Marijuana packaging has come a long way since legalized, regulated, recreational markets have become a reality. There is more and more child-resistant packaging and different types of packaging for brand and marketing managers to choose from. Choosing the right cannabis packaging for your products can be a daunting task!
Factors to Consider When Choosing Marijuana Packaging
There are a number of factors to consider when selecting marijuana packaging. Striking the right balance to drive compliance, product protection, cost-effectiveness, consumer experience, production efficiencies, automation, budget, lower shipping costs, environmental harmony, and corporate mission/vision alignment is challenging.
Here are the factors that you should consider while selecting marijuana packaging:
1. Cannabis packaging regulatory compliance
Compliant, child-resistant marijuana packaging is a requirement in most recreational and medical marijuana USA states. Know and understand the regulations for the states in which you operate. In most cases, states require marijuana / THC or products that contain marijuana / THC to be “In child-resistant packaging consistent with 16 C.F.R. Part 1700, Poison Prevention Packaging Act”.
The poison prevention packaging act “requires a number of household substances to be packaged in child-resistant packaging. The packaging required by the PPPA must be designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under five years of age to open within a reasonable time, and not difficult for normal adults to use properly.” Remember you’re not only protecting the little hands that shouldn’t get into THC (Delta 8 or Delta 9) products, but you are also protecting the reputation of the cannabis industry and your brand image! Most state regulations reference “packaging should not be appealing to children”, and some states require packaging to be approved.
Marijuana packaging must provide enough physical space to clearly list all of the required regulatory information. Regulations change often as states navigate a newly regulated industry. Be careful not to purchase too much pre-printed packaging because it may be out of date by the time you use it. Consider choosing packaging that can be flexible and adjust to changing regulations.
2. Product protection
You and your team have worked hard to grow the best weed, to create yummy infused treats, or have the cleanest concentrates, so of course, you need to select packaging that will protect the products you have worked so hard to develop.
There are two main types of packaging, and the right one depends on your product. Rigid child-resistant packaging is an option including hard plastics, glass, metal, cardboard, etc. Another option is flexible child-resistant packaging, typically flexible pouches. Flexible packaging is typically made from plastic, foil, or paper. These materials are thinner, lighter, and malleable.
Pre-roll packaging likely will require rigid packaging because you want to protect your pre-rolls from being damaged. Some infused treats like cookies, gummies, hard candies could go either way – flexible or rigid packaging. Concentrates are typically in shallow glass or ceramic jars. Flowers can also be packaged in either rigid or flexible child-resistant packaging.
3. Cost effectiveness
No one wants to spend a fortune on marijuana packaging, but the packaging needs to stand out on the crowded shelves of the dispensaries. Finding marijuana packaging that is affordable and stands out is key. Be sure you understand the full cost of the marijuana packaging you are looking to purchase. Watch out for hidden fees and tariff surcharges.
While on the subject of costs it’s worth considering how packaging can alter the shipping costs. The heavier the material the more it is going to cost in shipping, and while the material may be sustainable the cost to ship it in dollars and carbon footprint produced may outweigh the benefits of choosing that material.
Another key piece of information to note as it relates to cost is volume. Lots of product packaging providers provide volume discounts. The more volume you buy the greater the discount you get! (Think Costco, right?) Maybe you can commit to larger volumes, but do you have the space to store the packaging? Are you paying to store the packaging when you could be utilizing that space for something that will generate revenue?
Consider choosing a packaging provider that can provide you just-in-time delivery. Receive your packaging when you need it! This could mean finding a packaging provider with shorter lead times. Or you may be really good at planning and forecasting and you can afford to wait 6-12 weeks for your packaging to come from Asia.
4. Automation
Next, is automation part of your packaging strategy? Has your company invested in capital equipment to automate loading products and labeling product containers? If so, your options for packaging might be limited to certain styles of packaging that work with the equipment. Be sure your marketing team is working with the manufacturing operations team to find packaging that fits both needs.
5. Consumer Experience
Consumer experience plays an important role in choosing the right packaging for your products. It’s expected that most child-resistant marijuana packaging is going to cause some level of annoyance to your consumers. It happens to most of us with over-the-counter medication and prescription medications.
Understanding how and when your consumers will use the product will have an impact on the packaging you choose. If your product is for someone on the go then having something that takes up minimal space so they can bring it along with them in their pocket, backpack, or purse could be something you consider. If your product is something they might only consume/use at home then maybe size and shape dosn’t have as much of an impact. If the presentation and providing a memorable experience is a goal of your packaging strategy then the size, shape, and organization of the product might have an impact on your packaging decision.
Why Should You Choose CRATIV for Your Child-Resistant Cannabis Packaging Solutions?
- CRATIV Packaging offers rigid child-resistant marijuana packaging, with low moq’s, short lead times, and flexible custom label options to meet your states regulation requirements.
- Our pricing is very competitive to other packaging options in the market.
- Our product is perfect for pre-roll packaging.
- CRATIV offers custom inserts to store your pre-rolls perfectly in our packaging. Your consumers will have a memorable experience when they open your packaging and see your pre-rolls neatly displayed for their picking.
- Our product can also be utilized for vape packaging.
- Crativ has custom foam inserts that fits most 1gram and .5gram vape cartridges.
- Our packaging can be utilized for edibles – chocolates, gummies, hard candies and tablets. Use a custom tray to display your edibles to consumers or drop in your edibles in the food grade CRATIV cases.
Our company is made up of a diverse group of experienced engineers, and knowledgeable sales and marketing professionals. The company quickly turns around orders and offers superior customer service to support your business. With CRATIV you get a partner that listens, innovates, and drives to win together.
Contact a packaging consultant today for a consultation or contact us for your sample by emailing sales@crativpackaging.com or by calling us at 720.651.9384.
