Here are nine key packaging and distribution details that regulators mentioned at the 2019 North American Cannabis Summit in Los Angeles:
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Licensees must use track-and-trace systems to monitor products up to the retail site.
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To avoid appealing to children, products themselves can’t be shaped like an animal, human, insect or fruit.
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Certain foods have been ruled out. No dairy other than butter is allowed (to uphold safety, help prevent botulism). Nothing addictive can be added to cannabis products; chocolate is acceptable but caffeine or alcohol are not.
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Licensed distributors are supposed to check if packaging and labeling are in compliance. They are also tasked with organizing the testing that products must undergo.
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Though many people assume that the largest proportion of cannabis testing failures are caused by pesticides, most failures are actually attributed to the cannabinoids: Content does not match the THC content on the label.
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Distributors are forbidden from distributing anything that resembles or is labeled as alcohol, including beer, wine, margaritas and more.
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Mirroring issues in pharmaceutical packaging, an audience member noted that the labels/warnings are too small to read. Regulators said it’s quite challenging fitting all the necessary text on small packages so 6-pt font is what they require.
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Another audience member asked about the environmental impact of all these single-use packages. The regulator said that he appreciates the concern but could not provide an answer for that issue at this time.
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Regulators at times have trouble pulling information out of producers to get them licensed. It’s a big 180 for companies; just a few years ago, record-keeping was a liability and not an asset.
