Cannabis Day Spotlight — The Medical Impact of Canadian Cannabis

Happy Cannabis Day! Today is a great day to honour Canadian cannabis. Mother nature deserves to be recognized and celebrated for all its positive contributions. With that in mind, here is a Cannabis Day Spotlight on the medical impact of Canadian cannabis.

On Cannabis Day We Want to Spotlight Rick Simpson Oil aka RSO

Rick Simpson oil is a crude black cannabis concentrate that usually comes packaged in a syringe. The method to make it was made famous by a medical cannabis patient and activist, hence why the oil carries his name. The oil uses light naphtha as a solvent, more commonly used as paint thinner. While this may be a powerful solvent, it’s hard to purge and often leaves a substantial amount of residual solvent. These days, cannabis oil has come a long way, and we have other options with far fewer residuals.

However, RSO has made a significant positive impact in Canada by shedding light on the medicinal properties that the plant can offer. Before the oil hit the mainstream, most of society had a limited idea of what cannabis could do. Many people were familiar with the idea of using cannabis to treat chemotherapy symptoms, but few would believe that it could treat tumours. That is until Run From The Cure went public on Youtube.

Run From The Cure is a documentary film that outlines the Rick Simpson Story and method. In it, both he and other cannabis patients explain how they cured their cancer using RSO. Run From The Cure became available in 2012, at the same time that the Smith Decision was finalized. 

Important Note – The Smith Decision changed Canadian Law and gave medical patients the right to use cannabis in any form. Before this decision was challenged in the Supreme Court, medical cannabis was only legal when it was consumed as dry flower. 

Pincher Creek aka Green Crack

Have you ever heard of the Canadian landrace strain known as Pincher Creek? Named after the Alberta city that first bred the strain, Pincher Creek is a hybrid with significant medicinal properties. Its genetics come from a crossbreed of Sweet Afghani and Skunk #1, making this a pain reliever that won’t induce sedation. The original breeding date was back in 1989, and since then, it’s harder and harder to find this strain by its name. These days, it’s usually referred to as Green Crack.

Some say that Pincher Creek was responsible for introducing the concept of micro-dosing. Medical patients frequently were advised to half their regular dose due to potency. However, if the patient had no experience with medical cannabis, then a half dose would be cut into quarters.

Mountain Jam

Mountain Jam is a delicious hybrid bred on Vancouver Island. Bred from DJ Blueberry Short and Soulshine, Mountain Jam has potent medicinal properties and is a great daytime pain reliever. For the last 25 years, this strain was exclusive to the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club; all the Mountain Jam at VCBC comes from the original breeder. It’s possible to buy the seeds to grow it yourself, but when it comes to quality, it’s hard to beat 25 years of experience. The quality is top-notch, and many VCBC members rely on its potent effects. In fact, several members depend on it, stating that nothing else compares.

Currently, the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club doesn’t fit into the Cannabis Act. Founded in 1996, they are a non-profit compassion club with one goal: to provide safe, affordable access to medicinal cannabis. Regardless, they’ve had to fight to stay open; as of today, the VCBC has been raided on nine occasions. Based on the Constitution, the VCBC is pushing for an exemption to the Cannabis act, and access to Mountain Jam is one of their arguments. If the VCBC were to shut down, the members that rely on Mountain Jam would likely be unable to get it. This would have a huge impact on their quality of life as many can’t find an effective replacement. The direct impact is so substantial that it helps defend the Club’s existence.

It’s not like we need a reason to celebrate. But, considering the positive impact it created, Canadian cannabis deserves a party. On behalf of all of us here at the Cannabis Life Network, have a very Happy Cannabis Day. And we hope you all gained some knowledge by reading our Cannabis Day Spotlight article.