Hey folks! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week full of…..I dunno….mirth? Let’s go with mirth. This week we’re going to be talking about a cannabis product that has gained a lot of traction in the non-medical community as a cure all for a host of issues ranging from asthma to frickan cancer. We are of course, talking about Rick Simpson Oil, or RSO. As always, please remember, we here at Circa 1818 are not medical professionals. Some of us are married to medical professionals, but I’m fairly certain the knowledge which that brings isn’t transferrable via osmosis. Onto the learnin’!
Dude! I’ve heard that that stuff is a wonder drug!
It’s a popular item that seems to be effective for people looking for wellness or relief from the symptoms of various illnesses. However, one must be incredibly careful when applying the term “wonder drug” to anything. Except maybe penicillin. That sh*t is tight. No above board, peer replicated scientific conclusions have been drawn as far as cannabis as a treatment for disease is concerned, however that doesn’t mean it isn’t beneficial to someone looking to treat symptoms and improve their overall quality of life. Due to the high levels terpene and cannabinoid concentration in RSO, it has yielded positive (if largely anecdotal) results in many people.
RSO started its life as an idea in the head of its namesake: Mr. Rick Simpson. Back in the long-ago days of the 1990’s, Rick was an engineer and all-around good guy who was called in to work on some old pipes that were just filthy with asbestos. After inhaling some not-so-healthy fumes, poor Rick fell off the ladder he was on and suffered a pretty severe injury that required hospitalization. Post recovery, he found that he now suffered from chronic dizziness alongside a host of other unfortunate side affects of his injury and the fumes he had inhaled. When none of the doctor prescribed medications panned out, he decided to throw caution to the wind and turned to the still suuuuper illegal cannabis as a form of treatment for those symptoms. He opted to create a full spectrum oil that included a lot of plant matter in order to maximize the concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes that the oil would contain. The end result of his efforts was a dark colored oil that has high potency and that sweet, sweet entourage effect of all of the plant chemistry working in synchronicity. He was then able to treat his dizziness and chronic pain, finding that although the oil was mildly unpalatable, it was incredibly effective.
Flash forward a few years, and our buddy Rick was diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma, which is doctor speak for skin cancer. Faced with his own mortality, Rick decided to try to use his oil in order to cure his cancer, having heard of a study done in the 70s that showed evidence of cannabis oil destroying tumor cells in mice. So, old Rick started applying his oil to the affected areas of his skin and (as the story goes) he was able to cure his skin cancer. I cannot stress enough the fact that no one has been able to replicate those results in a scientific setting so please do not take his experience to heart and attempt to take on any serious medical issues with cannabis alone. Anyway, Rick shared the method to create his oil with the masses, seeking to help everyone increase their quality of life and potential fight life threatening issues. So, naturally, the RCMP raided his home and he fled the country to avoid a lifetime in prison. He now lives in Croatia, where I hope he gets the appreciation he deserves.
Is RSO right for me?
If you’re one of the millions of people out there who suffer from chronic pain, insomnia, pulmonary issues and the like, then RSO is something that could potentially help to alleviate those symptoms. Best practice is to always consult with a licensed medical professional before committing to treating anything with cannabis!
Have we piqued your interest in RSO and similar products? Check out our selection of oils, perfect for putting a bit of wellness into your life.
