Any mom, any town, USA. I am your neighbor/co-worker/PTO member/non-traditional grad school candidate/aspiring chef/stoner mom.

RSO – Everything You Need To Know.

On my never-ending quest to explore legal cannabis (I reside in a state that legally allows for medical and recreational), I have discovered RSO. I recently gave this stuff a go – so, I thought I’d share my thoughts.

First, RSO – or, Rick Simpson Oil – was developed by a real person. Three guesses on what his name is – first two don’t count. Simpson is a rather interesting individual – he is best known as a medical marijuana cultivator and activist. For most of his adult life, he was an engineer in Nova Scotia, Canada. He experienced a work-related injury that forever changed the course of things.

As the story goes, he was removing asbestos and collapsed due to toxic fumes. He was taken to the hospital, unconscious. Despite the immediate medical care, he began to experience extreme vertigo and continuous tinnitus (ringing in the ears that is annoying AF). As traditional medication failed to provide relief (no real surprise), he began to research alternative forms of treatment. Interestingly, the alternative medicine list he studied was quite extensive. In the end, though, he chose to cultivate marijuana for personal use.

Sometime in the early 00’s, Simpson developed skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma). Based upon a study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Simpson extracted oil from his plants and applied it to his skin. The cancerous growths on his arms disappeared – rather quickly.

What exactly is RSO? Up for debate, but it can be defined as a full-spectrum extract. This extract of cannabis oil contains all of the compounds of traditional marijuana (flavonoids, phenols, fatty acids, terpenes, etc.). While RSO can be extracted from any strain, Indica-dominant are often chosen (due to calming, sedative-like effects). The end product is a highly potent oil (>60 percent THC). This is what makes consumption of RSO a bit tricky – dosing is very small amounts.

RSO is often applied as a topical, or taken via oral syringe. I have tried the oral syringe dosing technique. Here’s my takeaway: starting low is key. I speak to that a lot. Why – well, anything consumed (edibles, oil, tinctures) take time to kick in. For me, it takes around 30-45 minutes to feel the effects. An empty stomach may expedite this – I just prefer to eat something before.

On to the best part – how does RSO make one feel? Well, stoned – obviously. Body buzzed, relaxed, pain-free (I suffer from migraines). One of my faves is LePow Extracts RSO (originally released for medical consumption in 2018). The brand was developed by Tye Lam, Marcus Taylor, and David Spector (a retired chemist). The product is rich in cannabinoids. Like Simpson, Spector was suffering from cancer. He states that his vision for LePow was to formulate a product that could support cancer patients through their respective treatment processes. More recently (2020), the team launched a line of full-spectrum edibles containing RSO. If you’re so inclined, https://www.lepowextracts.com

Here’s the downside for some of these products: they are state-specific, and can only be sold in that state (once more, it boils down to regulations). LePow is found in numerous dispensaries in Colorado: however, federal laws prohibit sales outside of that state. (Annoying, AF). As I have stoner friends who reside in other states, I asked for their opinions.

One of these days, we’ll truly get our shit together over this federal legalization thing.

~SM