The Legend of Rick Simpson and His Creation: RSO

If you spend enough time at your local dispensary, you may encounter a curious-looking product in a syringe with the abbreviation “R.S.O.” written somewhere on the packaging. Is it injectable cannabis? Nope, try again! RSO is an abbreviation for Rick Simpson Oil- it’s a concentrated cannabis oil with high levels of THC and other compounds from the cannabis plant. Imagine “dabs,” except it’s intended to be either eaten or used topically. A small drop of RSO can deliver over 50mg of THC, which is five times more than the Washington State limit for a single serving edible. It’s a powerful, sticky cannabis supplement that several thousand people claim has cured them of cancer, and a variety of other conditions as well.

Rick Simpson, the creator of RSO, was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and became an avid medical cannabis advocate after using his homemade cannabis concentrate on a bandage to disappear several cancerous bumps on his arm. He was originally inspired to try cannabis as a remedy based on a study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, in which THC was found to kill cancer cells in mice. His doctors and physicians refused to accept that cannabis was a probable cure for his condition, and he was later arrested by the Canadian government after spreading his oil, and the recipe, to others in his community free of charge. He later built the website www.phoenixtears.ca, which provides information on how to make RSO at home. After hundreds of people testified for his oil as a miracle cure, Simpson eventually had to flee the country to escape imprisonment by the Canadian government.

His original recipe is quite complex, and can be dangerous since it involves the use of ethanol alcohol, a quickly evaporating solvent that is highly flammable. The alcohol is a solvent that strips cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and other compounds from the plant. RSO is what remains after the alcohol has evaporated, leaving only the concentrated resin from the starting material. RSO is typically a dark colored, extremely thick oil (similar to molasses or honey). The ideal RSO is high not only in THC and CBD, but also has trace amounts of other cannabinoids, fats and lipids, and chlorophyll, the green pigmented phytochemical responsible for botanical photosynthesis. These compounds are believed to work best together, supported by evidence for the “entourage effect,” which theorizes that cannabinoids like THC and CBD are more effective when combined. Terpenoids are scent and flavor compounds in cannabis that influence the taste of the oil, and sometimes subtly influence its effects. For example, an oil abundant in alpha or beta pinene will taste more like pine trees, and is understood to be more clear-headed and focused, while an oil high in linalool will taste slightly more floral, and offer a relaxing effect similar to smelling lavender flowers.

Fortunately for those of us in states with legal cannabis, we don’t have to risk blowing ourselves apart with gaseous ethanol in a garage since RSO can be purchased at nearly every cannabis retailer… with plenty of options to choose from! Some RSO oil, like activated distillate, is lighter in color, higher in THC, but it doesn’t have the full array of compounds believed to make RSO a healing supplement.

Most users squeeze the smallest drop of RSO oil possible onto something sweet or tangy with a strong flavor to mask the grassy taste of the oil. A small drop of RSO oil offers at least enough THC equal to Washington State’s maximum single-serving size (10mg of THC), making RSO a favored and inexpensive edible product among those with a high tolerance to THC. Necessary precautions should be taken to avoid excessive dosing of THC, as edible cannabis is easier to overindulge than smoked cannabis.

Lastly, as with any cannabis-based medicine, there’s virtually no real statistical data to validate any claims of its usefulness. However, there are testimonials and anecdotes from thousands of people who use RSO successfully as a form of treatment.