High CBD Hemp Seeds

As the cannabis and hemp industries continue to gain acceptance in the mainstream, there has been an increased interest in cannabinoids. With a surge in popularity for both CBD and THC, cannabis and hemp have become big business. Looking specifically at the hemp-derived CBD space, national legalization has attracted the attention of major players in the retail business, as well as health and wellness. Today, you can find CBD products on the shelves of major retail stores such as Kroeger, CVS, and Neiman Marcus.

With such a massive interest in CBD products, horticulturists, scientists, and business people alike have been on the hunt for the “next big cannabinoid.” All eyes are now turning to another non-psychoactive cannabinoid known as “cannabigerol” or CBG.

As a leader in seed production, High Grade Hemp Seed always keeps a close eye on new developments in the industry. As such, we wanted to give you an overview of the new cannabinoid CBG and help you understand how it is different from CBD.

Here’s what you need to know.

The CBG Cannabinoid Explained

Hemp contains hundreds of cannabinoids. The two most well-known compounds are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). As research on cannabinoids has expanded, many researchers and health industry experts have begun looking into CBG.

CBG has been referred to as “the mother cannabinoid.” When a hemp plant is young, it produces cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). This compound then breaks down into cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) as the plant matures. Without digging too deep into the science, the CBDA and THCA are then converted into CBD and THC, which can be extracted from the buds and resin of the hemp plant after harvest. The leftover amount of CBGA is also converted into CBG.

Understanding the basics of this process is important for farmers because it helps to explain why CBG cannabinoid is more difficult (but also potentially more lucrative) to cultivate. As leaders in CBG hemp breeding, High Grade Hemp Seed is in a unique position to offer this advice.

 

CBG vs. CBD Hemp

How do CBD and CBG compare to each other? First, let’s look at some of the similarities between CBD and CBG. For starters, both CBG and CBD are non-intoxicating, unlike THC. This makes both CBD and CBG popular compounds for those who want the health benefits cannabinoids can offer without the psychoactive side effects of THC.

Early research also seems to indicate that CBG and CBD may possess some overlapping health benefits as well as unique benefits. Both cannabinoids interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in regulating:

  • Mood
  • Memory
  • Sleep
  • Reproduction
  • Appetite

In a nutshell, the endocannabinoid system works to stabilize the body’s internal environment, which could be the reason research shows that CBD affects so many different parts of the body and impacts a variety of conditions. While we know that both CBD and CBG influence the endocannabinoid system, there has been far more research into CBD. As such, a big reason why CBG remains so obscure is an overall lack of research. This notion is particularly true for human subjects.

Recently, scientists have turned their attention to CBG. While these studies are still in their infancy, they have yielded some interesting results. For example, research has shown CBG to have “analgesic and anti-inflammatory” properties. As such, CBG could prove to be an effective pain medicine and alternative to addictive prescription drugs. We still have a long way to go, but these positive results surely mean that advanced studies on CBG effects are in the works.

Growing and Producing CBG Hemp

Why is CBD so much more popular than CBG? Why is there so much more research on CBD and so many more CBD products? The answer is simple: CBG has historically been very difficult and expensive to farm.

Remember how we told you that CBG is “the mother cannabinoid” and that CBGA breaks down into THCA and CBDA as a hemp plant matures? The more that CBGA turns into other cannabinoids, the less CBG remains. Hemp farmers who want to cultivate CBG traditionally had to harvest their hemp crop early before the plants could mature very much. This meant that farmers gave up on the chance to cultivate CBD in order to grow CBG.

Until recent advancements in hemp breeding, plants have traditionally produced low amounts of CBG. To illustrate, early hemp strains only produced <1% of CBG within a plant. This statistic stands in stark contradiction to high-CBD strains, which contain as much as 10-16% of CBD.

If that weren’t bad enough, levels of CBG were so low in hemp plants that many farmers were forced to invest in specialized production equipment to isolate and purify CBG extract. Otherwise, they paid higher prices for third-party extraction.

As CBG is such a novel cannabinoid, most hemp farmers are not yet focusing on CBG production. Therefore, CBG fetches a far higher price tag in the open market. A 2020 study suggests that while CBD earns $2,000 per kilogram, the same amount of CBG can bring around $30,000. That’s over five times the value of CBD.

Even with the promise of such a big potential payday, farmers may still be hesitant to take the risk of trying to cultivate CBG. Fortunately, hemp genetics is advancing at a breakneck pace, and several strains of CBG hemp have recently hit the market.

All About CBG Hemp Strains

Hemp breeders like High Grade Hemp Seed, are working hard to develop hemp plants that produce more CBG. To illustrate, our customers love our Matterhorn CBG strain. Remember how traditional hemp plants could only produce 1% CBG concentrate? With Matterhorn, we have upped CBG concentrations to an astounding 15% potential. This amazing new strain gives hemp farmers the ability to generate serious profit by growing specifically for CBG.

Farmers who are considering cultivating CBG strains need to do their homework. Many of the CBG hemp seeds coming to market are brand new strains, and there are always disreputable companies that make big promises their seeds can’t keep. Do your research on a seed company before making a sizable investment. Work with a hemp seed company that has been around for several years and that has a good reputation for their other hemp seed strains.

It’s also a good idea to invest in feminized CBG seeds. You’ll pay a little more upfront, but you will save time and heartache by planting 100% female hemp plants. Even more, you can avoid the extra labor expenses of removing male plants from your crop.

If you haven’t planted hemp before, or if you don’t have a greenhouse infrastructure on your property, you should consider choosing CBG seed starts. By starting with seedling plants, eliminate the extra work and materials needed to sprout seeds. At High Grade Hemp Seed, our seed starts also come with a strong taproot that will help your plants stay healthy throughout your growing season.

Should I Grow CBG Hemp?

Is cultivating CBG worth the extra investment, work, and risk? A different way to think about these questions is by considering the value of diversifying your crop. CBD is a hot commodity now, but an increasing number of farmers are cultivating CBD flowers.

At High Grade Hemp Seed, we believe CBD hemp will always be worth planting and will still give farmers a great ROI. However, we also know it never hurts to diversify your income. CBG hemp can both complement and hedge against CBD prices and can also position you at the very forefront of the CBG market. Some of the latest cannabinoid studies have found that CBD and CBG create a stronger, positive health effect when taken together.

If CBG becomes as hot as CBD, farmers who are experienced in growing high-yield CBG strains, like Matterhorn CBG, will be in a great position to feed a growing demand, especially for a previously hard-to-produce product.

Contact us today to learn more about our Matterhorn CBG or any of our CBD hemp strains. Our knowledgeable representatives can tell you all about how to grow Matterhorn CBG and how CBG hemp differs from CBD hemp. We are happy to discuss your crop plans and answer any questions you might have.