Rick Simpson

Rick Simpson was born in 1949 in Canada. He worked as an industrial engineer at a hospital in Nova Scotia, where a workplace accident in 1997 — caused by asbestos fume exposure from industrial adhesive — led to a serious head injury. Following the accident he began using cannabis to manage his symptoms and claimed it provided substantial relief.

In 2003 Simpson was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma and, citing a 1975 laboratory study on THC and cancer cells in rodents, decided to apply a concentrated cannabis oil extract topically to the lesions. He claimed the spots cleared within days and attributed this to the oil. Without seeking clinical verification, he concluded that cannabis oil could cure cancer.

Simpson began producing what he called Rick Simpson Oil — a concentrated extract of Cannabis indica high in THC — and claims to have treated more than 5,000 people in his Nova Scotia community free of charge before Canadian authorities prosecuted him for cannabis offences. In 2008 he released the documentary Run From The Cure, which detailed his story and showed viewers how to make the oil. The film has been translated into over 70 languages.

Oncologists and cancer researchers have been strongly critical of Simpson's claims and particularly his advice that patients discontinue chemotherapy in favour of RSO. Studies on cannabinoids and cancer exist but none establishes RSO as a cancer cure. Nearly 40% of cancer patients using cannabis believe it treats their cancer, a statistic researchers attribute in part to anecdotal content like Simpson's. He now lives in Europe and continues to promote RSO internationally.

“Rick Simpson Oil cures cancer, and patients should stop chemotherapy and other conventional treatments in favour of RSO”

No clinical trials establish RSO as a cancer cure. Research does not support claims that cannabis oil can treat cancer directly. Multiple oncologists have publicly stated that advising cancer patients to abandon chemotherapy in favour of RSO is an 'absolute lie' that causes 'significant harm'. The case reports Simpson cites are anecdotal and provide no scientific evidence.

“RSO cured Simpson's basal cell carcinoma by topical application within days”

Simpson's account is entirely anecdotal. Basal cell carcinoma has a high rate of spontaneous partial regression, and without biopsy confirmation before and after, his claim cannot be substantiated. The story has been widely promoted as proof of RSO's efficacy despite no clinical verification.

“The medical community suppresses cannabis oil cures to protect pharmaceutical industry profits”

This is a common conspiracy theory for which no evidence exists. Cannabis and cannabinoid-based medicines are actively studied and some are approved for medical use. The absence of approved cancer-cure claims for RSO reflects the absence of supporting clinical evidence, not suppression.