The Transdermal Patch
Cannabis Infused Transdermal Patches have been around for a few years, so I would imagine that most of the kinks have been ironed out by now. I love the idea of the transdermal patch and I’d be very open to using them for my chronic pain management, my only real question was would it work for me or not.
My first foray into the world of cannabis infused transdermal patches was the RX Green No.4 THC:CBD 20mg patch. I did all the research I could leading up to this trial, which was scarce to say the least. The “internet consensus” seemed to be that a 10mg patch was equivalent to consuming an 80mg edible, albeit spread over a longer period. Reviews all seemed to be positive – which I found both comforting and odd at the same time.
The Test
My thoughts were that the effects would probably not be near that level, but I was prepared just in case. I started my morning with a fresh RX Green transdermal patch slapped over the veiny area of my wrist as instructed. This was a good morning for a test, as my pain levels were already unsatisfactory before even getting out of bed.
There was an herbal aroma emanating from the patch after removing the backing, but not noticeable after applied unless you hold it up directly to your nose. Not much ceremony needed here, applied to the inner wrist and waited. Pretty sticky – careful not to let it fold over.
Another “internet consensus” was that effects could be felt within 20-30 minutes. After 30 minutes I began to doubt, but knowing that patience is key I hung in there…impatiently waiting, and rapidly becoming desperate for, some relief. An hour passed and still not even a twinge. At this point I found myself double checking the label to be certain I didn’t have a CBD only patch, as there was nothing happening.
The results
I spent the next hour deciding what strength of edible I would be taking to help this along, as there seemed to be zero effects at the time. I decided on a lower 25mg dose edible just in case, and I figured I would leave the patch on for the duration just to see what happens.
The effects of the 25mg edible started arriving within 45 minutes and were exactly as I would expect from that dosage. The patch did not seem to affect this in any way! I went through the rest of my day resuming my normal edible routine just as I normally would have without the patch. I left the RX Green transdermal patch on for a total of 12 hours – ample time.
Redo?
I am not sure if I had a dud or if the planets were out of alignment, but I had absolutely zero relief from this patch alone. The fact that I took my normal edibles while wearing the RX Green patch and noticed no difference in neither its strength nor stamina makes me wonder if there was anything in that patch at all. I am not giving up entirely on Transdermal Patches – there are other manufacturers still to try, but for me this RX Green was a waste of time and money.
