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Choosing the Best Cannabis Packaging: Top Factors to Consider

Smell-proof hanging bags for cannabis packaging from Green Rush Packaging.

Cannabis labeling and packaging compliance play a large role in helping companies to comply with state regulations. Cannabis may have numerous benefits but precautions need to be taken to prevent it from ending up in the hands of children.

Child resistant cannabis bags make good exit packaging so their design is receiving more attention than ever before. The qualities to look for in a cannabis bag will depend on its intended use but include being child resistant, opaque, resealable and airtight.

Compliance with state regulations

The need for quality compliant packaging is a major consideration when it comes to cannabis. Many state regulations require dispensaries to place cannabis products in child resistant cannabis bags.

However, consumers often remove their purchases from these bags and place them in more accessible locations. This is why manufacturers have had to rethink their packaging strategies and offer containers that are able to meet all the stringent regulatory requirements.

Design
Many states require cannabis packaging to display the symbol for THC-containing products and to clearly state warnings. Edibles packaging cannot imitate any existing food products or be appealing to children.

Opaque packaging is necessary as children can be very resourceful when it comes to getting at candy or chocolate. Even colors or images attractive to children may not be used.

Material:

CR Bags have to be made of a material strong enough to resist any attempts to tear it and penetrate the packaging. It should also be opaque so children cannot see the products inside. Tough material is required to block out light, moisture, air and bacteria that can compromise the quality of the cannabis.

Closures

Obviously, the closure plays an important role and many innovative closures are being designed, such as a press-to-close zipper with several locking tabs that need to be pulled apart before the bag can be opened.

Cannabis bags not only need to be difficult for children to open but must be re-sealable. Zip locks are not only easy to slide open and closed but they can be specially formulated to make sure young children cannot open them.

Important qualities to protect products

Smell proof

Discretion is important to many medical marijuana customers and this is why they appreciate smell proof bags. There are a fairly wide range of smell proof barrier bags available on the market and they usually rely on mylar as the main component.

Airtight

Poor cannabis bags are not odor proof. If bags are not emitting an odor, chances are they are airtight. Airtight bags add to the longevity of the cannabis as exposure to air robs it of its potency. As cannabis is exposed to heat, oxygen and UV light, the cannabinoids start to break down.

Opaque

Many mylar cannabis bags include aluminum foil for light resistance as cannabis is sensitive to light.

Cannabis bag customization

It can be difficult to stand out in the competitive cannabis industry and customized packaging provides a way to do this. Manufacturers who want to open up markets across multiple states need to rely on customizable packaging.

Bigger brands invest heavily today in making sure their packaging extends their branding and is easily recognizable. Forward-thinking brands are coming up with unique packaging solutions that are able to meet a number of goals at the same time, such as complying with regulations, being aesthetically pleasing and promoting the brand image.

Design elements generate branding opportunities. It is not only possible to customize the dimensions of a cannabis bag but to adjust features, change the location of a zipper, remove or add a tear notch and much more. Various materials, colors and design options are available. Various printing options give brands the option to create eye-catching cannabis barrier bags.

Environmental sustainability is one of the factors cannabis packaging companies are focusing on. Hemp and reclaimed plastic are some of the solutions they are coming up with to make a difference in their environmental footprint and offer valuable branding opportunities. Some companies are making bags from plastic reclaimed from the ocean.

Aesthetically pleasing packaging can help one product to outperform others at the dispensary cash register.

Cost-effective & luxury branding options
Many companies want efficient, low-cost, compliant solutions for packaging unless they are hoping to reach the luxury market.

Labeling
Brands are able to build transparency with the labeling and product information printed on the outside of opaque cannabis bags.

A forecast and some key trends for the future

The cannabis packaging market is expected to reach US $297.51 billion by 2025. A CAGR of 22.59% is expected over the forecast period 2020 to 2025. The increasing legalization of cannabis and rising demand for medical and recreational cannabis is driving the demand and boosting the need for packaging.

State regulations will continue to be strict about child-resistant packaging and closures as well as specific labels.

Bags and pouches are expected to post strong increases thanks to the rapid gains in the popularity of edibles. Flexible packaging is expected to remain popular and account for a high revenue share as it is opaque, easier to transport, reasonably priced, and offers more space for brands to display logos and designs as well as comply with legalities.

Cannabis producers will continue to look for custom-packaging to help them to stand out from the competition and make their brands more visible. Region-wise there are five major medical cannabis markets with North America being one of the leading markets and Asia-Pacific being anticipated to show steady growth.

A final word

Packaging manufacturers need to make sure that packaging is child-proof, opaque, resealable, properly labeled and tamper-proof in accordance with the state laws. Other important qualities of cannabis bags are that they are smell proof and airtight in order to protect the products inside and offer discretion.

Many companies choose to customize their barrier bags to make them easily recognizable and reflect their brand image. The future forecasts for cannabis packaging anticipate much growth thanks to the increasing legality of cannabis and more demand for medical and recreational cannabis.

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