CBG as a Market Leader: Q&A with Hemp Collective Founder

We got the opportunity to interview Ashley Dellinger, Founder of The Hemp Collective on all things CBG.

CBG stands for the cannabinoid cannabigerol, similar to how CBD stands for cannabidiol. Like all cannabinoids, CBG acts on the endocannabinoid systems, CB1 and CB2 receptors which assists in regulating homeostasis. It is the first cannabinoid hemp or cannabis form in their growth cycle, as a precursor to CBD , THC and all other cannabinoids.

CBG really came onto the map in the last harvest of 2019. A few noticeable strains came out. Notably The Crawford Brothers  released “The White”, which is one of our favorites. We saw a few other people with some CBG varieties. I think CBG was really a way to, firstly explore outside of CBD with CBG’s potential and therapeutic value. Secondly, to assure Delta 9 and Total THC compliance. Especially for a lot of people that are exporting to Europe or have farms with stringent state policies. Whereas some states are easier to work with, you o still want to make sure you are absolutely maintaining Delta 9 compliance.

We saw CBG come to the market to answer some of the pain points associated with hemp as a crop. We saw it start to come out seeds priced a little bit more than CBD. Farms then went to figure out how to price it in the market as dried flower. There were a lot of farms asking $1,000 per/lb, compared with CBD priced between $300-$400 per/lb. Some farms were moving product at that rate as a new thing and it was really pretty, when grown right. However a lot of farms did not sell because there was no consumer demand. Consumers did not know what CBGwas yet and farms were selling it for top price. A lot of people did not want to invest money in something that there was no demand for. Therefore a lot of that flower sat around and then farmers needing to move volume started selling it at lower prices to get it moved. People then started buying it because it was more adorable and comparable to CBD in price and is currently $25-$50 per/lb more than CBD, if not the same price. So now CBG and CBD are on the same level price wise and we are seeing it now spread more into the market. Consumers are now trying it as an alternative to CBD that a lot of people are giving feedback that it’s more stoney and sleepy, to them. I think the long term viability of CBG will continue to grow in popularity because it truly helps on all sides. It ensures compliance for the farms and handlers exporting to Europe. It also supports the consumers that see it as an enjoyable alternative to CBD. I would recommend growing CBG. I think it is a really good option for farms looking at genetics.

The White is the top of my list in terms of bud density as well as the morphology of the flower is really nice and desirable. It’s a really frosty white flower. It stands apart from other options, when grown right.

The biggest benefit of CBG is risk mitigation for farm compliance. It is incredibly important as well for handlers and distributors. A lot of flower has variables in Delta 9 THC and therefore total THC. You could take field samples where one runs over and one does not which creates this really shady spot that’s sketchy for a lot of people, as well as the industry. When dealing with CBG you just really do not have to worry about that.

Secondly consumer feedback suggests a different therapeutic value from CBD that people find enjoyable. From a retail standpoint having another product that you can upsell to someone interested in flower or products. They are not just buying CBD now and you can encourage them to try both and see, one might work better for day or night use. It’s useful for the whole market.

The cons are minimal with CBG, and like most hemp crops you have to be careful of mold. Additionally, processing can be more tedious because you do not want to knock off all the delicate trichomes and it is harder to trim as well. So you’ll be selling it at a similar price point to where CBD is now but having increased processing costs, if you are doing it right. You can still just run it through the trimmer but if you are wanting to maintain the quality of the flower, you are probably going to spend a little more processing it than with CBD.

What you’ll find on the raw materials side is everything you would with CBD: flower, kief, extracts, isolate, and crude.

On the consumer side we are seeing vape pens, and tinctures. A big trend right now is blending more “full spectrum” in theory, which I would challenge is that really full spectrum. Really, because you are fractionating these things and then you are bringing them together. It really is not as whole as what the plan does because there are other minor cannabinoids and phytochemicals that are not being considered. But you are finding that trend with consumer demand. CBG flower you are seeing as a smokeable product. The biomass is being sold to make extracts. The kief people are buying to put on flower and prerolls, same thing you would do with CBD.

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