CBG, or Cannabigerol, is a commonly found cannabinoid in cannabis. It is non-psychoactive. CBG has been shown to demonstrate both pain-relieving and inflammation-reducing effects. Researchers have found that CBG reduces intraocular pressure, associated with glaucoma. It has also been shown to have antibiotic properties and to inhibit platelet aggregation, which slows the rate of blood clotting.
Scientists screened five cannabis compounds for their antibiotic properties and found that one, cannabigerol (CBG), was particularly potent at killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the most common hospital superbugs.
Tests in the lab showed that CBG killed common MRSA microbes and “persister” cells that are especially resistant to antibiotics and that frequently produce repeat infections. The compound also cleared up hard-to-shift “biofilms” of MRSA that can form on the skin and on medical implants.
In the study, the researchers found that CBG cured mice of MRSA infections as effectively as vancomycin, a drug widely considered to be the last line of defense against drug-resistant microbes.