Oils and extracts from cannabis make news in the press and popular internet culture. The better way to say this would be that researchers and enthusiasts have found a way to administer just the good qualities of this plant to those in need of its therapeutic properties. According to some internet forums, the cannabis oil market has worried the pharmaceutical industry based on cancer research and medication grounds. Could there be some truth to cannabis being able to heal cancerous tumors and even cut down the chances of developing them?
A man who has become an urban legend amongst the CBD and THC oil enthusiasts says he could prove it. The man who healed his skin cancer using a THC oil from Sativa strains is known as Rick Simpson. No, he’s not from the parallel Simpsons universe. He’s a regular man who discovered the Rick Simpson Oil or RSO Oil.
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What is RSO Oil?
A decade earlier, when it came to medicating cannabis, the actual medical form was to provide fresh and unaltered buds and strains that could act as anti-inflammatory agents. Only months later came the amazing idea of extracting the actual medicinal compounds, i.e., Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), from the freshest harvest of cannabis flowers and leaves. Since the first few milliliters of marijuana oil, enthusiastic scientists have run tests and extracted CBD and THC oils from thousands of strains. It has been a long time coming, and many are now using CBD oils not for their own needs but also for their distressed pets. RSO oil or Rick Simpson Oil is one of the pioneers of the early 2000s in THC oil and the use of THC oil as a topical anti-inflammatory application. There is very little research yet conducted on this oil. The fault might also be counted upon the side effects because it originated when the legalization of cannabis had not yet received so much as a whisper. Since the medical ratios of Rick Simpson’s Cannabis Oil show that it’s heavier on the Indica or THC side, the direct effect of the oil, only if ingested, would be the same intoxication as smoking weed. And not just any weed. This would be concentrated weed extracted using compounds like ethanol. Still, RSO oil is potent enough to have therapeutic usage. Its thick yet syrupy form makes it easy to apply topically and ingest orally. You can take drops of it under your tongue or with your food or drinks, or apply it to the skin over formations or lesions. About the high THC content, which is the actual psychoactive substance that creates the ‘high’ when you smoke weed, Rick himself has said that the subdued, ultra-relaxed stage of the oil is what makes the healing or therapy work. But who is Rick Simpson, and why was his idea accepted? But, can you smoke RSO? First let's take a look at the benefits and the history behind it.Who is Rick Simpson?
Before Rick Simpson became known as the cannabis cultivator and cannabis activist, the founder of RSO oil was an engineer in the early 90s. He was accidentally knocked out by toxic fumes from a hospital boiler room. Even after receiving timely medical attention and care, he continued to be troubled by dizziness and tinnitus. As Simpson kept coming out empty-handed from medication and therapy, a search for alternative treatment from PTSD and tinnitus brought him to cannabis, and he started to grow and use it. He was then able to manage his symptoms. However, in 2003, Rick Simpson stood face to face with skin cancer or specifically basal cell carcinoma, which shows up on the epidermis. Simpson went further ahead in studying the therapeutic effects of cannabis. This led him to the Journal of National Cancer Institute, where the effects of cannabis on cancerous cells were being studied on mice. He found that marijuana had shown a proven decline in cancerous cells in mice with lung cancer. Inspired by these amazing results, Rick Simpson came up with his oil in late 2003 and started applying it on the cancerous lesions that showed up on his skin. As claimed by him, his cancerous growths began to decrease after a few weeks. We must remind you that there has been no exact proof of cannabis treating cancer. Still, it has certainly provided relief for inflammatory symptoms of cancer that come before or after the chemotherapy or other radiation treatments. The current standing of the medical community on CBD oils is that it doesn’t fully treat or reverse cancer, yet it certainly does help with managing the symptoms. The cannabis oils extracted from marijuana strains high in THC have shown promising results in helping cancer patients with nausea and vomiting, which is the aftermath of chemotherapy and a high dosage of cancer medication. Studies have also shown that cannabis oils can treat pain and improve appetite. Extended research of RSO, however, doesn’t provide enough evidence about it treating cancer completely. But on the other hand, early studies on THC and its qualities show that it may reduce cancer symptoms like pain and inflammation. Lab studies conducted on animal subjects found out that THC compounds can also stop the growth of cancerous cells or tumors. The studies focused on the effect of cancer on tissues from lungs, skin, breast, prostate, and other cancers. The studies gave a satisfying conclusion that cannabis oils do stop the cancerous cells from spreading to surrounding areas, which is increased after chemo.RSO Oil Benefits
In his case, RSO oil did help Rick Simpson achieve the needed results for his skin cancers. Others in need of cannabis therapy have also tried and found it helpful in managing symptoms of:- Multiple sclerosis
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Infection
- Inflammation
- High Blood Pressure
- Depression
- insomnia
How to Make RSO Oil
A true marijuana supporter and activist, Rick Simpson, openly shared the recipe for making RSO oil rather than patenting it. So for the ones who want to try it with their strains, it is not rocket science, but you’ll need some knowledge of measurement and some ingredients to extract the oil. As per the beginner's regimen, this recipe shall produce 60g of RSO oil for use over 90 days of dosage. These are all the elements you’ll need:- 1 pound of dried cannabis flowers (Indica strain)
- Two gallons of solvent. In this case, the best solvent could be isopropyl alcohol, but you can also use wood-grain alcohol if unavailable.
- 5-gallon bucket
- Deep bowl
- Wooden spoon for stirring
- Cheesecloth
- Rice cooker
- Plastic catheter tip syringe (60mL)
- Put the dried weed flowers into the bucket. Then, slowly pour the solvent until you cover up the buds.
- You need to keep stirring the mixture right when you start adding the solvent. Focus on crushing and mixing the cannabis well with the isopropyl alcohol for 3 minutes using the wooden spoon. This will mix the THC into the solvent, and it will retain about 80% of THC.
- Take the deep bowl, place the cheesecloth on it, and drain the solvent from the herb. Now put the herb part back into the bucket and stir for another 3 minutes.
- Follow the same steps and drain the rest of the solvent into the bowl. You can now discard the plant material left in the cheesecloth.
- Take the whole solvent mixture and start pouring it into the rice cooker. Fill the rice cooker 3/4th with the mixture and turn on your rice cooker. Having a rice cooker for cooking RSO oil is necessary if you’re making it for the first time and without supervision. A rice cooker cooks the contents at a slow rising and constant temperature. We need this because temperatures above 300°F will vaporize the THC into thin air.
- Use a rice cooker that sets a constant temperature between 210-230°F, which is the ample heat required for decarboxylation.
- As decarboxylation continues, the alcohol solvent will slowly evaporate and leave a thick syrup of THC. At this point, you can gradually add any mixture that you have left in the bowl. However, make sure that your rice cooker is in an open, well-ventilated area so that the evaporating alcohol, which is highly combustible, doesn’t light up your ceiling.
- After the solvent is up in the air and the THC is thick and syrupy, pull it into the 60mL catheter syringe for easy dosages.
Can You Smoke RSO in a Joint?
We’d recommend not doing that. RSO oil is created with highly inflammable alcohol, and when smoked in a joint or dabble in a bowl, it may pose the risk of painful explosions and other lung health issues. Do not try to smoke it, dab it or vape it in any way and keep others safe by informing them.RSO Oil Side Effects
Since the main ingredient of RSO is THC that comes from an Indica strain, there might certainly be some unwanted effects. In case you’re a regular weed user, you might not notice such effects. However, since THC is a psychoactive substance, some users can experience the following effects:- paranoia
- anxiety
- hallucinations
- disorientation
- depression
- irritability
- low blood pressure
- bloodshot eyes
- dizziness
- slow digestion
- sleeping issues
- impaired motor control and reaction time
- impaired memory