FECO and RSO… what’s the difference?

Cannabis is an alphabet soup at times with the increase in acronyms every day.  Among those are FECO and RSO – so what are they?  If you are onboard for a short lesson – FECO is Full Extract Cannabis Oil and RSO is Rick Simpson Oil.  Both are cannabis oil extracts and both have been suggested by patients and clinicians as helpful for those suffering from the effects of cancer and the side effects stemming from radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer.  Remember, we are not medical professionals, so always be sure you work with a clinician when it comes to changing your medical regimen.

Since both FECO and RSO are extracts, and both are usually spoken of in the same sentence, it’s important to note that many prefer one versus the other, but a key difference in the two is the method of extraction and choice of solvent.  The original RSO “recipe” recommended the use of a solvent called naptha, while most FECO “formulations” follow the ethanol school of thinking as a solvent.  Another difference in the two oils is usually the flower used in production – which can be a critical differentiator in terms of terpene profile and cannabinoid content.

As a patient, it’s important to understand what your oil contains – what strain of flower was used to produce it?  What is the content of the cannabinoids it contains?  What is the potency of the extract?  These are all important questions to ask prior to the use of a new-to-you cannabis oil.  We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that it’s critical that your medicine has a certificate of analysis from a testing lab.  Those making their own extracts can test THC content with a home THC test kit, but lab testing will reveal more information than simply THC potency.  Do you have experience with FECO or RSO or both? We’d love to hear from you.