Cannabis RSO History and Possible Uses: Rick Simpson Oil

Rick Simpson: The Man Behind the Oil

In an age in which healthcare is largely dependent upon million-dollar investments and years of painstaking research, the story of RSO is extremely unusual, to say the least. In 1997, Rick Simpson was a maintenance technician at a Canadian hospital. One day he was insulating pipes in the boiler room using an aerosol glue; the noxious fumes caused a temporary shock to his nervous system. He fell off his ladder, hit his head, and was briefly knocked unconscious. Fortunately, he managed to call for help and was taken to the ER.

It appeared that Simpson wasn’t seriously injured, but in the years following he suffered from dizzy spells and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Frustrated that none of the medications he was prescribed offered relief, he stumbled upon a documentary film detailing the healing potential of medical marijuana. When his doctor refused to recommend it, he sourced his own, and found that it significantly improved his symptoms.

Then, in 2003, Simpson was diagnosed with a skin cancer on his arm. Inspired by his own healing experience and by a study demonstrating that THC could kill cancer kills in mice, Simpson decided to experiment with a homemade cannabis concentrate. Placing the concentrate directly on the skin cancers, he bandaged them and waited. Four days, he claims, he removed the bandages to find that the cancers had disappeared.

Not surprisingly, many medical professionals cast doubt on whether or not the cannabis had actually “cured” Simpson’s skin cancer. Even Simpson is clear on the fact that there are many different kinds of cancers, and that much more research is needed to validate his claims. That said, there is anecdotal evidence supporting the claim that patients have treated cancer using only cannabis concentrate or RSO.

That said, we do not recommend the use of RSO in place of validated cancer treatments. But we do agree with some physicians trained in the use of medical cannabis, who claim that RSO and other marijuana products can help treat certain cancers—as demonstrated by one study—and that given the alternatives, the overall risks are relatively low. 

And that’s not to say marijuana doesn’t have a place in cancer treatments. There’s little doubt that marijuana helps patients manage many of the side effects of conventional cancer treatments, including chronic pain, anxiety and depression, nausea, and appetite loss

Rick Simpson Oil: How to Use It 

Rick Simpson maintains a website with detailed information, including a graduated dosing protocol for those who want to try RSO to treat various medical conditions, including:

• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Multiple sclerosis
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Inflammation
• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Insomnia
  
  

The dosing protocol involves ingesting small amounts of RSO over a two-month period, with patients steadily increasing their doses as their tolerance allows. Rick Simpson explains how to make RSO, but he does not sell it himself for a profit.

One word of caution: Rick Simpson Oil contains high levels of THC, the cannabinoid responsible for marijuana’s euphoric “high.” This means that it will produce side effects similar to any other marijuana product containing THC.

Do you have more questions about RSO? Just ask! We’re always here to help.