NEW YORK (MainStreet) — While cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are reportedly excellent painkillers, there’s a new cannabinoid on the block called cannabigerol (CBG) that has anti-inflammatory as well as anti-bacterial properties. That could lead the way for marijuana dentistry.

“It can help with gingivitis and bleeding gums,” said Dr. George Anastassov, a dentist and CEO with AXIM Biotech, a U.S. based cannabinoid company.

At a press conference in Manhattan at the Park Lane Hotel last month, AXIM Biotech introduced Oraximax, the first-ever CBG-based product line, which consists of toothpaste, dentifrice and mouthwash.

“There are 320 toothpastes on the market, which are all very similar,” Anastassov told MainStreet. “They prevent cavities and promote fresh breath, but AXIM’s CBG-derived oral care products eliminate the bacteria that accumulates in the mouth from the repeated trauma of eating, talking and tooth brushing.”

CBGs are among a series of 85 cannabinoid compounds found in the marijuana plant. The most well-known among them is THC, which is what creates the psychoactive impact of smoking or eating pot.

“We work with a strain of industrial hemp that has high levels of CBGs and no THC, which we purchase from a producer in Italy,” said Dr. Philip Van Damme, a doctor and chief medical officer with AXIM Biotech. “The compound also kills tumors and reduces eye pressure in glaucoma patients.”

Although AXIM Biotech uses a proprietary strain called Asso, the company’s research and development team is stopping short of launching CBG-based edibles.

“Edibles are a poor form of delivery of CBG and CBD in general, because they are oil-based, not water soluble,” said Anastassov. “Chewing gum or tinctures absorbed under the tongue is a better delivery method.”

The firm is also developing an anti-aging skin care line called RENECANN.

“RENECANN is made with the medicinal properties of CBG but it is sold over the counter,” said Lekhram Changoer, chief technology officer with AXIM Biotech. “It eliminates redness, hydrates and rejuvenates the skin as well as increases the level of elastin and quality of collagen in the skin.”

Publicly traded on the OTC BB, AXIM is currently priced at $10 a share. “We launched eight years ago and went public in April 2014,” said Ted Caligluri, vice president of operations with AXIM Biotech.

The company is also testing CBD and THC as an analgesic for relief of muscle spasms and cramps in clinical trials at the Free University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the University of Plymouth in Great Britain as well as Boston University. 

“The world population is aging with an active lifestyle, which can cause pain so there's a need for new pain treatments without side effects,” Van Damme said. “There are no new classes of analgesics on the market, only NSAIDs and opioids and the combinations of these.”

CBG oral care products are expected to be available online and in stores in the U.S. by third quarter 2015.

“We are not using the U.S. CBD patent for neuroprotectants,” said Anastassov. “Our FDA approval is in process and we have patents in 125 countries with nine pending in the U.S.”

—Written by Juliette Fairley for MainStreet