From chemo to a calling
2nd Star began with one patient's search for relief — and a refusal to let others face it alone.
She found what worked. Then she found the gap.
Leah Avila is a cancer survivor and a longtime cannabis advocate. When chemotherapy left her with relentless pain, sleepless nights, and an appetite that simply vanished, she found relief where she least expected it — in Rick Simpson Oil.
But relief came with a hard lesson: the medicine that helped her most was nearly impossible to obtain. Quality RSO was scarce and expensive, and making it at home is slow, dangerous, and unreliable. She kept thinking of the patients who didn't have her knowledge, her network, or her time.
No one should have to choose between relief and safety.
— Leah Avila, Founder
Turning relief into a mission
So Leah built what she wished had existed. 2nd Star is a New Mexico community project that provides Medical Grade RSO — free of charge — to patients living with serious illness, and pairs every supply with the education to use it safely.
The name says it: the second star is a point of hope to steer by — a reminder that no patient should navigate illness in the dark. With a growing circle of vendor partners and supporters, 2nd Star works to challenge the stigma around cannabis and meet patients with dignity, one person at a time.
It started with one survivor's story. It continues with yours.
Be part of the story
Whether you need relief or you're ready to help provide it, there's a place for you here.