Prior to the legalization of cannabis in California in January 2018, the only brand of transdermal patches available in the local Northern California dispensary was Papa & Barkley. We have tried several of their formulations, including the CBD, the 3:1 (THC:CBD) and the 1:3 (THC:CBD). We have also tried Mary’s Medicinals patches in the CBD,  Sativa, Indica, and CBN formulas.

Read our Introduction to Transdermal Patches and our Review of Mary’s CBN Patch.

We are not a fan of Papa & Barkley’s (P&B) products based on our experience of their product quality, formulation and effects.

Unlike Mary’s, several times the P&B patches come out of the package discolored and sometimes the back of the patch is sticky as if the medicine had seeped out from the sticky layer. Maybe this is from improper handling, maybe they got hot and melted or leaked, but we never experienced this with Mary’s. In this image you can see how the patch is discolored.

Papa & Barkley use camphor and menthol in their formulations. I recently used a patch of theirs and the smell of camphor was so sickeningly strong it gave me a headache. My skin is not oversensitive generally, but after wearing the patch for little over an hour, I had to take it off as it was creating a painful burning sensation. Even after taking it off, hours later I still smelled like camphor.

I’m very sensitive to the sedating, relaxing and sometimes sleepy effects of Indica. Papa & Barkley don’t indicate if their THC is Sativa or Indica, so you are rolling the dice if you are sensitive to one or the other, or if you are looking for a specific effect. We did not like the THC effects of the patch, it felt too much like an Indica-type feeling of lethargy. Creating formulas that are Indica or Sativa specific is much more helpful to people looking to use the products to different effects.

While I am a fan of patches, the uneven quality, strong unpleasant smell, and the lack of Indica/Sativa specific formulas makes Papa & Barkley a product I am not in a hurry to use again.

Strength: 5

Website: http://papaandbarkley.com