Reggae.hr: At your lecture in Zagreb, you stated that you would like people to go back to the land and grow their own food.  Do you support a community life style?
Rick Simpson: If all goes well in the near future, I would like to begin to set up a small community that would be more or less selfsustaining, where we could grow cannabis to meet most of our needs. In the community that I would like to create there would be little need for money, but we would still have to use some form of money or barter system to allow trade with other areas. If we can get a group of like-minded individuals together, we could grow our own food and supply most of our other needs and I think if we were to do this that it would set an example for the rest of the world to follow. The way that most of us are currently trying to exist, puts a great deal of stress on any human being. So I would like to provide a life style that is much more in tune with our needs, where we can go about things at a much slower pace and I am sure that this would have a very positive effect on those who choose to live this way.

Reggae.hr: Your books will finally be translated into the Croatian language, when will we see your books in stores?
Rick Simpson: My first book has already been translated into Croatian and my second book should also be ready to go into print in the near future. I have given the rights to the funds from the books which will be printed in the Balkans and Italy, to activists who have done outstanding work, as a reward for their efforts. To the best of my knowledge the Croatian and Slovenian editions in paperback and the e-books should be available to the public in summerand I am looking forward to the impact they will have in these countries. 

Reggae.hr: What would you say about change of law in Colorado?
Rick Simpson: I am happy to see that the people of Colorado, now have the right to grow and use cannabis again and I think that in the next year or two every state in the U.S. will once again legalize cannabis for at least medicinal purposes. So it looks as if the future is bright, but we all should remember that in truth, no one ever had the right to outlaw this plant’s use in the first place.

Reggae.hr: Can you please tell us something about the endocannabinoid system we all have in our bodies?
Rick Simpson: Both humans and animals have receptors which allow them to absorb the natural cannabinoids that their bodies produce. This is known as the endocannabinoid system and its purpose is to regulate our body functions, to keep us in a state of good health. Although the endocannabinoid system we all have to protect us, was discovered back in the nineteen forties,medical schools do not discuss it and that is why most of those who practice medicine today, have little or no knowledge about its function.  Not only can these receptors absorb our own natural cannabinoids, they can also absorb cannabinoids from the cannabis hemp plant, if these cannabinoids from the plants have gone through a heating process called decarboxylation. After the cannabinoids have been decarboxylated, they can then fit into our CB1 and CB2 receptors like a key in a lock. When our health becomes compromised, often our bodies cannot produce enough natural cannabinoids to help heal us and this is when it is very beneficial for us to use natural cannabinoids from the cannabis plant, to help us regain our health.  Not only can these cannabinoids help us when we are ill, it is also a good idea to take small amounts of oil which contains the cannabinoids as a preventative measure, so we will not be struck down by many serious conditions which can be prevented.

Reggae.hr: Can you please make a comment about the aspects of cannabis which concerns prolonging lifeand is it possible that humanity has come across the elixir of immortality?
Rick Simpson: I have never called the oils I produced an elixir of immortality, but there is no question that they can cure or control the effects of a vast number of medical conditions. So the use of these oils allows patients to deal with their health issues in a very harmless and effective manner and of course, this will definitely allow them to survive much longer. These oils detoxify our bodies and rejuvenate vital organs and they can also control inflammation, so obviously they can give us a much longer life span. The anti-aging effect of these oils can often be seen in patients who are ingesting this substance and frequently - they feel and appear to be much younger than they actually are. For example I am now 64 years old, but I do not move and act like a man of that age and many people have stated that I appear to be much younger than I really am. So if you would like to feel and look much younger yourself, then start taking the oil and you will probably experience the same effects that I have. As yet, I do not know of anything which could be called an elixir of immortality, but if we ever do find such an elixir I am sure that cannabis will be one of the main ingredients.

Reggae.hr: What would you say about healing our pets with oils produced from cannabis?
Rick Simpson: As I have already stated, animals also have an endocannabinoid system, so these oils if properly produced, can also work medical miracles for them as well. I really enjoy working with animals such as dogs, because they tend to heal much more quickly than humans. Often we can cure a dog of terminal cancer in a very short time, with the use of only a fraction of the amount of oil that would be required to treat a human, who was suffering with the same condition. So if you wish to see your pets survive, the best thing you can do is treat them with the oil.

Reggae.hr: What do you think about chemotherapy?
Rick Simpson: I believe that both the use of chemotherapy and radiation, is nothing short of madness and those who would even consider doing such so called treatments, have been badly misinformed by their doctors. These treatments ruin the patient’s immune system, when in truth they need it most and often these patients will die from conditions, which would otherwise not be life threatening. In addition, treatments such as this are known to cause cancer and many other health problems, so why would anyone with a brain in their heads allow themselves to be subjected to this type of insanity? It is all about the money which can be made -both drug companies and doctors are filling their pockets from our suffering, while in most cases cancer doctors themselves will not even take the treatments that they prescribe to us.

Reggae.hr: The general opinion considering the consumption of cannabis is that in some cases it can trigger schizophrenia in people who are genetically predisposed to it. Contrary to this position you claim that cannabis can help in treating this and similar conditions.  Can you explain why you have this opinion?
Rick Simpson: It appears that our pineal gland, which is often called The Third Eye, determines our perception of reality. While some may be genetically predisposed to suffer with this condition, I believe that schizophrenia is often caused by fluoride and other chemicals and poisons that our doctors prescribe. These in conjunction with other poisons and toxins that we come into contact with in our day to day lives, can often impair the function of this gland. 

Many of the so called studies that were done in the past have claimed that the use of cannabis can cause schizophrenia. But recent studies have confirmed that the cannabinoids in cannabis have the opposite effect and indeed they can be used to treat this condition very effectively. I consider these jaded studies which state that cannabis might cause schizophrenia, to be just more of the propaganda which was used to villainize the cannabis hemp plant to the public. So I think it is about time that our medical systems and the doctors they employ, begin to react to what has been proven, instead of holding on to perceptions which have no basis in fact.

Reggae.hr: How can we know that we have the right kind of plant for certain health conditions?
Rick Simpson: At present there isa vast number of strains available and they can vary a great deal in medicinal values from strain to strain. Luckily for us, most of the pure Indica and some Indica dominant cross strains can treat cancer very effectively, but some may not have the desired effect on other medical problems. For example, certain strains can have amazing pain killing abilities, while others may be more effective in the treatment of diabetes or to control inflammation etc.  This is why we need to do further research, so we could know the best strains to grow to treat each different condition in the most effective manner. When I produced oil for medicinal use, I liked to mix the oils from different strains together. By doing this I found that these oils provided the patient with a medication that has a wide variety of healing properties and this is why I have come to look at oils such as this, as being what can only be termed a cure all. Many companies, who sell cannabis seeds from different strains, often tell you some of the medicinal qualities these strains contain. But if one was to order the same strain from a different seed company, after you have grown the plants you would probably find that they do not contain the same medical values. This is why I would like to start a seed company of my own, to grow and cross-breed the most medicinal strains on earth and then stabilize these strains and provide an ongoing supply of seeds that people can put their trust in. Once we can determine which strains work best for different conditions, we would then be able to make these seeds available to the public at a very reasonable cost. In addition, I think that in a short time we will be able to determine the correct cannabinoid levels, to treat each and every condition and then we can have medications, which are basically tailor made to suit our needs.  

At the moment, there are countless individuals who are producing what they refer to as being the RSO, or The Rick Simpson Oil.  But as yet there is no quality control or standards in place, so often the public has no idea what they are purchasing. The real oils if produced properly, do have the healing effects that I have described, but we must develop ways to protect the public from those who are supplying substandard oils.  So in the near future I hope to establish standards, which can be used to measure the quality of oils produced by others and then the public can have confidence in the oils they purchase.       

Reggae.hr: As an expert in hemp oils, how can you tell the difference between them?
Rick Simpson: To find out if an oil is truly potent enough to treat serious conditions, often I can tell a great deal about its effects, by simply smoking some of the oil in question mixed with tobacco. When I try to smoke a high quality oil, usually it will cause me to cough within the first two puffs that I inhale. Good oil is an expectorant and the stronger it is, the more quickly it will make you cough and bring up contaminants that has accumulated in your lungs and you can also expect your nose to run and your eyes will water. Within a short time after smoking these oils, I can also tell in most cases if the proper strains were used to produce it.  If I find that the oil has an energizing effect, which usually means that it was produced from a Sativa strain, I do not recommend the use of such oils for serious internal conditions. But they may be used with good effect to treat external skin conditions and things of that nature. For an oil to be effective in treating serious internal conditions and to give the patient the proper rest they require, the oil must be produced from strong varieties of Indica, to provide the sedative effect that is so beneficial for healing purposes. If a patient tries to ingest oils produced from strong Sativas, it can energize him so much that he is literally bouncing off the wall. Such oils will also interfere with the patient’s sleeping patterns, but oils produced from Indicas will make the patient rest and sleep and this is a very important part of the healing process. To determine ifan oil has the desired effect to treat patient’s condition, he must ingest the oil in question and then conclude from his observations. Since these oils are so harmless in nature, doing such research does not pose a danger to the patient and usually in a short time, itenables him to determine which oil best suits his needs. When I was growing in Canada I had developed many strains of my own and if the police had left me alone, I would have been able to perfect this medication for different medical purposes very quickly, to a much higher level. But interference from the government and the police that they control, robbed me of the opportunity to do so. This left me in the position where I had to purchase the starting material from other growers and even though this made things much harder for me and my patients, still the healing went on. This is the reason I am currently looking for a country, which will allow me to continue on with my research without interference and I hope that one day soon this will all become a reality.

Reggae.hr: Can you explain how the oil can help to regulate the weight of different individuals who are either too heavy or too thin?
Rick Simpson: There is no question that the oils’ use regulates the weight of our bodies and, in many cases, with patients who were badly over weight, I have seen them lose 50 kilos or even more. The reverse is usually also true for those who are under weight and the oil will help to stimulate their appetites, so they can return to a healthy body weight. Quite often even smoking cannabis will cause a person to eat more and this effect is known as the “munchies”, or some call it “pigging out”.  When high grade oils are produced and ingested from the cannabis plant, they detoxify our bodies and as these toxins are being expelled, the excess fat that many of us carry goes with them. When I first started ingesting oil I lost about 20 kilos in two months and at first I thought that the oil might be harming me. But when my body weight dropped to the point that I was at about the right weight for my size, suddenly the weight loss stopped and I have remained at a healthy weight ever since. This is truly bad news for all those companies who are making a fortune off those who are trying to lose weight. For in the very near future most of us will no longer require their services and we will be able to use oils from the cannabis plant to regulate our own weight. I have received reports from many people who have experienced the same effects that I have and as far as I am concerned, there is no safer or better way to reduce the amount of fat in our bodies. So if you have a weight problem what are you waiting for, when you can produce these oils yourself, to lose or gain the weight required to once again make you healthy?

Reggae.hr: Thank you a lot for your time and thorough interview!