How to make Rick Simpson Oil

Rick Simpson Oil is a type of cannabis concentrate with extremely high levels of THC, also known as THC concentrate. The oil, named after the man who made it famous, is often touted in online forums as a cancer treatment, pain killer, and at teams even as a miracle cure.

While the evidence on those claims is anecdotal at best, particularly with regards to cancer, it remains a product of great interest. However, it requires a large amount of cannabis and a great deal of care.

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Before trying the following, please read more about what Rick Simpson Oil is, and consult a physician before beginning any treatment.

That said, with a little education, one can make highly pure RSO from the comfort of their home. Rick Simpson himself says it’s as nearly as easy as brewing coffee. Let’s take a look at his Rick Simpson Oil recipe:

1 lb. dried cannabis
2 gallons of isopropyl alcohol (preferably food grade)
A large bucket, large bowl, and wooden spoon
Cheesecloth
Rice cooker (optional)
Syringe

Step 1: Select a high-quality, THC-rich (<15%) cannabis cultivar. Simpson recommends a relaxing Indica strain, though patients are welcome to select any strain they prefer. A pound of flower will yield the entire 60 gram, 90-day treatment that Simpson recommends. (Learn more about cannabis weight conversions.)

Step 2: Place the entire pound of marijuana and one gallon of alcohol into your large bowl, mixing gently. After a few minutes of stirring, the THC will have almost fully dissolved into the solvent.

Step 3: Pour the solvent, which may now have a green-hued color, through the cheesecloth and into your bowl. The marijuana material can stay in its bucket — it’s still usable!

Step 4: Pour a fresh batch of isopropyl alcohol into the cannabis bucket, mixing gently in a repetition of Step 2.

Step 5: Repeat step 3, pouring this batch of solvent into the same bowl as the first batch. At this point, you’ve extracted virtually all the cannabinoids you can, so the marijuana material can be discarded.

Step 6: Place your cannabinoid-infused solvent into your rice cooker. Technically, this step is optional; you could just let the solvent evaporate but using a rice cooker will significantly speed up the process. If you do not use the rice cooker, you will need to decarboxylate your cannabis first.

Step 7: Ensuring your rice cooker stays around 220°F, check the soon-to-be-RSO occasionally and wait until the solvent evaporation has occurred. The final product should be thick and dark in color. At this point, remove your oil from the rice cooker using a syringe (perfect for accurate dosing) or spatula.

There you have it. By making your own Rick Simpson Oil at home, you can ensure product purity and freshness — and maybe even learn a thing or two about the nature of cannabinoids.

Your RSO can be taken as an ingestible, topical, or both. It can also be taken within capsules or a suppository. See our article on medical cannabis delivery methods for more info on that.

Remember to consult with a physician first, and always start with a low dose, particularly with such a strong concentrate like RSO.