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April 21, 2022

Connecticut hemp entrepreneurs open CBG business

Courtesy photo Shawn Magill, left, and Jacob Honig , co-founders of TheCBGGurus, stand at their hemp farm in Harwinton.
By Sam Bonacci, Hartford Business Journal

Two Connecticut entrepreneurs are hoping to take the cannabigerol (CBG) market by storm through a combination of a high-quality product and being one of the first companies to tap into this nascent portion of the hemp field. 
 
Going by the name The CBG Gurus, Shawn Magill and Jacob Honig officially launched their line of CBG and CBD products earlier this month. While the cannabinoid CBD is widely available, the pair were drawn to the lesser-known CBG molecule when launching their business. 
 
“The CBD market was already pretty saturated,” said Magill. “Upon learning more about [CBG] and trying it for ourselves, we even further realized its uniqueness and its potential. Then that kind of drove us to go down The CBG Gurus road.” 
 
Like CBD, CBG is a cannabinoid found in hemp. Until recently it was thought to be a minor molecule in the plant. However, said Magill, recent research indicates that it is actually the molecule from which all cannabinoids are formed. It previously showed up in low levels in hemp because by the time plants are harvested and tested, the CBG molecule has already turned into other cannabinoids. 
 
Magill, who holds a degree in medicinal plant chemistry from Northern Michigan University, says CBG is able to interact directly with the body’s endocannabinoid receptors.
 
CBG also does not cause a drowsy feeling in the way that CBD can, said Magill. 
 
In addition to potential health benefits, a major selling point of CBG, and where the pair feels it fits most readily into the medical and soon-to-open retail markets, is how it interacts with cannabis. It is not uncommon, said Magill, for people to be overwhelmed by the high levels of THC in modern cannabis, which often has low levels of other cannabinoids. 
 
Adding CBG hemp to the mix allows people to alter that balance and create a milder experience, he said. 
 
In addition to taking on the role of CBG educators, the partners do all their own growing and processing in Harwinton. They offer various states of processing, from smokable hemp picked fresh and frozen immediately ahead of sale, as well as tinctures and hash.
 
To provide high-quality and sustainable products, they have organic certification for their no-till growing process. They also are Clean Green Cannabis certified, which unlike the organic certification covers not only the hemp growth but processing of the final products. 
 
No solvents are used in the creation of the more processed products. Instead, the pair uses an ice water extraction method to separate the components. This allows everything to be preserved in its most natural state, said Magill. 
 
“That is a big point of the operation, from regenerative, no-till permaculture to the solventless extraction and packaging, we are just trying to create the highest quality product that we can,” he said. 
 
They currently sell their products online in 50 states but have plans to get their products in cannabis retail stores as well as CBD and smoke shops around Connecticut.

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