Packaging and Labels
The government said that a “clear majority” of respondents supported its packaging and labeling proposals, which include:
tamper-proof and child-resistant packaging
strict limits on the use of colours and graphics
labels that contain health warnings and specific product information (such as potency)
a standardized cannabis symbol.
Those that called the packaging requirements too strict felt that branding was necessary to distinguish products from competitors and the black market, and because of this, the government said it would allow one more brand element in addition to the brand name, such as a logo or slogan, but certain restrictions apply- if it’s a slogan, the text can’t be larger than the health warning, and if it’s a logo, it can’t be larger than the standardized cannabis symbol.
The standardized cannabis symbol.
The labels and packages are also required to be one uniform colour (both inside and out) and metallic or fluorescent colours are banned, along with any inserts producers might have wanted to include in the packages.
The proposed packaging guidelines for recreational cannabis are considerably more strict than the current guidelines regarding medical cannabis, and medical cannabis producers are getting a 6-month grace period to bring their labels and packaging in line with the new regulations.
Health Warnings
All packages will be required to have one of six proposed health warnings, included below:
Cannabis smoke is harmful.
Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis.
Cannabis can be addictive.
Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis.
Each health warning also comes with a secondary sentence, and there are sometimes multiple sentences to choose from, such as with “Cannabis can be addictive“, which has three options:
Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
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