Cannabis/weed edibles have become one of the most popular forms of marijuana consumed these days. They are available with many confections as gummies, chocolates, or candies. In 2012, the legalization of recreational cannabis started a new wave among businesses to establish themselves as best. Although cannabis was already being used for medical purposes, this legalization opened a new path for weed/cannabis edibles. It also affected the food and beverage industries worldwide with a continuous increase in demand. The product of such a large acceptance demands a packaging that complements it. The edible packaging companies made a large contribution to add high-standards industry-wide.
Weed Packaging Requirements for Edibles:
The Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act state basic requirements explaining how cannabis and cannabis products should be packaged and labeled. The major emphasis is on child-resistant packaging. Cannabis products should be properly labeled to ensure consumers about what they are going to purchase and prevent unintended use. Here is a packaging checklist in this regard:
· Tamper Evident: Your cannabis edibles packaging should be tamper-proof, plastic sealed, tears when get opened, a sticker across the lid, or show pop-up indicators if the package has been opened.
· Child Resistant: It should also meet the standard requirement for child-resistant according to the Federal Poison Prevention Packaging Act (1970).
· Resalable: The edible food packaging for cannabis should be resalable especially for the products with multiple servings. It should securely close after each use to retain the quality of the product.
· Non-Transparent: Edibles packaging should never be transparent. It means that the consumers should not see through the package.
Categorization of Product Labels:
The product labels on your cannabis edible packaging should be divided into three categories. Such legal compliances have added much to the high standards of the industry.
· Primary Panel: It is the part visible the most to the consumer, particularly the top or front. The information to be displayed includes product identity, net weight/volume, and the amount of THC or CBD per serving. The word, Cannabis-Infused, should be listed above the product identity in a larger text size.
· Information Panel: It is another part of the outer package that highlights government warning statement for the use of cannabis products, usually printed in capital letters and bold font.
· Supplemental Label: A supplemental label displays information about the product but not on the outer packaging layer. Some of the examples include a paper inserted into the packaging box, a hand tag, or a peel-back label. Information to be printed include name and contact details of the manufacturer, manufacturing and expiry dates, list of ingredients by weight and volume, instructions or recommendations to use, batch number, allergens, or artificial food colors if any.
Cannabis Trends for Edibles:
Edibles are on the right track for becoming a profitable market for various brand owners. The sales of cannabis-infused treats are increasing rapidly over the last few years. Have you ever realized what made them so popular? Edibles particularly attracted the consumers who want to try cannabis for the first time. Females prefer to purchase them rather than other alternatives concentrates and oil. Cannabis edibles also attract people who do not like to smoke. With such a huge demographic market, it is necessary to design a fully-customized solution that is needed for your weed edible packaging. Here are some of the latest trends to consider.
· Luxury Design: Cannabis edibles are the latest and convenient way to ingest cannabis. As the market is having no shortage of edible products anymore, so they are considered more of a delicacy. Just as you order a dessert when you go out, it is also considered a treat. This provides a big room for brands to work on a more luxurious image. It also indicates that the brands should focus to get their packaging right to compete in a crowded edible market where brands are striving hard to convey elegance.
· Provide Instructions: With a variety of edibles, tinctures or concentrates, available in the market, the product and its packaging should be designed in a way to educate the consumers right on the box. As the products and their dosage requirements may change from brand to brand, the companies must find a way to package every item to provide a clear direction to the customers.
· Be Discrete: Most cannabis consumers whether medical or recreational require discretion. People usually avoid sharing the information openly that which pills they are taking. These privacy constraints are always considered for the users as well as the companies to be discrete on their edibles packaging rather than being bold. Therefore designing the products with ambiguous yet on-trend designs is a great way to make your customers comfortable while purchasing cannabis.
Aesthetics, Functionality, and Compliance are Setting High Standards:
In this highly competitive market, cannabis manufacturers need to understand that their product packaging can be both child-resistant and aesthetically-appealing at the same time. The design element is significantly important as it generates branding opportunities for your business and helps to ensure compliance at the consumer level. Instead of using dull-looking boxes, glass jars, or pharmaceutical containers, the need of the time is to create unique packaging solutions to meet various goals collectively. Well-designed cannabis edible packaging plays a strategic role in the success of your business. Just make sure that your packaging meets the following goal to set a high standard across industry.
· Compliance: Regulatory compliance is the topmost concern for every cannabis manufacturer. So no packaging solution can be taken to the market unless it follows the state rules.
· Functionality and Efficiency: Manufacturers have various economic incentives to help them in reducing waste when creating packaging for their cannabis products. The use of easily accessible and highly reusable material can give you a long term benefit. It does not only improve the efficiency of your process but also proves functional and practical to use.
· Aesthetics: Cannabis users think of themselves as a unique culture. Aesthetically attractive packaging reinforces this cultural identity and plays an imperative role in increasing the sales of your product.
