The cannabis market has grown rapidly in recent years. From medical technology, cannabis-infused beauty, food and drink products, dispensaries and all the associated marketing materials! Despite the industry’s growth, government packaging and labeling rules exist.

Since most labeling regulations are state or country-specific, product packaging is required to meet those laws. Labeling and packaging regulations are still evolving so it’s important for companies to stay current.

As new companies grow, competitors seek consumer differentiation techniques that allow them to reach more consumers! That’s why it’s critical that you get your cannabis packaging and labeling done right. In this guide we’ll explore everything you need to know.

So why’s it so important?

Packaging and labeling can be one of the most important aspects of marketing your cannabis products, as it helps consumers learn about your product, understand what it does and how to use it, see the quality of the ingredients used, and see if you are following health standards set by governments or industry associations.

Tips to get your Cannabis packaging and labeling done right

Packaging and labeling are the most important pieces of your cannabis brand. You can have the best product in the world, but you’ll never succeed if you don’t have a good way to present it. It’s time to start planning for this before your products come to market!

❖ Selecting a Packaging Company: There are plenty of packaging firms, so investigate to choose one that meets your demands, style, and branding initiatives. The company you choose will depend on its cannabis packaging experience and longevity. Ensure the company offers customizable alternatives (boxes, jars, bottles, etc.). Look at work examples and customer references to gauge their quality and industry knowledge.

❖ Selecting a Foil Printer: For those of you working with the physical plant matter, you’ll want to review this step. Foil printing is one of the most popular ways to package cannabis because it looks great and also protects from light degradation. Make sure your printer offers metalized and traditional foil colors; either option will look great! Ask them about how they use their foils to protect products from light degradation or offer UV protection.

❖ Selecting Printing Services: Check out what they provide before choosing printing services. Need offset printing? Design? Copywriting? What paper do they offer? How much does printing cost per unit compared to competitors? How fast can they print your order, and how many at once? Before making a decision, address these questions. Don’t forget about how you’ll need to translate or localize this text information.

❖ The Label: Your label might not seem like such an important piece of your cannabis branding strategy until you consider that it’s what customers will see first when approaching your booth at a trade show, dispensary shelf, or online market. Make sure every detail counts and everything flows together seamlessly to create an aesthetically pleasing image for potential buyers. If you’re going international, you’ll have to consider how you localize or adapt the imagery and colors you use.

Consideration About Cannabis Packaging and Labeling

● Displaying or Storing Cannabis-Related Products

For instance, to prevent clients from having direct access to the product, all cannabis products in Washington State must be kept behind a counter or other physical barrier. You might want to focus on how a product appears when it is unopened in a glass counter display if customers can’t handle it as easily as they would in a more normal setting.

● Detailed & Accurate Label Specifications

The ingredients, warnings, health concerns, impairment of abilities, recommended dosage or batch number, and barcode to identify the location of the product’s manufacturing or processing must all be included on your labels for customer safety with total accuracy. You might also have specifications for distinct label parts. For medical cannabis, California, for instance, requires that manufacturers include a “main label” and “informational label.”

● Limitations on Labeling

When creating cannabis packaging and labeling, some visual characteristics must also be avoided. Label content cannot be created to appeal to anybody under the age of 21. Cartoons, packaging that looks like sweets, and any words, likenesses to images, or characters frequently used in child-targeted advertising are included. You might also might be be unable to assert that cannabis use has any physical, health, or other advantages in your state.

Information About Cannabis Packaging and Labeling

Cannabis products must be labeled with the standardized cannabis symbol, the mandatory health warning message, and specific product information (such as the brand name of the cannabis product, class of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD)). Cannabis products must also be packaged in child-resistant containers.

Cannabis needs packaging that shields it from moisture and sunlight because it is a dried plant product. This keeps its herbal qualities intact. Use resealable, opaque cannabis packaging that is similar to that used for herbal teas. In several states, packing leaves and flowers must include child-proof sealing.

Importance of Translating Labels & Content

Now for the most critical part of getting your cannabis tech or product out to bigger markets.

The importance of having your cannabis labels translated into other languages cannot be overstated since not everyone speaks English as their first language. In fact, most countries require that the packaging has to be printed in the language of the country that it’s being sold in, so if you don’t translate your cannabis packaging and labeling, you can get into trouble with your country’s customs department.

Cannabis labels are typically required by law to include a variety of information, such as:

● Product name and strain

● Potency and product type

● Cannabis warnings and restrictions

● Manufacturer name and contact information

A label is the most important tool for communicating what’s inside a container or box. The label also provides vital information on how the contents should be handled, used, and disposed of. Partnering with a language service provider that has deep industry knowledge and expertise in Medical and Recreational Cannabis like Ad Astra is critical.

Without this critical, accurately translated data on cannabis packaging, consumers may not know if they are consuming an edible or inhaling cannabis smoke. Misidentifying products can lead to mistakes with dosage and potentially harmful consequences.

Cannabis is one of the few industries to have an international market with constantly shifting regulations and legalization efforts. When it comes to translating your cannabis labels, you want to make sure that you use a qualified translation agency with industry experience. You may also want to consider using bilingual employees who can provide content in both Spanish and English for your future marketing materials and public relations campaigns.

Parts of the US/Canada Where Cannabis Translation is Important

The need for cannabis translation is critical in places like Canada, where French is one of the country’s two official languages. In the US, though, it may be because of a need for more appeal to carrying local markets where English is less spoken.

It is critical that the US and Canada have their cannabis labels translated. The US has a large population of Spanish-speaking people, while Canada has a significant French-speaking population. However, many other languages are spoken in both countries, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hindi, and Tagalog.

Using foreign words like Je time in place of I love you can make a big difference to the message being conveyed. But translation doesn’t just have to mean from one language to another, that’s where localization will be your friend. Here you can capture slang terms or idioms that make sense only within a certain culture or region. As such, ensure your translation and localization needs are done so that these cultural differences are also considered.

So There You Have It!

It’s an ever changing and continually blossoming industry, but we hope this helped orient you Cannabis packaging and labeling approach for your respective markets.

Remember to consult with a language company like us that has expertise in cannabis translation and that you consider the state or international requirements your labels will have to meet. product names, ingredients descriptions of benefits/uses, etcetera, marketing content and more cannot be overlooked!