As a growing number of states continue to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes, more innovations in marijuana packaging are coming to the market. Dispensaries, extractors, and growers of these products now have plenty of packaging options to stand out among the competition and appeal to consumers.
Aligning your packaging processes to offer safe, attractive product containers that meet stringent regulatory needs is a must in the cannabis quickly booming industry. But remember that every state has different rules and regulations, so please do your research.
Below is a list to help you get started and make the right decisions when it comes to your CBD packaging.
Tamper Evident packaging help customers avoid products that have already been opened and protect them from the potential dangers of food tampering with plastic seals, stickers, and lids that pop up after opening. The product will be protected, you will be compliant, and the consumer will feel safer purchasing the product, creating trust in your company. The product must be protected from contamination and exposure to harmful substances.
Child-resistant packages must be certified as child-resistant, in accordance with the federal Poison Prevention Packaging Act. The standards issued by the FPPA Beginning January 1, 2020, state that every individual product must be in a child-resistant package. The package has to be designed to be difficult for children under five years of age to open. Below is some information about what qualifies:
Resealable (for products with multiple uses) – The package can be closed after each use. Example: a lid, adhesive closure, box top closure, etc. Single-use bags, including those with zippers for re-sealing, must be heat-sealed to be considered child-resistant.
Paperboard folding cartons must be certified to federal testing procedure 16CFR Part 1700.
Opaque (for edibles only) – The package is not transparent; consumers cannot see the product through the packaging.
Opaque pop-top tubes are another type of packaging that’s considered secure and child-resistant and are used for pre-rolled products.
Push-and-turn caps are needed in many states for bottles or other containers.
Child-resistant packaging includes bottles sealed with pry-off metal crown bottle caps, plastic packaging that is at least 4 mils. thick and heat-sealed without an easy-open tab, dimple, corner, or flap.
Types of CRP:
1. Single-Use (“Initial CRP”) – the package is initially child-resistant, but once opened, it is no longer child-resistant. If used, the package’s label must say “This package is not child-resistant after opening.”
2. Multiple use (“Lifetime CRP”) – the package maintains its child resistance throughout the life of the package. It can be opened and closed, but still remains child-resistant.
Products that require single-use CRP:
Flower and flower-only pre-rolls Inhaled concentrates (infused pre-rolls, vape cartridges, shatter, wax, etc.) Topicals Single-serving cannabis products
Products that require lifetime CRP:
Edibles • Orally-consumed concentrates (tinctures, capsules, etc.) • Suppositories. A package containing multiple servings is not required to be in lifetime CRP if each individual serving is in child-resistant packaging.
*Amber-colored bottles are considered opaque. *Opaque bottles used for beverages may use a single, vertical, clear strip less than 0.25” wide to indicate serving sizes.
It's vital to devote time to properly research the rules in your state prior to committing to packaging. Manufacturers of packaging materials and machines will often have a grasp of the laws, but it is ultimately up to the retailer to make sure the packaging meets regulations when determining which product to place on the shelves.