As the market becomes more competitive and compliance becomes more critical, and the customer becomes more informed on what they prefer for their product packaging, cannabis companies are eager to innovate, ready to impress, and want to pay reasonable prices for their packaging choices.
Choosing a flexible packaging company is a large commitment and can make or break the shelf-appeal of a product, where looks do matter.
Here are some helpful tips for cannabis companies to consider when looking for the right cannabis packaging company:
Experience with Cannabis & Compliance
Cannabis is a highly regulated industry with packaging requirements exceeding those of food and other consumer packaged goods. The first thing you should ask a prospective flexible packaging company is what their experience with cannabis is to ensure they’re up to the task of meeting cannabis packaging requirements.
While different states have different regulations for cannabis packaging, most states require any packaging containing cannabis products to be child-resistant, resealable, and opaque in color with mechanisms to control odor.
A prospective packaging company should be able to provide various films and seals that demonstrate its capabilities to be odor-resistant, resealable, and difficult for children to access but intuitive for adults.
Product Capabilities for Cannabis
Not all packaging companies can provide cannabis brands with what they need to package their product in a compliant way that both appeals to the customer and preserves the product within.
Cannabis companies may have different packaging needs when it comes to their products. For instance, a company that produces both dry flower and edibles will likely need different packaging designs, sizes, and shapes for each product.
When looking for a flexible packaging company for cannabis, ask the company for examples of package shapes, the materials (films and structures) they use, the maximum/minimum size of packaging they offer, and the variety of colors they use in their printing.
Unique Product Features
Customers and cannabis retailers appreciate packaging that’s both functional and attractive, while preserving the integrity of the cannabis inside.
Come prepared to the conversation with a prospective packaging company, and make it evident you have done your research on options for cannabis packaging.
Here are a few features to ask about in your discovery meeting with a packaging company for cannabis products:
- Is packaging fully opaque and in compliance with (your state) law?
- What type of hang holes do you offer?
- What type of pouch is best for my cannabis product? Stand up pouches? Lay flat pouches?
- How can I be sure the colors will match our brand colors?
- How to package bulk cannabis?
- Are the films you use odor-resistant? How can I be sure that the packaging won’t let the smell of cannabis out?
- What mechanisms for child-proofing do you offer?
- Do you offer puncture-resistant plastic? What different levels of thickness do you offer?
- Do you have different looks and feels of packaging I can choose from such as Matte? Soft touch? Gloss? Metalized finishes?
If a prospective packaging company can’t answer these questions easily, they may not be up for the task of handling packaging for such a regulated commodity like cannabis.
Order Minimums
Many packaging companies require a large minimum order and only go after big brands with long-run orders. Large minimum orders can be costly for smaller cannabis companies, companies that have small amounts of product in various cannabis product categories, or brands that need a short run of products.
When having initial discussions with a possible packaging company, ask them what their minimum order is, whether that minimum order is a unit amount (per impression) or dollar amount, and what their capabilities are for both short- and long-run orders.
Sustainable Packaging Solutions
The cannabis industry is concerned with finding sustainable solutions at all parts of the seed-to-sale process. Packaging is one area that cannabis companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability by choosing packaging that can be recycled or reused.
Talk about the materials that your prospective packaging company uses. Does the company work with films for their packaging that can be recycled? What features of the company’s packaging make it reusable? Do they offer compostable films?
Graphic Design and Printing Methods
Providing the packaging is one thing, but what type of printing method does the prospective packaging company offer?
Talk to the company about their printing methods. Do you use conventional or digital printing? What if changes need to be made to the design last minute? What is the turnaround time from order to product readiness?
Be Prepared to Make the Right Choice
An informed cannabis customer is the best kind of customer; it shouldn’t be any different for cannabis companies looking for the best packaging for their cannabis products.
Wrap up the conversation with a packaging company with a request for a quote before getting started to ensure that what is discussed is reflected in the service level they will provide.
Taking time to ask the right questions of a prospective packaging company is crucial so that you can put trust in that company, see them as an extension of your brand, get premium packaging cannabis, and focus on what you do best: cultivating and producing the best cannabis products for your state’s market.
Seed & Seal Packaging Company is not new to cannabis. Our customers are small- to medium-sized cannabis companies that we have worked with to produce attractive, functional, and most importantly, compliant custom printed cannabis packaging.
Our packaging experts are ready to consult with cannabis companies like yours to help them find the most appropriate package and film to represent their brand in a very competitive market. Contact us today for a free quote and consultation.
