Slash Arthritis Inflammation 72% With This “Forgotten” Compound

If you struggle with rheumatoid arthritis…you know the drill.

Everyday tasks like opening a jar, gripping a mug, or climbing stairs can become painful challenges.

Doctors often prescribe medications like methotrexate or biologic drugs that shut down your immune system… and come with intense side effects, like vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, infection…the list goes on.

But research shows a little-known compound from the cannabis plant may calm the very immune signals responsible for rheumatoid arthritis — without the laundry list of side effects.

Most people have heard of CBD. Or THC.

But I’m talking about an entirely different part of the cannabis plant.

One that’s been practically forgotten – but could slash the inflammatory signals driving rheumatoid arthritis by as much as 72%.

And it’s available to you right now… if you know where to look.

It’s called CBG—short for cannabigerol. One letter away from CBD.

Researchers call it the “mother cannabinoid” because many other cannabinoids are actually derived from it as the cannabis plant grows.

CBG is naturally very rare in most cannabis plants.

By the time the plant finishes growing, most of the CBG has already been converted into other cannabinoids—leaving only tiny trace amounts behind.

For years, scientists focused on THC because of its mind-altering effects…and later CBD because of its popularity.

Meanwhile, CBG was largely ignored and overshadowed simply because it was harder to isolate and didn’t produce a “high.”

But that has all changed now…

In the study, scientists looked at how CBG affects the immune cells that drive rheumatoid arthritis.

These immune cells release powerful inflammation chemicals that attack the joints.

Two of the worst offenders are called TNF-alpha and IL-6.

Think of them like a fire alarm inside your joints. When they go off, swelling, pain, and joint damage follow.

When researchers added CBG to these immune cells, the results were dramatic.

CBG reduced TNF-alpha by up to 68% and IL-6 by up to 72%.

In other words, it turned down the body’s inflammation alarm by more than two-thirds.

The scientists also looked at another chemical called IL-8. IL-8 acts like a magnet for immune cells, pulling them into the joint where they cause even more damage.

Normally this signal can double the number of attacking immune cells in the joint. But when CBG was introduced, that immune “swarm” dropped sharply.

Instead of a full-blown inflammatory storm, immune activity fell to about 65% of its usual level.

That means far fewer immune cells flooding the joint and causing damage.

The researchers then tested CBG in mice with rheumatoid arthritis-like disease.

Untreated mice developed severe joint swelling. But mice given CBG every day experienced 20–37% less swelling.

They also maintained healthier body weight, which is often a sign that inflammation throughout the body is improving.

Unlike THC, CBG is non-psychoactive. That means it doesn’t produce the “high” associated with marijuana.

If you’re interested in exploring CBG, try a full-spectrum CBG tincture, such as the peppermint formula from Selah Organics. Products like this typically deliver concentrated CBG extract that can be taken under the tongue for faster absorption.

As researchers continue investigating this compound, one thing is becoming increasingly clear.

This once-forgotten cannabinoid could turn out to be one of the most interesting.

To more comfortable joints,

Ray Thatcher
Research Director, Health Sciences Institute

Sources:

• Aswad, M., Pechkovsky, A., Hamza, H., & Louria-Hayon, I. (2026). Cannabigerol (CBG) Modulates Neutrophil Activity and Ameliorates Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis. Pharmaceuticals, 19(4), 560. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19040560
• Calapai, F., Cardia, L., Esposito, E., Ammendolia, I., Mondello, C., Lo Giudice, R., Gangemi, S., Calapai, G., & Mannucci, C. (2022). Pharmacological Aspects and Biological Effects of Cannabigerol and Its Synthetic Derivatives. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2022, 3336516. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3336516