28/04/2026
Who Is Rick Simpson?
Rick Simpson is a former Canadian engineer who inadvertently became a significant figure in the medical cannabis industry. In 1997, a workplace accident involving a bad fall, exposure to toxic fumes and poor ventilation at a hospital led to a series of health issues, including persistent tinnitus and debilitating dizziness. Traditional medications failed to alleviate his symptoms, prompting him to explore medical ma*****na as an alternative treatment. He began growing his own plants, despite its illegal status and opposition from his doctor at the time.
In 2003, Simpson faced a more severe health concern: a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Even with Canada’s legalization of medical cannabis in 2001, securing physician support for its use was challenging.
A study from 1975 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute propelled him to develop Rick Simpson Oil (RS O), by evidence suggesting cannabis could inhibit tumor growth.
In a 2019 interview, Simpson shared the experience that cemented his belief in cannabis as medicine:
“In early 2003, I used cannabis extracts to heal three skin cancers I had been suffering with for many years… A week after the doctor removed the lesion close to my eye, I was looking at the area where they operated and it was infected.
At that moment I remembered the report I heard on the radio back in 1975. They were talking about the Medical School of Virginia study that stated that TH,C kills cancer cells. I knew the oil I produced had concentrated high levels of TH,C in it, so I decided to apply the oil directly to the lesions. I put some oil on the bandages and applied them to the affected areas. I removed the bandages four days after and the lesions were completely healed, and there was no need for further treatment… I couldn’t believe that the cancer was gone.
I started telling friends and neighbors that cannabis oil healed my cancer. Most of the people thought that I was crazy and they were saying: ‘Yeah, right, Rick, cannabis cures cancer.’”
Simpson staunchly believes that RS,O cured his skin cancer; and, although no independent scientific validations directly support this claim, several landmark studies all point to the same powerful conclusion. He dedicated himself to producing and distributing RS,O freely to thousands of patients until his efforts were halted by a police raid in 2009, and thousands of his cannabis plants were confiscated.
To continue his advocacy without legal hindrance, Simpson moved to Croatia with his wife, maintaining a website with resources on RS,O, including recipes, dosing guides, and books. After suffering a stroke in 2018, Simpson has kept a low profile but remains a fervent advocate for medical cannabis and RS,O.
