Pennsylvania Cannabis Packaging Laws and Label Regulations
Own a cannabis business in the Keystone State? Not sure of the rules and regulations? Pennsylvania cannabis packaging laws are to ensure:
- Brand Identity – Allows customers to quickly understand who you are and what your products are about.
- Essential Information – What’s inside the product (i.e. cannabinoid count, general warnings, etc.).
- Resolution – Decide whether or not the product is right for them.
You need more than a high-quality product to capture customer attention. If you want your business to stand out and avoid legal troubles, you also need to know Pennsylvania’s cannabis packaging laws and regulations.
Do Cannabis Products in My State Follow All Packaging Regulations?
Cannabis packaging and labeling laws are in place for both buyers and sellers:
- For buyers, it ensures that they know exactly what they’re receiving from a product and whether or not it’s right for them.
- For sellers, it’s to ensure they meet all federal and state compliance laws.
In Pennsylvania, only a registered dispensary can package and sell marijuana. It must be in an envelope or container that mentions “intended for sale” with a label that discusses the required information (see below).
Since cannabis is still federally illegal, you must also follow some universal regulations. To avoid confusion, we’ve identified both federal and state guidelines.
Standard Label Requirements:
- The minimum amount or net weight of the package
- The license, batch, and serial number of the cultivation facility
- Chemical info (THC, CBD potency)
- Strain info (Indica, Sativa, or Hybrid)
- Dates (cultivation, testing, expiry, etc.)
- Necessary Warnings
- Child-proof packaging
- Tamper-proof packaging
- Re-sealable packaging
- Mandatory Universal logo/symbol
- Optional “Not Safe for Kids” logo
- Dimensions and color of the logo
- Other additive or contaminants info on the label
Pennsylvania Cannabis Packaging Laws and Label Requirements
Pennsylvania follows strict compliance when it comes to the dispensing of marijuana and derived products. Within the state, caregivers and dispensaries must also ensure a product is only for sale to a qualifying patient.
Universal Symbol
Cannabis products must have an icon or logo to indicate cannabis packaging from other packaging. Therefore, to meet this indication, a consignment that holds marijuana must have the universal symbol on its container.
The universal symbol is mandatory to slap on each cannabis parcel. It features a red triangle over a black text that says ‘Contains THC.’ It also has a black marijuana leaf in the center.
The other symbol is optional though equally important. It says “Not Safe for Kids” and fit into a red octagon.
Furthermore, the color and size of the symbol are to avoid confusion and reflect full label compliance. When used on the marketing layer, the universal and optional symbols/ icons must be reproduced in black and red.
Not to mention, the container may not have any depiction of the product, cartoon characters, or images – except the establishment’s logo. It is not acceptable in the Marijuana Legalization Act to use a logo that is recreated, distorted, pixelated, and stretched. To follow full compliance, you also must not change the icon color or use it on a dark background.
Packaging and Labeling Requirements
As per law, the following must apply to all Pennsylvania cannabis packaging:
(a) A grower/processor shall package and label at its facility each form of medical marijuana prepared for sale. The original seal of a package may not be broken, except for quality control testing at a laboratory, for adverse loss investigations by the Department or by a dispensary that bought the medical marijuana.
(b) A grower/processor shall package the medical marijuana in a package that minimizes exposure to oxygen, and that is:
(1) Child-resistant.
(2) Tamper-proof or tamper-evident.
(3) Light-resistant and opaque.
(4) Resealable.
(c) A grower/processor shall identify each lot of medical marijuana with a unique identifier.
(d) A grower/processor shall obtain the prior written approval of the Department of the content of any label to be affixed to a medical marijuana package. Each label must:
(1) Be easily readable.
(2) Made of weather-resistant and tamper-resistant materials.
(3) Be conspicuously placed on the package.
(4) Include the name, address, and permit number of the grower/processor.
(5) List the form, quantity, and weight of medical marijuana included in the package.
(6) List the single dose THC and CBD content of the medical marijuana in milligrams (mg).
(7) Contain an identifier that is unique to a particular batch of medical marijuana, including the number assigned to each lot in the batch.
(8) Include the date the medical marijuana was packaged.
(9) State the employee identification number of the employee preparing the package and packaging the medical marijuana.
(10) State the employee identification number of the employee shipping the package, if different than the employee described in paragraph (9).
(11) Contain the name and address of the dispensary to which the package is to be sold.
(12) List the date of expiration of the medical marijuana.
(13) Include instructions for proper storage of the medical marijuana in the package.
(14) Contain the following statements: “This product is for medicinal use only. Women should not consume during pregnancy or while breastfeeding except on the advice of the practitioner who issued the certification and, in the case of breastfeeding, the infant’s pediatrician. This product might impair the ability to drive or operate heavy machinery. Keep out of reach of children.”
(e) Labeling by a grower/processor of any medical marijuana may not:
(1) Bear any resemblance to the trademarked, characteristic, or product-specialized packaging of any commercially available candy, snack, baked good, or beverage.
(2) Bear any statement, artwork, or design that could reasonably mislead any person to believe that the package contains anything other than a medical cannabis finished product.
(3) Bear any seal, flag, crest, coat of arms, or other insignia that could reasonably mislead a person to believe that the product has been endorsed, manufactured, or used by any state, county municipality, or any agency thereof.
(4) Bear any cartoon, color scheme, image, graphic, or feature that might make the package attractive to children.
Final Word
Now that you know Pennsylvania cannabis packaging laws, you may not be sure where to begin. However, that’s where we come in!
At Custom 420, we curate cannabis packaging that ensures it follows your state’s guidelines. Furthermore, we guarantee labels that follow all requirements.
If you want to learn more, we invite you to reach out through our contact form.