As time has passed, nations worldwide have begun to shift their perspective on cannabis products. From cannabis edibles to cannabis oils, shifting sentiment is becoming more apparent in the changes made to regulations that govern various cannabis products and their packaging. Canada is among the nations shifting their positions and regulations on cannabis. These changes can be seen in the proposals being made and reviewed on cannabis packaging regulations.
Current Regulations
Current packaging regulations cover edible cannabis products, cannabis extracts, and topical cannabis products. There are rules about the packaging and extensive rules that govern how the packages are labeled.
Many regulations govern how cannabis packaging must be labeled. Packaging must have the standard cannabis symbol. The symbol must have a minimum of a two-point white border on all sides. Cannabis product labels must also provide information about the quantity and concentration of CBD and THC. Each package must also contain at least one of the six recommended and approved health warnings on a yellow background and its corresponding secondary sentences. Examples of these warnings include: “Cannabis can be addictive,” “Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding,” and “Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.” The word “warning” must be bold and in all caps. All type must be left-justified with no hyphenation. The first sentence has to be bolded and written in sans serif font (no italics). The second sentence should also be in a non-italicized sans serif font in standard black lettering. The letters should be a minimum size of seven points and at least as big as the brand name type size. The text must be bordered by a solid line at least one point thick with at least six points between the text and border on all sides. There must be at least three points between the English and French texts. The label must also include a source for the warning message.
New Proposals
As sentiment regarding cannabis products shifts amongst the general populace, the Canadian government is taking steps to ensure that cannabis packaging design is informative without appealing to young people. This has led to proposed changes in cannabis packaging regulations. Among the proposals are restrictions on packaging colors and branding depictions. The colors used in cannabis packaging design must contrast with the required Health Canada warning labels and official cannabis symbol. The packaging cannot have any heat-activated ink or other features made visible through technological means. It cannot include scent or sound either.
As for branding, only one branding element in addition to the brand name is allowed on tamper-proof and child-proof packaging. Slogan lettering must be the same size or smaller than the lettering used for the health warning. The logo cannot be bigger than the official cannabis symbol. This puts some pretty stringent limits on branding and marketing, which some may try to get around by using inserts inside the cannabis packaging. The Health Canada cannabis packaging regulations will not allow that, though. You also cannot include any imagery that depicts a person, character, or animal, regardless of whether it is real or fiction.
As for the Health Canada warnings, companies will have to rotate through the fourteen mandatory warnings on all of their products so that all messages appear in equal frequency over the course of a year. Otherwise, many of the regulations involving warning labels have remained the same.
Figuring out what you can and cannot do when packaging cannabis products is complicated, especially given the proposed changes to Health Canada cannabis packaging regulations. It can be tough to sift through what has stayed the same, what has changed, and how it has changed. Even then, you still have to adjust your cannabis package design, which is also challenging.
The good news is that you do not have to deal with all of that yourself. Acme Vial is your source for cannabis packaging solutions! Let us help you with all your cannabis packaging needs. You will never have to worry about complying with cannabis packaging regulations again.
