a bit like a stem cell and has swiftly become known as the ‘Mother of all cannabinoids’. Given a bit of growing time, its acidic form (CBGA) turns into other cannabinoids, including the CBD we all know and love.

Why Trying Hemp Company’s CBG Interests Me

Now, I would of course never try to claim that CBD has been a miracle cure for the condition of modern life, but as someone who has, for many years, been looking for something natural that I can take every day and feel pretty good about, CBD fits the bill. So when I was presented with the opportunity to try Hemp Company Dublin’s CBG/CBD Oil as a trial, I was intrigued by what, if any, difference I would notice with this new blend.

I knew already I could trust the Hemp Company – as purveyors of CBD knowledge and insight, their dedication to producing top quality CBD Oils for Ireland and the UK is well known. They, too, support the drive for Full Spectrum Hemp products, they adhere to airtight production standards, and have a good understanding of hemp production’s impact on the planet and the ways in which to keep it Green. So I knew that out of all the CBG I could try on the market, it wasn’t going to get much better!

I tried their CBG/CBD Oil for three weeks and have documented my experience so that others who may be interested in trying CBG for themselves might gain a bit of insight into whether or not to take the plunge. Two weeks before starting my trial I ceased taking my regular CBD Oil Drops to start with a totally clean slate.

CBG – My Initial Thoughts

One of the things that sometimes immediately throw people when it comes to CBD is its natural taste, colour, even consistency. I’ve always enjoyed its earthiness, so I was really curious about how CBG might differ – and I know that initial thoughts can leave a lasting impression!

It’s a bit thicker than your standard CBD oil – this makes it a bit easier to administer than normal CBD since the viscous oil is a bit less runny.
It’s a deep brown color, and the flavor (I was sampling a Natural flavor) is rich and earthy – it tastes more like it comes from a living breathing plant
For me at least, I found on the whole that the act of ingesting CBG to be soothing in a way that I can’t quite describe, a bit more so than your standard CBD Oil, and I took to it right away.

What CBG Dosage and Frequency Worked Best?

As with CBD, CBG dosage can be quite subjective and the dose that works best for one person may be quite different to what works for another. Because I have so much experience using CBD, I felt comfortable starting with three drops of their 20ml/600mg Full Spectrum CBG/CBD Oil, taken twice a day. I took the drops in the morning and right before bed, which is what I usually do with CBD oil as well.

A week and a half into my trial I felt that I could benefit with a bit of a higher dose, and as such added a lunchtime dose as well. This is again something that I have done in the past with CBD so was comfortable doing – if you’re interested in trying CBD or CBG for the first time, remember that it can take weeks to fully build up in your system, and the best bet is to increase in low increments, slowly!

CBG – My Experience Over Time

As I have an extensive experience with taking CBD Oil on a regular basis, it seemed like a good point of reference for me to do a bit of comparing. CBD and CBG are of course very similar, really, but I was curious to explore the differences, if any, I found. Maybe it’s because they are so similar that the experience was indeed a lot like taking CBD, but there were a few subtle things that stood out from my normal CBD experience:

Although I started on a lower dose than I usually use for CBD Oil, in the first 3 days of taking CBG, I noticed a subtle shift in my concentration almost immediately. That’s not to say that CBG made me concentrate more, but rather after about 40 minutes of taking my morning dose it was like things that would normally cause my attention to stray just didn’t.
I also found that once I had let the CBG build up in my system, I had an easier time focusing on mental tasks. Again, this doesn’t indicate any kind of addition to my ability to focus, but more so that I just wasn’t distracted.
I felt more ‘level’ – my daily symptoms, much of the time, are cumbersome in many different ways. I wouldn’t attempt to claim that CBG helped specifically, but it made me notice them less, and I mean, that’s a pretty spectacular thing!
I found that once I incorporated CBG into my daytime routine fully – about two weeks into the trial – I felt alert in the morning and restful at night. I have a pretty strict regime anyways, but the CBG felt like a nice addition to this.

CBG – Overall Thoughts and Scores

So as I neared the end of my trial with Hemp Company’s high quality CBG/CBD oil, I wanted to take the time to properly reflect on my experience:

Overall Score: 9/10

If I had to score my overall experience, I’d give these drops a 9 out of 10. This might have a lot to do with having an underlying illness, but I think that I could have used a bit of a higher dose.

Taste/Smell: 9/10

I understand that CBD oils can be an acquired taste and smell, especially if you go for a natural flavor. I however have always quite enjoyed the taste (it’s a lot better than oregano oil!) and so the fact that CBG has an even earthier taste and smell made it seem a bit closer to nature.

Ease of Use: 9/10

Droppers are indeed very simple to use, and this dropper did not let me down! It might be something that needs getting used to, but I found that the thicker texture of the oil made it a bit harder to dose exact drops when warm – but a great tip I found was keeping my CBG chilled in the fridge. The cooler temperature makes it easier to feel how many drops hit your sublingual glad.

Quality: 10/10

As I said above, you really can’t get any better than the Hemp Company for guaranteed quality. Their experience as industry leaders shows through in the brands they choose as well as the products they create themselves. Their Lab Reports are easy to find online, and I felt confident using their products.

Would I continue to use CBG?

So in the end, was my trial of CBG worth it? Absolutely. Would I use CBG again? Yes, I certainly would! I felt good using CBG and the only thing that I’m afraid of now is that I’ll find something missing in my regular CBD drops!