If you’ve been around cannabis for a while, you’ve probably heard of Rick Simpson Oil, aka Phoenix Tears or FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil). These terms are virtually interchangeable, so if you know one, you’re familiar with both.
There is a certain folklore surrounding Phoenix Tears and its namesake creator, Rick Simpson. It’s reached an almost mythical status due to its purported cancer-fighting and healing abilities.
So, let’s take a look at its many uses as we answer all of your questions on how to use Phoenix Tears.
Meet the creator, Rick Simpson
RSO is a highly concentrated type of cannabis oil invented by, you guessed it, Rick Simpson. It’s a thick, viscous oil rich in cannabinoids, particularly THC and CBD, that was born out of necessity when traditional medical methods failed.
Origin of a cannabis activist
In 1997, he was an engineer working in a Canadian hospital. He suffered a work-related accident where he fell off a ladder, causing a head injury, which lead to dizziness, headaches, and tinnitus.
When mainstream medical treatments failed to resolve his symptoms, he wanted to try medical cannabis, but his doctor refused to prescribe it— forcing Rick to source it independently.
Rick found that using cannabis greatly improved many of his symptoms, and that’s when he became a staunch supporter of medicinal cannabis use.
RSO: The Cancer Killer?
A few years later, he turned to cannabis once again after discovering strange lumps on his hand (turns out he was suffering from basal cell carcinoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer!).
Literally taking matters into his own hands, Rick Simpson ended up creating Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), a thick, viscous cannabis oil containing high amounts of THC.
He used the oil on the growths and he says the cancer went away in less than a week!
After experiencing these dramatic results, Rick Simpson took it upon himself to start making more of the cannabis oil, distributing it for free for patients in need. Rick doesn’t sell it for profit, and he even shares his method online.
His selflessness and willingness to help others undoubtedly helped establish him as an influential cannabis activist.
The creator of the oil, Rick Simpson.
Phoenix Tears: What does the science say?
The medical effects of Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) are still up for debate.
The oil’s ability to cure skin cancer has been studied on mice, but there have been no full-scale medical studies to determine if the claims made by Rick Simpson hold up and can be replicated on a large scale.
More research is needed into cannabis’ effects on cancer cells.
That said, many people continue to turn to cannabis oils to treat various ailments.
This cannabis extract has been used widely for many effects, such as reducing tension and stress, increasing hunger, and reducing pain.
These days, Phoenix Tears are relatively easy to access and even easier to use. While you can buy Rick Simpson Oil from us, we should tell you that Phoenix Tears is also relatively easy to make yourself, as you’ll see later on in this article.
For now, it’s best to look at using these oils as a supplement to any existing medical treatment, and patients should consult their doctors before trying RSO.
Benefits of Phoenix Tears
Although there are mixed reports on whether Phoenix Tears can reduce cancer cell growth, don’t let that discourage you. You can definitely benefit a lot from ingesting Phoenix Tears, as the use of RSO has many more benefits than just fighting cancer because of its high levels of THC and CBD.
Phoenix Tears have helped people:
- Relieve anxiety
- Reduce/relieve pain
- Improve sleep
- Increase appetite
- Nourish the skin
- Improve heart health with antioxidants
Easy to Dose
Another great benefit of using Phoenix Tears is how easy it is to use. There are many easy ways of ingesting Phoenix Tears, and even better, they’re smoke-free!
The most common ways to ingest Phoenix Tears are a dosage orally or sublingually (more on that later) or simply rubbing it into your skin where it hurts.
With Phoenix Tears, there is the added benefit of not having to worry about smoking, whether it’s the smell or lung damage because Phoenix Tears let you experience the health benefits of cannabis without smoking.
Long Shelf Life
Another benefit of using Phoenix Tears is its long shelf-life. If you store it correctly and keep it tightly closed, Phoenix Tears can last for a very long time.
THC is a stable molecule; just make sure to keep it away from heat or light, which causes it to degrade faster.
How to Use Phoenix Tears
There are several ways to use Phoenix Tears, but if you are new to RSO, it’s best to start with a low dosage. Then, you can work your way up to the dosage and treatment regimen that works best for you. While some people can handle continuous or large doses, make sure to go slow at the beginning.
Here are the main ways you can use Rick Simpson Oil:
Sublingual
The most common and easiest way to ingest Phoenix Tears is the sublingual method, which is Latin for ‘under the tongue’.
The sublingual method is much faster than an edible as your body can process it more efficiently.
A drop like a grain of rice is a great starting dosage, and it can take effect in as little as 5 minutes!
Eating it
When eating the oil on its own or in an edible, you’ll probably be waiting a lot longer for the effects to kick in because edibles take longer (sometimes hours!) for your body to process.
Rick Simpson Oil can be cooked into baked goods or added to salad dressings. You can even drink it in your morning coffee or evening cup of tea.
Most RSO on the market come with droppers or a syringe that make it easy to get a precise dosage.
Taking edibles for the first time?
When taking any kind of edible for the first time, make sure to wait enough time to see how it affects you. Don’t make the mistake of getting too impatient and taking more too soon because that can lead to discomfort.
It’s best to wait at least an hour to see if the edible affects you, although in some cases, it can take a few hours for you to feel anything. It can help to set a timer as soon as you eat the edible because it can get hard to keep track of time when the effects kick in.
Whether it took half an hour or more for you to feel anything, make sure to note your dose, and how much time it took to kick in so you’ll know whether to stay at that dose or adjust it.
Keep in mind that the effects from edibles can be much stronger than smoking weed, and in some rare cases, it can last longer than 8 hours! That’s why it’s so important to start low.
It’s probably best to consume RSO at night. Many people report ingesting edibles as having higher sedation effects, making it perfect for a good night’s sleep.
Topically
If you experience joint or muscle pain, using Phoenix Tears as a topical might be the right way to go.
You can simply rub the oil on the areas that hurt. Some patients report that they can feel a difference within 60 minutes!
Oils like RSO are a better option for topical applications because they’re thicker and last longer. After all, it’s the original method Rick Simpson used when he rubbed the oil onto his skin cancer.
It can also be applied topically to help ease menstrual cramps.
Vaporizing or Smoking
You may be wondering: can you vaporize or smoke Phoenix Tears? The short answer is: it depends, but we don’t recommend it.Â
As long as the RSO has been purged of all the alcohol and there isn’t any MCT oil or coconut oil in it, then yes, you can technically smoke or vape Phoenix Tears— but there are better methods to ingest the oil.
Beware— it probably won’t taste very good— and there are much better concentrates out there if you’re looking for amazing taste, like live resin or sauce.
How to Make Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
Making RSO at home is surprisingly easy. Here is a guide to making your own Phoenix Tears.
What you need to make Phoenix Tears
First, you will need a few ingredients and tools:
- One pound dried cannabis (You can use trim, but flower will produce more oil)
- 2 gallons of food-grade solvent
- 5-gallon bucket and a deep bowl
- Rice cooker
- Something food-safe to stir the mixture
- Cheesecloth or coffee filters
WARNING:
Do NOT use denatured alcohol as a solvent, such as store-bought rubbing alcohol, as it isn’t safe to consume. Rick’s original recipe calls for 99% isopropyl alcohol, but wood grain alcohol works as well.
Making Phoenix Tears at Home
Wash the cannabis
To make the oil, begin by crushing your cannabis into the bucket, then add the alcohol. Mix for several minutes to agitate.Â
Next, pour off the alcohol (save it!) and repeat the process. You will get about 80% of the oils out of the cannabis on the first wash.
Wash it again to pick up the remaining oils.
Filter the alcohol using coffee filters or cheesecloth to get rid of any remaining plant matter.Â
Evaporate the alcohol
At this point, the liquid should be yellow or golden.
The next step is to get rid of the alcohol in the mixture so that only oil is left. That is easy to do because alcohol evaporates at relatively low temperatures.
Be sure you are in a well-ventilated room.Â
Pour your mixture into the rice cooker and turn the heat up to high. The alcohol will slowly boil off.Â
Continue to add the alcohol mixture to the rice cooker, and as the alcohol boils off, the percentage of liquid drops.
You will have a small amount of oil at the end.
Collect it—this is Rick Simpson oil!
Issues to watch for
One issue you might encounter is not knowing if all the alcohol has burned off. That’s why it’s important to use food-grade alcohol.
If you accidentally ingest any, you can be sure that it won’t harm you.
Be sure to start slow with each batch. It’s difficult to determine the dosage of THC and CBD in these homemade cannabis oils. The potency may vary.
Before trying Phoenix Tears
A few things before trying Phoenix Tears.Â
Consult a medical professional to ensure that it’s right for you as it can interact with other treatment and medication.
Phoenix Tears also has potential side effects like lower blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, and slower memory and reaction times, but the good news it those effects are usually short-lived.
When trying it for the first time, it’s important to go slow and pay attention to how your body reacts to it.
Where to Buy RSO
While it’s true that cannabis oils and tinctures are easy to make at home, there always comes a time when you don’t want to go through the hassle.
In the meantime, you should investigate online products that may work for you.
Our Miss Envy Phoenix Tears is organic hemp-based cannabis oil. The oil comes in an easy-to-use syringe, and all batches are 100% organic.
Rise from the Ashes
Okay, maybe Phoenix Tears won’t turn you into a mythical bird that can be reborn in a fiery blaze of glory—but they certainly help with pain, anxiety, and more.
Phoenix Tears may even help slow or stop the spread of cancer, but the jury is still out on that one.
Whether you decide to make your own or purchase your Phoenix Tears, there is no doubt you will be feeling the medicinal benefits of this wonderful cannabis oil in no time!
