It is no secret that the legal Cannabis industry will grow exponentially for the foreseeable future, with new legislation in process across 34 U.S. markets. A vibrant new industry has come to fruition and is beneficial not just to public health, but it provides jobs and a healthy stream of tax revenue. However, like all healthy things, there are going to be some growing pains.
Among the significant constraints faced by the modern Cannabis organization are both disparate and strict packaging requirements among legal markets. For example, dispensaries in Colorado under a new law were required to change the verbiage on warning labels from “…Keep out of reach of children” to “…Keep away from children,” over the span of only six months, at no small cost to dispensaries or packaging manufacturers.
Through working with a company like DIZPOT to handle their packaging needs, dispensaries can make quick changes with the agility to meet the demands of regulatory agencies.
California’s packaging laws prohibit any marketing that can be construed as children-directed, such as typical candy packaging for Cannabis, cartoon characters, etc. The state of Washington prohibits any descriptors on a cannabis product’s packaging other than what is in the name of the product itself. Washington State will be limiting the use of bright colors on its cannabis packaging for 2020, which raises the question of, “Which bright colors will be deemed too bright, and which will not?” Are natural, bright colors such as bananas and tropical oceans on cannabis packaging to be prohibited? Point being, the regulations put before the legal Cannabis industry can be unflinching and specific, so how do dispensaries and packaging companies get around all this red tape? First, they start with a legal opinion and then, by leveraging DIZPOT to protect their brand with uniformity and consistency.
That being said, it is not a question of ‘if,’ it is a question of ‘when’ will there need to be nationally-supported guidelines for marijuana sales. Given the size of many Cannabis organizations in the U.S., many operate across state lines, and the discrepancies of legality between states are stifling commerce. A set of uniform packaging requirements would make the introduction and sale of cannabis products to a maturing, legal cannabis market much smoother, and would save those in the industry much-needed capital for growth by not requiring frivolous changes to packaging.
So, what options does the Cannabis industry have in the meantime until these regulations are implemented? Reach out and employ the services of professionals who understand the laws and regulations of each Cannabis Market. Here at DIZPOT, we take pride in keeping our finger not just on the pulse of the Cannabis market, but the legislation that enables it. Our team will work with you step-by-step to develop packaging that will meet the standards of your legal market for years to come, and other markets as well when the opportunity for expansion is viable.
The timeline for national legalization is unknown, but now is the time to get organized. Lawmakers should take proactive actions to preserve and nurture growth in the Cannabis industry. We all know this is the start of an enormous economic driver for the U.S., and unless lawmakers realize the potential power of the cannabis industry (and conversely, its need for commonsense oversight), our industry will continue to play subject to these knee-jerk regulations.
In the meantime, working with DIZPOT can help you stay ahead of the curve by taking the responsibility of having compliant packaging off your plate, and onto the plates of professionals who know Cannabis packaging requirements.
Article Composed by Sawyer Bolger
3/4/2019