Can Rick Simpson Oil cure all types of cancers?

Hyderabad: A post claiming a miraculous cure for cancer has gone viral on social media. The viral post claims that Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) can treat skin cancer.

The caption of the post reads, “When she was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, Christine Righeimer of Wisconsin knew immediately that she was going to use cannabis oil as a treatment. Starting on the oil in January of this year, she received the all-clear for her breast cancer a few weeks ago. One of the surprising benefits of using cannabis oil was the improvement in some of her MS symptoms, an ailment she has had for many years that made it difficult for her to walk.”

Rick Simpson Oil is an oil made by washing cannabis buds with a solvent, such as pure light naphtha, and then boiling off the solvent leaving behind the oil. It is not a branded product. That means there’s no one “Rick Simpson Oil” for sale. On his website, Simpson explains how to make his namesake oil. But he does not sell a version of the oil for profit.

Can Cannabis oil cure all types of cancer? Let’s find out.

Fact Check

A study on Healthline says experts are still far from having conclusive evidence about which cannabinoids and strains work best. In addition, some research suggests that THC can actually increase the growth of cancer cells. Large human studies are needed before cannabis becomes a recommended cancer treatment.

Additionally, there have been a few early-stage clinical trials involving human participants with cancer. While these studies have shown that cannabinoids are safe to use in cancer patients, they don’t fully demonstrate whether cannabinoids can help to treat or control cancer.

An article in Leaf 411 states, “RSO has gained a reputation for its powerful healing abilities, but unfortunately, there is no evidence-based research on what types of conditions that RSO might help most with. In some cases, it may even harm if someone delays research-backed treatment options while experimenting with RSO. Some research also suggests that RSO could contribute to more aggressive growth with certain cancers.”

According to a study in WebMD, “Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), an oil made from the flowers of the cannabis (marijuana) plant, gets attention online from people who claim it treats cancer. There’s no solid evidence for it. But some early research suggests that some chemicals in marijuana have future potential as a cancer treatment.”

Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of cannabis as a treatment for any medical condition. However, both isolated THC and CBD pharmaceuticals are licensed and approved. To conduct clinical drug research with botanical cannabis in the United States, researchers must file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA, obtain a Schedule I license from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and obtain approval from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

It is evident that there is no evidence to prove the cancer-curing properties of RSO. Hence, the claim is false.