04/01/2023
What is Rick Simpson Oil? Your complete guide to RSO
What is RSO?
Put simply, RSO is an oil derived from cannabis. But rather than a solvent extract that strips trichomes from buds, RSO contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and additional compounds of the whole cannabis plant.
The extraction process is complex and fairly long, similar to making a tincture. It’s typically near-black in color, and, admittedly, doesn’t taste great due to its high amount of plant matter (it uses the whole plant).
RSO was created as a medicinal therapeutic for cancer and other chronic health conditions, like MS and asthma. While Rick Simpson no longer produces the oil himself, it remains a crucial ingredient in the treatment plans of patients across North America.
Benefits of RSO
Despite Rick Simpson’s near-miraculous recovery from cancer and tinnitus, cannabis’ Schedule I status means the scientific community lacks consistent research to back up these claims. As more and more states legalize adult-use cannabis, however, more data becomes available.
There have been promising reports that attest to RSO’s efficacy,showing that the use of RSO severely decreased the leukemic blast cell count in a 14-year-old terminal patient, with no toxic side effects.
Anecdotally, RSO has helped patients manage conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, cancer, insomnia, chronic pain, and asthma, among many others.
As an incredibly potent THC product, RSO offers potential therapeutic effects, such as pain relief and appetite stimulation, and it can aid with sleep aid and nausea. But because studies haven’t been done, we can’t guarantee that RSO will impart these benefits.
A 2021 study indicated that while many cancer patients use cannabis in conjunction with cancer treatments, their primary care teams lacked insight on how to integrate cannabis into a regimen. Clearly, much more research needs to be done on how best to use RSO to amplify treatment.
Rick Simpson Oil for cancer treatment
Rick Simpson was motivated to create RSO by his own cancer diagnosis. His recipe is based on creating a product that produced the same results as a 1975 study, which showed cannabis killing cancer cells in mice.
Simpson has said he cured his skin cancer by using RSO topically, but that it can be taken orally to address internal cancers as well. This claim has not been independently verified, but in the years since RSO was invented, thousands of patients have used it to address symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Cancer patients seeking to use RSO should always first consult their primary care doctor to discuss their options.
RSO for back pain
One of the most common uses for RSO, and cannabis in general, is chronic pain. Back pain is one of the most common forms of physical pain, with as much as 80% of people experiencing it at some point in life.
RSO recipes typically call for high-THC and indica-dominant cannabis (although CBD-rich options do exist), and the final product is highly intoxicating, hence the gradual dosage increase to prevent too strong of a high. THC binds with CB1 receptors in the endocannabinoid system, most of which are concentrated in the brain and nerve cells. When THC binds to these nerve receptors, the sensation of pain lessens.
Is RSO dangerous?
Despite its high concentration of THC, no amount of RSO will cause an overdose, death, or lasting side effects. Risks associated with taking RSO are the same as taking a high dose of any cannabis product, such as an edible, concentrate, or more of any product than one is comfortable with—namely, getting too high, and having to wait for the effects to wear off.
RSO purchased from a dispensary has been lab-tested for solvents, pesticides, mold, and fungi, so you can rest easy that you’re getting a clean product.
If you choose to make RSO at home, there are somewhat dangerous steps in its preparations, such as burning off an ethanol solvent, which is flammable. Some other solvents used can be explosive or produce fumes. It’s also possible that not all the alcohol will be separated from the oil before ingestion.
If you are ever unsure about the quality of your homemade RSO, source it from a licensed dispensary.
How to make RSO
This recipe follows Simpson’s own formulation to produce 60 grams of oil. This should be done in an open, well-ventilated area, as the solvent is highly combustible. Avoid all open flames such as stovetops, sparks, lighters, and ci******es.
Ingredients
1 pound (~450 grams) of dried cannabis (preferably indica strains)
8-9 liters of a solvent (Simpson recommends 99% isopropyl alcohol)
Equipment
Two five-gallon buckets
Electric rice cooker (do not use a slow cooker or Crockpot)
Large wooden spoon or stirring utensil
Funnel
Plastic syringes
Coffee filters or a cheesecloth
Large fan (for ventilation)
Stainless steel measuring cup (optional)
Coffee warmer (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Place all dry cannabis material into one of the 5-gallon buckets. Pour in the solvent until the plant matter is completely submerged.
Stir and muddle the plant material with your wooden spoon while slowly adding the solvent.
Step 2
Once fully incorporated, stir the mixture for about three minutes to allow the THC to dissolve into the solvent. This ideally will infuse about 80% of the THC into the solvent.
Step 3
Strain the plant material from the solvent into the second bucket through the coffee filters or cheesecloth.
Step 4
With the solvent aside, put the plant material back in the first bucket and add more solvent. Continue stirring for another three minutes.
Step 5
Drain the solvent from the plant material into your second bucket again using the cheesecloth and discard the remaining plant material.
Step 6
Pour the solvent, which should now look dark, into the rice cooker until it is about ¾ full. Turn on your rice cooker.
The rice cooker should maintain a steady temperature between 210-230°F (100-110°C), in order to decarboxylate the cannabis and cook off the solvent.
Step 7
The solvent will slowly evaporate with the heat of the rice cooker. Add your mixture to the rice cooker gradually.
Step 8
Once the solvent has evaporated, use the funnels to pack the oil into your syringe for easy dosing. The RSO will be thick like honey, so if you have trouble dispensing it, run the syringe under hot water to ease it.
