Rick Simpson busted again

Well, actually his house, he's in Europe and says he isn't coming back.

If you want the story you need to google "rick simpson"+raid as it's only showing up on competing forums and I doubt ICMag wants me to link to the competition.

Thats too bad... the mans a hero in my book.

This topic came up for discussion on Cannabis Culture today.

I posted some rather pointed comments on Rick Simpson. To be clear, I think the man is a fraud and is encouraging cannabis users, in particular, who need treatment to save their lives to instead turn away from science and turn instead to snake oil. The promise is particularly appealing to men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, given the life-changing nature of conventional treatment.

Men who are in that unenviable position are highly vulnerable to Simpson's claims. Men exactly like the thousands of people who post here on ICM every week.

As others have noted, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor emeritus at Harvand, has posted an op-ed earlier this month to caution people against accepting Simpson's unfounded claims.

Marc Emery has now posted on the subject as well.
Emery's comments today are worth reading. The full text can be found at CC

Marc Emery wrote:
"Whenever I asked Rick Simpson to write about his work, or engaged other journalists and writers to write about Rick Simpson, and finally when I tried to do it myself, Simpson never co-operated. I could never get actual names and phone numbers of patients who were allegedly "cured". I never could see any so-called sworn affidavits. I could never interview any patients. I could never get the formula used, or the strain, or anything specific whatsoever. That is why no journalist has been able to write about Simpson, he is unverifiable, in his claims, his patients, his documentation, everything, really. No solid paperwork either.

Secondly, its cowardice to stay in Europe when Simpson should, to me, obviously come back and prove his claims in court. Lets have the "cured" patients in court, lets see the affidavits, lets have the science and the evidence submitted in court. If Simpson's claims are true, he stands a good chance of making a great case of historical precedents.

That Simpson wouldn't want to return to Canada is suspicious to me. You don't get "hero" status or folk legend or pioneer accolades by running away. He is not being sought by US authorities, its a local raid, its his third raid/charge, but it by no means is an undesirable situation. Putting Simpson in jail for cultivation still seems very unlikely, especially since Bill C-15 is not yet law. There is a great potential for a medical necessity defense. There are all sorts of opportunities to educate the entire nation in an extensive defense, bringing in the "cured" as witnesses, all of them will be compelling....if all the claims made by Simpson are true.

I find Simpson a bit of an odd fellow. When he was raising money to travel across North America to promote his "oil", they claimed to need $300,000 to do the tour, and they raised only $3,000, so it was called off. I couldn't believe this $300,000 figure they claimed to be trying to raise. Jodie & I traveled to 30 Canadian cities across Canada for about $17,000 over 2 months from St. John's to Victoria, and I told them this amount of money they claimed to need was outlandish for a tour, and absurd to try to get this amount raised for what would be a simple speech at the public library in selected cities."

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I think Emery's comments are most insightful.

Moreover, if Simpson won't return to prove his case in a court of law, I think people are entitled to draw an adverse inference as to why he is unwilling to put his evidence under the bright lights of a Canadian courtroom.

If what he is saying is true - why is he running away from a National venue to present his case before the media? Why ever would that be - if what he claims is actually true?

I actually gave him benefit of the doubt

I wouldn't feel to proud of lying

OMG, I never thought I'd see the day when I actually agreed with Marc Emery.
Thanks, fatigues!

fatigues said:

-- snip -- If what he is saying is true - why is he running away from a National venue to present his case before the media? Why ever would that be - if what he claims is actually true?

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WOW!! Well .. I'm glad you posted your comments.

James Lablanc; former terminal cancer patient. His phone number is near the bottom, if you have any questions for him.
http://phoenixtears.ca/jim.php

So I guess Mark Emery just didn't look hard enough. And a few others that claim folks like Jim don't exist.

I've talked to Rick a couple of times. Rick worked mostly with white widow. Blueberry is another strain that he worked with. Used horse manure for ferts. Outdoor. Nothing fancy, given that he was giving it all away. The material that he used for extraction had very little trimming done. Again .. giving it all away. Sounds like there was some minor amount of seed production.

Rick can get hot when he feels threatened. Ask him to prove what he's saying and his defenses jump up.

Sooo .. the reporters didn't understand how to talk to him. My guess anyway. But he will talk about such stuff. Did with me when I called him.

Rick has modified his claim of cure rates. He is now claiming a 70% cure rate. I'm glad that he did. Nothing works for every single person. It shouldn't be expected cannabinoids to work 100% of the time either.

The costs of a tour vs the costs of a vacation .. the vacation doesn't include little things like venue location rentals etc.

As for why he doesn't want to go to jail .. are you kidding?

Does he exaggerate? Possibly. But overall I find him to be a honest, good hearted person.

I believe that he greatly oversimplifies what takes place by attributing all of marijuana's curative properties to THC. I think it's much more complex than that. Which means that strain, nutes and growing conditions are much more important than Rick realizes.

Marijuana needs much much more study. It's like the treasure in the movie "The Librarian." The possibilities just go on and on ..

But not just marijuana. Rick needs to be studied also. His entire process from seed to oil. He may have fallen into something very special.

we see false claims about asprin, suboxone, oxyxcotin (not addictive-remember?) but these companies (bayer) arent facing long prison sentences or a shit storm of nay sayers....

yeah, rick should surrender and go to jail...
isn't it easy to advise someone on their freedom, when its not your ass in the sling! stay in europe, where you might be able to make progress, and do what you feel is best rick! its your life... wrong or right, at least you're trying! best wishes.

All I'm waiting for is a fucking study of his oil, if it works, FUCKING GREAT, but for the time being his claims are just too outrageous to be true. That's not to say I wouldn't try it if someone close to me got cancer since I know it can't hurt, being cannabis. But I really don't understand why no real scientist has looked into this, I mean they spend valuable time and resources debunking retarded stuff like homeopathy, crystal healing and chiropractics where it's pretty much clear that it's a fraud invented by greedy or delusional idiots to make money off of the stupid. Rick however gives his stuff away for free which already gives him more credibility than the whole complementary/alternative med scene has ever enjoyed. So someone should def. conduct a study, I think they'd prolly get some interesting results no matter what the outcome

Also, there's something that ticks me off about his oil: he claims people don't get high from it. However, the concentrations of THC needed to achieve an anti-oncogenic effect are such that you'll surely get pretty baked from the oil (he advises to take like 1-2g of highly potent hash oil a day, and that'll sure as hell fuck you up)...

Hazelnuts said:

All I'm waiting for is a fucking study of his oil, if it works, FUCKING GREAT, but for the time being his claims are just too outrageous to be true. That's not to say I wouldn't try it if someone close to me got cancer since I know it can't hurt, being cannabis. But I really don't understand why no real scientist has looked into this, I mean they spend valuable time and resources debunking retarded stuff like homeopathy, crystal healing and chiropractics where it's pretty much clear that it's a fraud invented by greedy or delusional idiots to make money off of the stupid. Rick however gives his stuff away for free which already gives him more credibility than the whole complementary/alternative med scene has ever enjoyed. So someone should def. conduct a study, I think they'd prolly get some interesting results no matter what the outcome

Also, there's something that ticks me off about his oil: he claims people don't get high from it. However, the concentrations of THC needed to achieve an anti-oncogenic effect are such that you'll surely get pretty baked from the oil (he advises to take like 1-2g of highly potent hash oil a day, and that'll sure as hell fuck you up)...

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1. Studies have been done by numerous institutions that show cannabinoids have an effect on cancer (autophagy)
2. I cant say anything about crystal healing... but chiropractic's and homeopathic medicine are proven, and NOT pseudo science.
3. He never said it wont get you high... if i recall said that a tolerance will build up rapidly with allows for ingestion of the large amount of hash oil. he also explained that its the cbd's and such that have the properties he's after... not so much the THC; as the 'high' isn't what cures.

I find it...idk... petty, sad, even backwards that our community (icmag- a group of pro pot people would jump this guys shit when he's trying to advance and explore the medical reach of our beloved plant (while most us us just look at bud porn and roast bowls) He needs our support (wrong, right, or in this case-neither.. but probably on to something), he'll get all the flack he needs elsewhere. If we, the community shuns him, what are the ramifications? A guy whose heart is in the right place, no profits, and we call him a snake oil salesman... thats wrong, just damn wrong. think about it folks...

I give Rick Simpson the benefit of the doubt; there are plenty of other natural recipes made out of plants that are said to cure cancer; so let us all try and see what works. Besides, compared to the side-effects of regular chemo and radio therapy, what is a little hash ingestion gonna do bad? nothing.

OfficerStedanko said:

1. Studies have been done by numerous institutions that show cannabinoids have an effect on cancer (autophagy)
2. I cant say anything about crystal healing... but chiropractic's and homeopathic medicine are proven, and NOT pseudo science.
3. He never said it wont get you high... if i recall said that a tolerance will build up rapidly with allows for ingestion of the large amount of hash oil. he also explained that its the cbd's and such that have the properties he's after... not so much the THC; as the 'high' isn't what cures.

I find it...idk... petty, sad, even backwards that our community (icmag- a group of pro pot people would jump this guys shit when he's trying to advance and explore the medical reach of our beloved plant (while most us us just look at bud porn and roast bowls) He needs our support (wrong, right, or in this case-neither.. but probably on to something), he'll get all the flack he needs elsewhere. If we, the community shuns him, what are the ramifications? A guy whose heart is in the right place, no profits, and we call him a snake oil salesman... thats wrong, just damn wrong. think about it folks...

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I was thinking the same thing, even if it DOESNT work, ITS NOT FUCKING SNAKE OIL. the guy wasnt even selling it,,, he was growing weed to make medicine to give to people for F-R-E-E and sharing patients expericnes and trials,,, and THIS is how you treat him??? prety fukcing low in my opinion .... how mnay of you are working different methods of cannabanoid delivery and giving away medicine to the sick people around you ????? i watched the movie he did, maybe it is bullshit. maybe it is not. i dont know, but what i do know is at least he was WORKING to do good in the community, what have any of you critics of rick simpson done to improve the lifes of the people and the community around you? ??

im really tired of all the people who hve the time to criticize others efforts, while contributing absoultely nothing benefitial to the subject...


PS

FUCK NARC EMERY for even suggesting that rick simpson is not a hero unless he forfeits his freedoms to the court....

As phytotherapist i can say that Cannabis has anti-carcinogenic properties.There are several studies which you can find at http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/iacm.php

Most studies are rather small, but they show interesting and important things.

If you produce a plant-based medicine and give it away to help sick people instead of asking idiot prices like Marc did with his seeds than you have the heart at the right place.

I think that most sick people dont have the benefit if he is locked up behind a prison wall, so in one way i can understand his decision to stay in Europe.

In my opinion Health Canada want to send him to prison so he is not be able to give any information anymore about his medicine oil, which is certainly not snake oil.

Namaste

Stay in europe Rick if I had cancer I would taake the oil

Cannabis itself cannot cure cancer. It may be one of the key plants on the planet that could be used in combination with other plants to cure cancer but not alone. It does however as we all know help with a wide variety of ailments.

Remember St. Johns Wart? I think that is the one......how great it was for you but to turn out later to cause liver damage in some people. As with about anything.

He should come back regardless of what he claimed is totally true or not. That fact is we all know that some of it is. That is why it is called Medical MJ. Right?

And we all know that it is cheaper in the long run to just get it out of the way. Because it will never go away.

V

fatigues said:

If what he is saying is true - why is he running away from a National venue to present his case before the media? Why ever would that be - if what he claims is actually true?

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You're such an ass. Since when did the truth actually matter when talking to the courts/media/govt? Isn't that why we're STILL under prohibition? He's totally justified in my book for avoiding a preponderance of ignorance deciding his fate for him. Go RICK!

Welcome to my ignore list fatigues. You're nothing but a BigPharma schill. Go have a nice tea party with Yummybud and BlueDot.

I did not follow his work, but was he using Exodus 30:23 ?

vonforne said:

Cannabis itself cannot cure cancer. It may be one of the key plants on the planet that could be used in combination with other plants to cure cancer but not alone. It does however as we all know help with a wide variety of ailments.

Remember St. Johns Wart? I think that is the one......how great it was for you but to turn out later to cause liver damage in some people. As with about anything.

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There is a chance that Cannabis can reduce cancer by itself or in combination, but only the application & dose is important.

St John's Wort is not causing liver damage, but Kava Kava can cause liver damage.St.John's Wort has hepaprotective properties.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/112228689/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Namaste

OfficerStedanko said:

1. Studies have been done by numerous institutions that show cannabinoids have an effect on cancer (autophagy)
2. I cant say anything about crystal healing... but chiropractic's and homeopathic medicine are proven, and NOT pseudo science.
3. He never said it wont get you high... if i recall said that a tolerance will build up rapidly with allows for ingestion of the large amount of hash oil. he also explained that its the cbd's and such that have the properties he's after... not so much the THC; as the 'high' isn't what cures.

I find it...idk... petty, sad, even backwards that our community (icmag- a group of pro pot people would jump this guys shit when he's trying to advance and explore the medical reach of our beloved plant (while most us us just look at bud porn and roast bowls) He needs our support (wrong, right, or in this case-neither.. but probably on to something), he'll get all the flack he needs elsewhere. If we, the community shuns him, what are the ramifications? A guy whose heart is in the right place, no profits, and we call him a snake oil salesman... thats wrong, just damn wrong. think about it folks...

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1. Chiropractics have been proven to be bullshit, look at the big CAM study lancet published in like 2005 and ANY other scientific study looking at it. Chiropractors have KILLED people because they didn't know what they were doing, they ripped apart the arteries in the patient's neck and the patient died subsequentially. It may help you if you have a problem that you're imagining and that doesn't actually exist or is a manifestation of some psychological problem, or something that goes away on its own (but then again, that's not really helping, is it...). I think I should have made a clearer distinction between the homeopathy I meant and the other form that exists, which is, at least around here, apparently practiced more often. I was talking about the homeopathy basing on the idea that a medicine gets stronger the more you dilute it, not the form that is simply herbal medicine, I do believe that there are applications for herbal medicine and they should definitely be looked into (after all, cannabis is herbal medicine as well). However the original idea of homeopathy is just retarded, it's based upon the claim that water has a "memory" and sort of remembers what medicine was in there, even if the solution is diluted to the 200th power and statistically can't contain any of the plant extract that the "doctor" started out with. This idea actually stems from a series of logically flawed deliberations by Samuel Hahnemann, the inventor of homeopathy. He based his original theory on the idea that "same can be treated with same", so he treated illnesses of a specific organ with plant extracts from plants that looked similar to the organ affected or that produced an effect similar to the symptoms of the illness (this was because he apparently had an intolerance to quinine, a chemical that has long been used to treat malaria and is actually effective for doing so. It's contained in a plant (cant remember the name, sorry) that was used to treat malaria during Hahnemann's time and he tried taking some without actually suffering from malaria in an experiment. Due to his intolerance to the chemical, he suffered from symptoms similar to malaria and so got to the conclusion that plants which produce an effect similar to symptoms of a disease can be used to treat that disease). Now those extracts weren't always healthy as some of the plants used were poisonous, so his patients actually got sicker from taking them (but of course this didn't occur to him). He then proceeded to dilute them and lo and behold, his patients were better off than with the undiluted form which led him to the conclusion that medicine gets stronger, the more you dilute it, an idea which is of course complete bullshit.

2. I never meant to attack or discredit Rick Simpson, I'm just saying that considering the statements he makes (hash oil=cure-all) and the evidence he provides (none except for anecdotal evidence, I'm having a hard time believing his claims. I didn't jump him or anything, just stating that.

3. He does say that many people don't get high:

http://phoenixtears.ca/make.php said:

Will I get high?
Following the dosage previously described, many people can take the full treatment and never get high. In regards to hemp, getting "high" is a joke, even if a person does take too much oil the effect wears off quickly and no harm is done. No one has ever died from the use of hemp medicine.

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Again, maybe he's right and oral administration of his kind of oil doesn't produce noticeable effects for those people, I was just saying I thought it was odd.

4. I know perfectly well that cannabinoids have been shown to have an anticarcinogenic effect, which is why I believe there is true potential in Rick's oil. I'm just saying that if he wants to be taken seriously, he's gonna have to provide some more evidence, or it's gonna have to be produced by scientific studies and I was actually questioning why none of those have been conducted with high-dosed natural cannabis extracts when there is anecdotal evidence that they actually work against cancer.

don't get me wrong, I would really like to believe Rick and I think he's a great guy for providing those people with medicine that apparently works for them, I'd just like to see some scientific proof before I buy his story without questioning it. That's just how I work, I'm a natural born skeptic.

And by the way, I NEVER called Rick a snake oil salesman, I gave him credit for not selling his oil even though he has to pay to produce it and I think it gives him a lot of credibility as opposed to the CAM scene where you pay out the ass for something that doesn't work for serious illnesses that don't just go away on their own.

CANNACO-OP said:

I did not follow his work, but was he using Exodus 30:23 ?

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Nope .. he heard about the science and went full tilt boogie after it ..

Dam the torpedo's .. full speed ahead and let the chips fall where they will.

Tried it out on himself first then others.

maybe he deserves europe...