Siskiyou Sungrown has been a ubiquitous presence in Oregon dispensaries since its founding in 2014. Its shelves held some of the first inky black syringes filled with Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), a high-potency edible concentrate. This display invited customers, whose familiarity with cannabis was limited to flower or conventional edibles, to learn more about RSO or full extract cannabis oil (FECO).
My first interaction with RSO, FECO, and Siskiyou Sungrown was not in a dispensary, but online. My chronically ill mother and I researched the recipes and success stories behind RSO and its medicinal potential. For the uninitiated, Rick Simpson Oil — aka Phoenix Tears — is a whole-plant, cannabis extract that traditionally uses naphtha/isopropyl alcohol as the primary solvent. Siskiyou Sungrown has reimagined this extract with organic cannabis flower strains from its Rogue Valley farms, along with organic cane alcohol.
We had the opportunity to audition both Siskiyou Sungrown’s CBD Oil and THC Oil, and though my partner and I are both relatively healthy, we found incredible value in keeping these syringes handy for an assortment of everyday, and extraordinary, maladies.
First impression
Siskiyou Sungrown’s slim paper packages are straightforward and unassuming. Its distinct shape — a long, rectangular envelope with Siskiyou’s golden sunrise logo decorating the right half — stands out on a dispensary shelf. The language on the labels is plain and easy to decipher considering many consumers will open this package and immediately need specific instructions on how to use such a divisive-looking product.
Inside the envelopes are plastic needleless syringes filled with one milliliter of thick, black, tar-like extract, the rich amber color indicative of an unadulterated, whole-plant extraction rich with botanical compounds.
The viscous oil within can be pushed out in tiny, raindrop-sized globules that can be applied to a food item or eaten alone. The look may be intimidating initially, but the application is uncomplicated enough to distract from the implication of a syringe full of black tar.
CBD Cannabis Oil
The idea of medicating against an atmosphere is pretty dystopian, but the reality of our current surroundings are straight up bleak y’all, which is why my partner sometimes battles panic attacks before clocking into his job as a laborer. One dose of this oil before work calms his psyche enough for him to complete an incredibly physically demanding shift without negatively impacting his dexterity, stamina, or competence.
Additionally, a dose of Siskiyou Sungrown’s CBD Cannabis Oil pre-shift has been tremendously helpful in my partner’s physical recovery — especially after particularly excruciating worknights.
The grassy, ultra-botanical mouthfeel is an acquired taste to say the least, and to say it lingers is an understatement. A speck of this concentrate is enough to coat the roof of a mouth for the better part of an hour, but the resulting complacency, relief, and recovery support is well worth it.
It should be noted that this formulation was developed by Siskiyou founder Cedar Grey to assuage painful chronic symptoms experienced by his severely disabled son. This treatment, said Cedar, not only potentially saved his son’s life, but allowed his son to live fully and joyfully. I don’t doubt it’s because this product delivers all the potential benefits associated with CBD and contains all the plant compounds typically broken down during extraction called polyphenols. These compounds deliver a commensurate entourage effect unmatched by products made with isolated cannabinoids.
THC Cannabis Oil
About twice a year, I catch a hormonal migraine so violent I have to hibernate for at least a day. One such event occurred during the window of testing for Siskiyou Sungrown THC Cannabis Oil, which was a tremendous blessing. OTC pain relievers only ever curbed the worst symptoms of my migraine, but I have found high-potency THC will smother that pain with an efficacy unseen in even prescription pain meds. Having this oil at the ready once the migraine arrived saved me from days of recovery followed by days of rescheduling — both of which saved me days of mental health strain.
Before the evening I dosed myself with the THC Cannabis Oil, I’d had a persistent headache for most of the afternoon. I attributed this to an over-scheduled work week. It wasn’t until bedtime that the minor tension at the base of my skull blossomed into a full-blown brain implosion. I took to my hands and knees and crawled from the bedroom to my work area and blindly grasped at samples until my fingers locked around the familiar rectangular envelope of the oil. I dosed myself by feel alone, applying only the gentlest pressure to push a single globule up from the syringe and onto my tongue.
Nonplussed by the flavor, as one tends to be in such a state, I then laid down on the kitchen floor and cried until activation.
The relief came on in gradual waves. Within 15 or 20 minutes, I was able to navigate to the couch and huddle in one corner. Ten minutes after that, I was able to shift enough to snatch a blanket from the opposite armrest. Twenty or so minutes after that, I was pain-free enough to drift off to sleep, which, considering the pain I was in less than an hour prior, felt like a dang miracle.
The next morning, with only a shadow of the migraine skulking in the back of my head, I needed no recovery time and was able to meet each of my own overscheduled activities. I was already sold on THC therapy for epic pain events, but after testing Siskiyou Sungrown, I will confidently reach for this specific remedy over any OTC — or even prescription pain reliever — for the foreseeable future.
Bottom line
These products may be displayed in pot shops alongside more celebratory recreational edibles, but make no mistake, this product is a brilliant reminder that the efficacy of THC — and CBD — as plant medicine is just as thrilling as the potential for THC as a magic carpet ride.
In the interim, since our commensurate parlays with Siskiyou Sungrown medicating for health and sanity, my partner and I found that a smear across the tongue for recreational purposes also provides a cushy, complacent high in both the head and body. Frankly, though, we’d rather reserve this oil for its intended use as an organic, ancestral, and highly effective replacement for select pharmaceuticals.
