As cannabis Packaging products and user tastes become more sophisticated, cannabis packaging design follows suit. With exotic names and novelty products now an integral part of cannabis manufacturers’ marketing and retail strategies, creative packaging has become a way for producers to distinguish their brands.
The packages you see in dispensaries today are a far cry from the plastic sandwich bags that were the standard way to distribute marijuana in the days before Cannabis Bags was legalized. Legalization has also brought new laws defining what is required and not allowed in cannabis packaging.
Best Packaging As Brand
Best packaging can be a form of branding in itself. Many wholesale dispensary providers give you the option of custom branding, but you can’t overlook the benefit of excellent packaging. The most attractive label and a copy will not look good to a customer if it is in a jar or bag that will not stay closed.
Your customer must be able to use and reuse your packaging. If you are one of the dispensaries in your area serving high-quality weed at competitive prices, then packaging could be the turning point in converting customers. If a potential customer sees a colleague with clean, functional jars or reusable tubes included in their purchase, chances are they’ll end up in your showroom.
Character in packaging can also be a form of branding. If you become famous as the store that sells its weed in matte white take-out bags, or if white take-out bags containing weed became synonymous with your store, this can be good for business. Consistency can mean using the same color on all packages or using the same box with different colors for different products. In contrast, it may seem misleading never to discount the associations between the brand and the product. People like to know that their indicas come in a cobalt blue glass bottle and their sativas come in a brown medicine bottle.
Childproof Protection
Twenty-four states have enacted laws regulating the packaging of cannabis products. Although their guidelines may differ, a common reason across state law is that cannabis packaging needs to be tamper-proof and child-resistant. The legislation also aims to prevent children from accessing marijuana products due to improper labeling and packaging.
The laws prohibit names and images on the packaging of cannabis products that might mislead children into thinking the products are intended for children. In Oregon, for example, the state Liquor and Control Commission (OLCC) ruled that “boyish” names such as “Girl Scout Cookies,” “Candyland,” “Cinderella 99,” and “Charlotte’s Web “were prohibited.
Double Standard
These naming bans do not apply to alcohol, a more dangerous substance for which numerous children’s brands are on the market, such as “Hello Kitty.” She suggests that the underlying goal of cannabis naming laws could be to restrict cannabis producers from using the international trademarks of giant corporations like Disney.
Another requirement among the seven states that have legalized cannabis (Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Oregon) is that cannabis packaging must be opaque. The product must not be seen until the package is opened. Here too, cannabis is being restricted so that alcohol is not. Seeing the color and texture of a cannabis bud is part of its appeal, just as the color of the liquor is part of its appeal to consumers.
New Creative Designs
Innovative packaging designs are emerging despite the restrictions as more top professional packaging designers get involved. Award-winning designer Edward Kilduff has introduced the Pollen Gear line of cannabis containers, including glass jars, plastic rectangles, and zipper bags.
Kilduff said he came up with the concept for the marijuana packaging line from him after learning that many people were using his EVAK coffee receptacle to store their marijuana. What people were looking for were vessels that were airtight and childproof. He said that he researched the cannabis packaging design space and found “there weren’t any designers out there who were creating solutions.”
Elegant And Artistic Designs.
Another firm that has developed a distinctive style for its cannabis brands is Canndescent, which has introduced packaging to match what it calls its “ultra-premium” line of products. A guiding focus in the design was to make a clean look that was less intimidating to new cannabis buyers and attractive enough to appeal to seasoned connoisseurs.
1964 Supply Co. is also taking an artistic approach to cannabis packaging, enlisting world-renowned artists to visualize the company’s line of cannabis products that are designed to provide “a selection of strains to suit every state of cheer up.” Artist supply packaging images for products with colorful names like Train Wreck, Super Silver Haze, Blue Dream, and Strawberry Diesel.
Fresh-Sealed Tuna Style Cans
Another cannabis packaging trend that is gaining in popularity is the tuna-style can. This type of packaging hermetically seals the CBD product in nitrogen after removing the oxygen. Oxygen and light are enemies to maintaining the freshness of CBD, and oxidation will degrade the plant fabric and lead to the growth of mold, yeast, and other potentially harmful bacteria.
Although the tuna-style process has been used in the food enterprise for many years, it was only recently that companies like West Coast Cure and N2 Packaging Systems began using it for cannabis packaging. As N2 Packaging Systems CEO Scott Martin points out, preserving the freshness of CBD in this way is probably more of an advantage for large-scale growers who want to keep their product consistent as supply increases. That way, he pointed out, the consumer always experiences the product as fresh as the day it is packed.
Environmentally Friendly Packaging
It’s no surprise to see the green movement informing cannabis packaging. Reusable and biodegradable packaging is becoming more and more popular not only for its respect for the environment but also for saving money.
Among the packaging companies offering eco-friendly cannabis packaging, Sun Grown Packaging boasts of being the first to file a patent for recyclable, compostable, child-resistant cannabis packaging. One cannabis grower who exemplifies the concept of responsible cultivation is Lowell Herb Co., which has fully embraced the philosophy of organically grown cannabis and all-natural packaging materials.
As we can see, the packaging of cannabis products has taken a massive leap beyond the rudimentary packaging of the days of the counterculture. As cannabis consumption and manufacturing resume to expand exponentially, we can expect to see a similar surge in innovation and artistry that is transforming the packaging of cannabis products.