Return to Blog Page
This article was contributed by our exhibitor, Zenpack. Learn more about their business here!
As cannabis is legalized in more states across the nation, organizations that handle manufacturing, packaging, and selling products are beginning to establish rules specifically governing its sale. In more than 80 percent of states, cannabis, medicinal cannabis, or CBD oil is legal, and Montana, New Jersey, and Arizona voted to legalize cannabis on November 4. In California, cannabis is now a fast-growing industry, and an increasing collection of startups and retail shops are attempting to get involved. Governed by both national and statewide regulations, child-resistant packaging is becoming a major part of this marketplace.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) determines the standards for child safety and product packaging. To put it simply, children five and under should not be able to access certain products whether they pull, hit, rip, bang, or even chew on the packaging. However, people over 50 should be able to open the package easily enough to use it. These rules focus on over-the-counter and prescription medications. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) checks for compliance, ensuring that CFR standards are met.
However, the CPSC has no control over the cannabis industry or how products are packaged. States can make their own rules and determinations, and in California, these rules are now well-established throughout the industry. Two organizations, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), inform in-state businesses about any requirements. The guidelines include a general Packaging Checklist, Labeling Checklist for Cannabis (flower and flower pre-rolls), and Labeling Checklist for Cannabis Products (edibles, concentrates, topicals), which cover both child-resistant packaging and rules that indicate how to label the products appropriately.
The goal now has little to do with any federal CFR or CPSC regulations that could be put into place when the US government legalizes cannabis. Instead, they push for family-friendly packaging that keeps products away from kids who should not have access to the growing list of cannabis products. In order to be deemed child-resistant, cannabis manufacturers and packaging providers must have each package tested with the under-fives and the over-fifties.
Every participant in the cannabis retail market is responsible for ensuring that cannabis products stay in the right hands. If you produce cannabis products in California, ask for this report and always check to see if the packaging meets these requirements. If you are responsible for creating the product packaging, get them tested. If you’re a retail establishment selling products produced and packaged by the manufacturer, keep a copy of their child-resistant approval for your records.
Family-friendly cannabis packaging comes in many forms, but the process of choosing the right one for your business has many factors. You need to pass the child-resistant test, of course, but you also want packaging that shows off your brand in a unique and memorable way.
Zenpack has extensive experience in child-resistant packaging, from bags, bottles, and containers to the Zenlock, the industry’s first all-paper rigid box CR system. Contact us and talk with our design team who can help you find the perfect cannabis product packaging solution.
See Zenpack at the White Label World Expo, happening on September 1st & 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Register for your free tickets today!