In rats given oral CBG at doses up to 600 mg/kg, females showed attention deficits at the highest doses while males were unaffected, and females had significantly higher blood levels of CBG than males.
CBG product consumers, cannabis supplement researchers, pharmacologists studying sex differences
Attention deficits at 300-600 mg/kg in females only; females had higher plasma CBG levels
What the researchers found
CBG at 300-600 mg/kg impaired sustained attention in female rats but not males. CBG did not affect motivation or working memory in either sex. Females had significantly higher circulating CBG plasma levels than males after the same oral dose.
Why it matters
CBG is increasingly marketed as a cognitive enhancer for focus and attention. This is the first controlled study to test those claims, and it found the opposite: high-dose CBG impaired attention in females.
The numbers in context
Doses: 30-600 mg/kg oral. Attention deficits at 300-600 mg/kg in females only. No effects on motivation or working memory. Females had significantly higher plasma CBG levels than males.
How the study worked
Male and female adult Sprague Dawley rats received oral CBG (30-600 mg/kg) or vehicle before testing on rodent psychomotor vigilance (attention), progressive ratio responding (motivation), and spontaneous alternation (working memory). Blood collected 60 minutes post-administration for plasma CBG levels.
What this study cannot tell us
Animal study; rat doses may not directly translate to human doses. Acute dosing only. The attention deficit was only at very high doses.
How to read the evidence
Well-controlled animal study with multiple behavioral measures and pharmacokinetic data, but rat findings require human confirmation.
When this study was published
2026 publication
The bigger picture
The cannabis supplement market makes unsubstantiated cognitive enhancement claims. This study shows minor cannabinoids may have sex-specific effects and that higher doses do not necessarily mean better outcomes.
Questions still open
- Why do females absorb more CBG? Would lower, human-comparable doses also affect attention? Could the sex difference be relevant to human CBG users?
Common questions
Does CBG improve focus and attention?
Why were females more affected?
Read the original research
High doses of orally administered cannabigerol produce deficits in sustained attention in female rats.
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 260, 174154
Citation
Moore, Catherine F; Bergeria, Cecilia L; Sempio, Cristina; Klawitter, Jost; Christians, Uwe; Weerts, Elise M. (2026). High doses of orally administered cannabigerol produce deficits in sustained attention in female rats.. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 260, 174154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2026.174154
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