The ability of cannabis to help with many conditions is widely documented, but cancer enters an interesting grey area between anecdotal evidence and pre-clinical testing. Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) is a product that many people have heard of or have looked for cannabis as a cure for cancer after failed results with chemotherapy and radiation.
Created by Rick Simpson, who was said to have used highly concentrated cannabis oil to cure his own metastatic skin cancer in 2003. He has become a major advocate for the use of cannabis in cancer treatment. He recommends a 90 day protocol using cannabis oil, which involves the use of 60g of oil. His protocol has caught the eyes of many in the medical world, who are on the fence about endorsing alternative therapies. A number of pharmaceutical companies have claimed to sell Rick Simpson Oil, even though it is not necessarily the same product.
The National Cancer Institute lists a variety of studies that show that cannabis may be very beneficial for people with cancer. A 1996 study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry showed that cannabinoids help decrease the viability of the growth of certain types of tumors. Combined with THC, aka Rick Simpson Oil, was able to kill cancerous cells, blocking their growth, and the prevent blood vessel development in tumors.
Another study published in FASEB from 2003 showed that cannabis oil could make chemotherapy more effective. This is due to RSO’s ability to increase the death of cancer cells, while protecting noncancerous cells. All of these studies show great promise for Rick Simpson cannabis oil as a viable component of cancer treatment.
Proven Symptom Relief
It has been well documented that cannabis oil is extremely effective at helping with a variety of symptoms associated with cancer and chemotherapy. Rick Simpson oil can aid with pain, appetite loss, and nausea, all which are a part of life with cancer. RSO may be the key to aiding in effective cancer treatment, but is still in the infancy of clinical trials due to the FDA’s restrictive stance on cannabis.
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