Evaluation of in vivo effects of non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid mixtures

The cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa) produces more than 100 specific neuroactive compounds, known as cannabinoids. The major non-psychoactive cannabis constituent is cannabidiol (CBD), which has been proven to display beneficial properties in a variety of medical conditions. However, the potential therapeutic role of other phytocannabinoids, such as cannabigerol (CBG), and their use in combination with CBD has remained largely unexplored. In this study, we wanted to assess the in vivo effects of two novel non-psychotropic cannabinoid formulas, both containing relatively high percentage of CBD but differing mainly for CBG content, hereafter called CBG+ and CBG- formulas. Both formulas present other phytocannabinoids in variable proportions. We employed a battery of distinct behavioral tests to evaluate the effects of three different dosages (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg via oral gavage), administered acutely and sub-chronically (2 weeks), on mice locomotor activity, anxiety-related behaviors, short-term memory and sociability. We found that the two formulas tested display unique behavioral profiles: CBG- formula produces an increase in mice locomotor activity and in mice sociability, whereas CBG+ formula displays anxiolytic properties. Both formulas improved spatial short-term memory. The results obtained suggest that different combinations of phytocannabinoids are able to determine different behavioral effects and highlight the importance of studying the effects of less known phytocannabinoids (such as CBG), which used in combination with other phytocannabinoids can change the profile of action of already characterized active compounds (such as CBD).