Cannabis packaging regulations revolve around safety concerns. As states usher in fresh recreational and medicinal laws, cannabis cultivators and extract manufacturers are being held to stricter standards. Industry leaders and politicians want to placate fears that children will be enticed by cannabis products.
In January, the National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) issued a list of proposed packaging standards for the industry. Their goal is to “protect consumers and demonstrate to regulators, financial institutions and the public that NACB members operate at the highest levels of ethics and responsibility.” (1)
The NACB’s recommendations are nearly identical to the regulations now in effect in California. The behemoth state represents the largest cannabis market in the country. It’s not surprising the NACB would California as a model.
Both the NACB and California demand that all cannabis packaging be child-resistant. Dispensaries can skirt the rule if they use proper exist bags. Anyone who wants to legally sell cannabis products should immediately invest in child-resistant packaging. It’s not a rule in every cannabis market but it’s likely that it will be one day.
Cultivators should also avoid using packaging that may attract a child. That means forgoing cartoon characters and names like “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
Another important safety regulation involves labelling. Every state with legal dispensaries requires that every product sold must be clearly labelled on the outside.
California regulations dictate that one of the labels affixed to cannabis packaging must have following words printed verbatim in at least size 6 font:
“GOVERNMENT WARNING: THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS CANNABIS, A SCHEDULE I CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND ANIMALS. CANNABIS PRODUCTS MAY ONLY BE POSSESSED OR CONSUMED BY PERSONS 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER UNLESS THE PERSON IS A QUALIFIED PATIENT. THE INTOXICATING EFFECTS OF CANNABIS PRODUCTS MAY BE DELAYED UP TO TWO HOURS. CANNABIS USE WHILE PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING MAY BE HARMFUL. CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS PRODUCTS IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO DRIVE AND OPERATE MACHINERY. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION.” (2)
Children need to be protected from potentially harmful results and so do adults. Someone who has never tried cannabis before might not realize that the psychoactive effects can last for hours.
Companies that create edibles will have more regulations to worry about than those that focus on selling flower or concentrates. The idea of an unsuspecting person consuming a brownie or cookie laced with cannabis is horrifying. That’s why a lot of states with a legal market require edibles to be packaged in an opaque covering that’s clearly labelled. Colorado goes a step further and asks that edibles sold in the state be embossed with a special THC symbol.
Cannabis packaging needs to balance advertising with safety. The safety regulations in most states may seem oppressive at first but they’ll become easier to adapt to as time passes. Right now, there’s some confusion because different markets have different rules. Groups like the NACB, however, are working to standardize the regulations.
References:
- https://www.healthcarepackaging.com/article/industry-group-working-standards-cannabis-packaging-and-labeling
- https://www.marijuanapackaging.com/blog/guide-to-california-cannabis-product-packaging-rules-2018/
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