Acute administration of cannabigerol lowers blood pressure in mice
A team of researchers from Penn State College of Medicine assessed the cardiovascular impact of CBG versus placebo in healthy mice. The animals participating in the study were injected into the abdomen with either CBG or a saline solution. According to preclinical data published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, mice injected with the cannabinoid CBG (cannabigerol) saw their average blood pressure drop significantly.
The authors reported: “The administration of CBG causes a significant drop in blood pressure in phenotypically normal male mice, without altering heart rate or locomotor activity. "
They conclude: “The present study sheds new mechanistic light on the cardiovascular effects of CBG in the context of normal blood pressure. … Overall, these findings add to the growing literature regarding the role of cannabinoids in blood pressure regulation. Further research on CBG is needed to define the precise molecular mechanisms and sites of action, the effects of more chronic administration, and the potential for therapeutic use to lower blood pressure in models of hypertension. »
A 2017 clinical trial previously documented the ability of oral doses of CBD to lower blood pressure in healthy volunteers, while a 2021 observational trial identified a link between long-term cannabis use and reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in elderly subjects.
Cannabinoids have long been known to influence cardiovascular function, although data regarding their effects is conflicting. According to the results of a 67 review of 2021 studies published in the American Journal of Medicine, “[m]arijuana itself does not appear to be independently associated with excess cardiovascular risk factors,” although the authors warned that "it may be associated with other unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol consumption and smoking that can be detrimental" to cardiovascular health.
Data assessing neonatal outcomes in children exposed in utero to cannabinoids are inconsistent, with some studies finding potential links to preterm birth and low birth weight, while other studies find no such association. .
