Trulieve initially released this strain along with another “Cake” variety (Pineapple Upside Down Cake) in late May 2020. The “Cake” lineage has been popular among cannabis consumers in the lasts 5 years or so, and along with Grape Cake in Trulieve’s Cultivar Collection, totals to 3 Cake strains available from them.

Papaya Cake has quickly become a patient favorite in Florida’s medical cannabis scene, and is known for its heavy, often sedating effects.

Quick Facts:

Papaya Cake (Indica)

Price at time of review: $53/eighth 

Lineage: Papaya x Wedding Cake

Batch/Harvest Number: DUFL-BLD-I-13-PK-29

Cannabinoids

THC: 20.90%

CBD: 0.00%

Total Cannabinoids: 20.90%

Terpenes

Lab report unavailable at this time. Please check back later for updates.

Appearance/Cure

This eighth of Papaya Cake is cured well, and has a good moisture content that breaks down well in a grinder.

However, for $53, I felt the eighth I received was lacking a bit in two areas: bud size, and the trim job (you can see some of the leaves left behind in the images above.)

The bud size wouldn’t be as much as an issue if I didn’t know that Papaya Cake produces lots of large, dense buds – and the fact that Trulieve offers “minis” (small buds) at $27/eighth.

The flower is not bad at all, but I do feel it could have been better at the price point. Besides those relatively petty gripes, I feel like the quality is still really good, and I still hold Trulieve as one of my current “Top 3” for flower in the Northwest Panhandle (the other 2 are MUV and GrowHealthy.)

Appearance/Cure Rating: 5.90/10.00

Smell/Taste

Like many other Cake varieties, Papaya Cake has a mildly pungent smell. I find it to have a woody, musky aroma, with a secondary smell of sweet cake batter and a slight hint of both citrus and skunky. This isn’t a strain that necessarily smells up the entire room, but it does have an enjoyable quality to it.

For those who haven’t had an actual papaya fruit, it has a musky, almost medicinal or vitamin-like smell (to me, at least.) When eaten, it tastes similar, with an almost melon-like flavor (again, subjective to my experience.) I can certainly see similarities in both the smell and taste of the Papaya Cake strain.

While the smell of this strain is relatively mild, the flavor is really full. I detect woody, musky papaya on the inhale, followed by a sweet vanilla cake batter taste on the exhale. There’s also a bit of a lingering citrus a few seconds later. Papaya Cake and PUDC are similar for me in that I enjoyed their taste much more than the smell (opposite of my experience with most strains; the smell is usually more enjoyable for me.)

All in all, Papaya Cake performs well in this category.

Smell/Taste Rating: 5.70/10.00

Effects/Medical Use

From what I’ve read on various social media and reviews of Papaya Cake, my experience has been consistent with most: I find this to be a very heavy, very sedating indica.

Just a couple of hits during the course of writing this review has me feeling like I could doze off. Granted, it was a long day at work – but it’s beyond that. I immediately feel a warming sensation in the body and face in the minutes after the first hit; the body relaxation only grows in intensity from this point. If you usually find yourself in alignment with my experiences, I don’t recommend having a “to do” list when trying this strain for the first time. Just staying focused on writing this review is proving a little more challenging than usual – I’ve caught myself picking up my phone to check emails twice during the process, and that never happens.

I digress – all ADHD anecdotes aside, I find this to be a heavier-than-usual indica, one of the most sedating available from Trulieve. It is among the ranks of their 9lb Hammer and Northern Hash Plant in that regard. There is a cerebral component to Papaya Cake, but I find it mild in comparison to the body effects.

It goes without saying that I recommend this strain almost solely for evening use. Even with my high tolerance, it manages to get me “couch locked” almost every time. However, as always: your mileage may vary.

(Another random side effect: I get dry mouth much more often than usual when using this strain.)

Possibly good for treating:

• Insomnia
• Moderate aches and pains
• Moderate nausea/gastrointestinal issues
• General Relaxation 
• Anxiety

I’m definitely no medical doctor, so please take the preceding conditions only as my own personal observations from using this strain and having experience with a multitude of different cannabis strains. Everybody is different, and every body reacts differently to various medications. 

Effects Rating: 7.60/10.00

Overall Rating: 6.40/10.00

Overall, I would best describe Papaya Cake as a “pretty good, heavy” indica strain from Trulieve.

It’s refreshing to see new genetic variants making their way to Trulieve. More options means more relief for patients – and of course, more strains for me to try and review for you all to read.

Be well, and stay healthy. Many more reviews are on the way to close out 2020, and bring in 2021. Be sure to drop a comment below say hello – our community has really grown this year, and we look forward to growing with you all throughout 202 and beyond!

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