The Rick Simpson Story
In a rational world, Rick Simpson would be hailed as an International hero, held in the same reverence reserved for doctors like Jonas Salk, who discovered the vaccine that ended the polio epidemic in the 50’s.
Instead, he has had to seek asylum in Europe, cut off from family and friends, hounded by authorities like a common criminal.
His crime? Rick had the audacity to discover that an oil made from the THC found on the buds of the marijuana plant, have the capability of curing most ailments plaguing mankind today – including cancer, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes – without the harmful side effects that accompany virtually all prescription drugs.
In the early 70‘s, Rick’s cousin developed developed a lump in his ribcage, which was surgically removed, to contain the cancer. Instead, it spread throughout his body. His weight plummeted from 200 to 170 pounds. By the time he died three months later, his weight was down to 50 pounds.
A few years later, Rick was listening to a radio interview that claimed a medical study conducted at the University of Virginia had found THC reduced brain tumors in mice. “I just stopped the car and stared at the radio, Simpson recalls. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but “I never heard anything more about it, so I thought it must be a joke.”
Rick forgot all about it until fate intervened 25 years later when he was working at All Saint’s Hospital in Nova Scotia. His job entailed wrapping asbestos covered boiler pipes with duct tape after applying an aerosol spray for increased adhesion. When this spray caused his nervous system to shutdown, he lost his balance and fell off the ladder, striking his head on the metal boiler. Rick found himself hanging from the pipes when he regained consciousness still dazed and confused.
Rushed to the emergency, it took over three hours to stabilize his condition sufficiently for him to go home. He started experiencing a loud ringing in his ears that he likened to the sound a lawnmower would make inside your living room. He tried a series of prescription drugs, but nothing seemed to help, and the side effects were unpleasant.
One day he saw an episode of Dr. David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things, describing the “enormous promise” of marijuana as a medicine. He asked his doctor if he thought marijuana might help his condition, but his doctor scoffed at the suggestion claiming that marijuana was still under study and it was bad for his lungs.
Simpson decided to try it for himself and got some pot from a friend. He found that it worked better than anything his doctor had prescribed. About the same time, Rick’s doctor said that he didn’t think there was anything more that he could do to help his condition, so Rick decided to stop taking pharmaceutical drugs altogether. An idea had formulated in his mind.
What if, he reasoned, an essential oil could be made that would deliver a concentrated dose of medicine at one time? He made up a batch and started using the oil on a daily basis. Not only did the ringing in his head improve, but the oil also controlled his pain, lowered his blood pressure, and allowed him to sleep.
Simpson had been monitoring three suspicious spots on his skin for some time. In January 2003, his doctor confirmed that one was malignant and surgically removed the spot near his eye. A few days later, the area was red, inflamed, and had pus coming out of it.
Remembering the interview from the 70’s about THC’s effects on cancer cells, he decided to apply the oil directly on his growths. In four days, the spots were completely gone. However, the cancer that was surgically removed reappeared in a few weeks. He got the same results when he applied the oil to the new cancer growth.
Overjoyed, he tried to share his discovery with his doctor, but his doctor was dismissive and uninterested in his findings. So Simpson decided to go his own way.
Rick has never charged anyone for his life saving oil in a similar manner as Dr. Salk who
when asked who owned the patent on his miracle vaccine responded, “Who can patent the sun?”
One of Simpson’s success stories was a woman with cervical cancer who reported her story to the local chapter of the Royal Canadian Legion. The bartender, Rick Dwyer, was curious enough to request Rick stop by the Legion for a chat. Dubious of his claims, Dwyer asked if he could interview some of Rick’s patients. He came away a true believer.
Realizing the significance of the evidence before him, Dwyer contacted local public health officials and requested that they investigate the matter. To his surprise, no one would examine the evidence.
Rick’s Personal Caution:
“Oils that “drug dealers” sell can have many contaminants and often little or no THC. From my experience (Rick Simpson speaking here),
” most hemp oil available on the street should be avoided for medicinal use. Make your own oil or have someone you trust produce the oil to assure a very pure, high quality oil is produced.”
The RCMP, tipped off that Rick was circulating hash oil, raided Simpson’s backyard grow in 2003 confiscating all his plants without charging him with any crime. He returned to the RCMP in 2005 to present evidence he had gathered with videotaped interviews of his patients to support his treatment. Shortly afterward, the Mounties raided his backyard, this time coming up with 1,620 plants. He was charged with possession, cultivating and trafficking.
Simpson’s trial began in September 2007, and it was clear from the start that the deck was stacked against him. Although Rick had 48 sworn affidavits from patients testifying to the efficacy of marijuana, the judge ruled that no medical evidence could be presented in court.
Rick cross examined the Mounties by holding up a full page article in the Spring Hill Record which outlined his treatment plan in detail and ran a full year before he was arrested. “Would a criminal have a full page article in the newspaper detailing his activities?,” Simpson asked the officers.
Right before the jury returned to the courtroom, the crown prosecutor was seen leaving the jury room. It had taken less than three hours for the jury to return a “guilty on all counts” verdict. The judge called Rick into a side room before delivering his sentence saying, “You see Rick, the government wants researchers to bring out this information.” He obviously had a conscience because he only fined Rick $2,000 without any jail time or probation finding no criminal intent on his part.
Rick has treated over 1,000 patients with terminal cancer achieving a 70% success rate. Unfortunately, not everyone survives. “The patient has to be able to stay alive long enough for the oil to start working,” explains Simpson. “Unfortunately the ones that can’t be saved are the ones that get the most chemotherapy and radiation, or wait too long to start the treatment.”
Ironically, The RCMP raided Rick’s home yet again while he was in Amsterdam receiving the Freedom Fighter of the Year award at The Cannabis Cup ceremony sponsored by High Times magazine.
This latest raid led to his current situation which finds him living in exile in the Czech Republic. He has presented the government with a proposal to supply the nation with his wonder drug. Perhaps he will find the sanctuary to cure terminally ill people in the safety of a “third-world” nation.
Find out more and follow the story at http://phoenixtears.ca/
ASA – Americans For Safe Access
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
NORML
