The legal cannabis industry has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. In fact, this industry is now valued at around $17 billion and is expected to grow by about 25% in the next 7 years. Yes, every day, more and more people are using and enjoying cannabis products.
That being said, the industry is far from perfect and does have its downsides. For example, the increasing usage of marijuana by adults, also means that children are being exposed to this drug. This can be extremely dangerous as you are about to see.
Why Is Child Resistant Packaging for Cannabis so Important?
The fact is that cannabis can be a dangerous drug. Now, many people may disagree with this. After all, isn’t marijuana one of the safest drugs in the world? While this is true, the issue is that marijuana can be dangerous for children.
What you have to understand is that many commercial strains of cannabis are extremely powerful. Not only that, things like marijuana concentrates and edibles can contain a whopping 80% THC.
If children accidentally ingest these products, they can become extremely ill. The reason why this happens is that children are smaller and weigh less. This means the drug has a stronger effect on them.
These types of accidental overdoses are becoming more and more common. Things are actually so bad, that physicians now refer to this problem as “acute marijuana intoxication.” Some of the symptoms of this include loss of coordination, drowsiness, and difficulty breathing. In some rare cases, children have been known to fall into a coma, and require a breathing tube and ventilator.
Acute marijuana intoxication usually occurs when children eat edibles or concentrate. As mentioned previously, these forms of marijuana contain extremely high doses of THC. Children often eat these products because they come in the form of sweets, such as gummy bears, brownies, or lollipops.
These children mistake the products for actual sweets, eat them, and then fall ill. This also happens because the products are sold in bright packaging, which resembles the packets that candy is sold in.
All of this means that child-resistant packaging for cannabis is extremely important. But what do marijuana users and businesses need to know about this packaging? Not only that, but what does it actually mean when you say that a package is child resistant?
What You Need to Know about Child Resistant Packaging for Cannabis
Anyone in the marijuana business will know that following the law is extremely important. You must stay in compliance with the various rules in your area, or else. The most important of these is that you use child-resistant packaging for cannabis products.
But what are the actual laws regarding this topic? Well, the specific law in North America and Canada, is that children under the age of 5 should not be able to open the container or packages. This must be officially tested at a testing center.
A problem here is that developing and testing these packages can time consuming and expensive. This is why smaller companies and dispensaries often buy their pre-roll packaging and containers from larger companies. These companies have spent the time and money needed to make sure that their products are in line with the laws for child-resistant packaging for cannabis.
How Are Child-Proof Containers Tested?
You might be wondering what actually constitutes a “child-proof” container. How is this determined, and how does the actual process work? Well, this type of packaging was first created in the 1970s, due to something known as the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.
This act requires that all items dangerous to children must be stored in “difficult to open” containers. The act mostly refers to prescription drugs, poisons, and cleaning products. Since then, this act has also come to include marijuana products.
As we said, rigorous testing is done to determine if the container is difficult to open. What happens is that children between the ages of three and five are given containers and told to open them. They are then allowed five minutes to do this.
After the time is up, an adult will show the children how to open the container. The children are then given another five minutes to open the container or package. The children are also told that they can bang the container, or use their teeth (meaning that you container should be tough, and not tear easily.)
If 85% of the children cannot open the container on the first try, it is then deemed child-proof. If 80% of the children cannot open it on the second try it is also considered child-proof. This test may also be done with seniors or disabled adults. Remember, these people should be able to open the container. If they cannot, then your container fails the child-proof test.
Depending on where you are, there may be other laws regarding cannabis packaging. In certain areas, you cannot package cannabis in a way that might appeal to children i.e. it cannot look like candy, have bright colors, or contain cartoon characters.
Places like Canada have further rules. These include regulations against fluorescent or metallic colors on containers, no embossing on containers, no heat-activated ink, and no images. While this may seem overly restrictive, there are ways to get around this requirement. For example, many companies use peel-back stickers or tags.
In certain areas, containers holding cannabis also have strict labeling requirements. In Canada, you’re legally required to place a warning label on your product (such as “keep out of reach of children” or “harmful to children.”)
You may also have to warn users that the product contains cannabis. Other warnings include product identity (what the product actually is), THC or CBD content and strength, the list of ingredients, possible allergens, recommended storage guidelines, health warnings, and the number of items.
Finally, some locations require that products have tamper-proof seals. This is basically a seal or sticker which is destroyed when the package is opened. This ensures that the product reaches end users without anyone opening the package.
What Options Do You Have When It Comes to Child Resistant Packaging to Cannabis?
Childproofing technology has improved significantly since the 1970s. But how does this technology actually work? The most basic approach is that you create a type of locking mechanism. Another approach is designing a container that requires the dexterity, and strength of an adult to open. Many of these containers also require adult-sized hands to open.
The most well-known example of this is bottled where the lid is pushed down and then twisted. Most children do not have the manual dexterity needed to open this type of bottle. Along with this, there are other types of child-proofing mechanisms available. Some of these include the following:
Locking slider boxes
These products have a simple design. Basically, a button is pushed with one hand, while the other hand pulls the tray out.
Tins
Tins are an excellent choice if you need a child-resistant container. You have two options for child-proofing tins. First of all, the tin can be too big for a child’s hand to open. Second, the tin can have the standard push-down and turn locking mechanism. Another benefit of tins is that they are recyclable. This is perfect for cannabis companies that use eco-friendly branding.
Tubes
These are extremely popular with companies selling pre-rolled joints, and also pre-rolled packaging. Tubes usually use hidden buttons which release the lid when pushed. They may also use the pushdown and twist mechanism.
Jars
This is one of the most popular options when it comes to child-resistant packaging for cannabis products. With most products, the classic push-down and twist mechanism is used.
Bags
These are most often used when selling nuggets of marijuana. The childproofing mechanism involves a two-step process. To start with, the bags need scissors to open. There may also be a tear strip, which requires adult hands. As well as this, the bag will feature a child-resistant zipper.
Boxes
Premium marijuana products are often sold in high-end wooden boxes. The big advantage of these boxes is that you can fit them with an actual lock.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that high-potency cannabis products can be dangerous to children. If ingested, these products can harm children, and cause acute marijuana intoxication. In order to prevent this, it’s critical that all marijuana products must are placed in child-resistant packaging for cannabis.
Failure to do this can land you in serious trouble with the authorities. You could be fined, have your business shut down, or potentially end up in prison (you may think we’re exaggerating, but if a child dies because of your product, you’ll end up in serious trouble.) Even if the child doesn’t die, angry parents could file lawsuits against you. Ultimately, it’s always better to follow the rules and package your product in compliance with the law.