Cannabis: It’s Out of the Bag – and Into the Pouch

Anyone who used recreational marijuana before 2012 likely received and shipped their stash in the same simple packaging -- zip-top plastic bags. In recent history, plastic bags have been the ubiquitous answer to the underground industry's need for inexpensive, convenient, portable packaging for popular products. Just a few years later, commercially legal marijuana producers have said goodbye to the flimsy bag -- and no one misses it.

Today's cannabis packaging options include a wide variety of custom-branded, brightly colored, odor- and child-resistant pouches and containers that are specifically designed to keep cannabis products fresh and safe. The move to premium and sophisticated packaging is driven by a combination of state packaging regulations and marketers seizing valuable branding opportunities. Safe, odor-resistant, attractive modern cannabis packaging is a win-win for consumers and marketers.

One of the most versatile and revolutionary cannabis packaging solutions is the soft bag. Compared to its transparent, fragile predecessor, the soft bag container is a major upgrade, offering the lightness, portability and cost-effectiveness of traditional bags in addition to many more advanced features. They can be custom printed with jaw-dropping graphics and heat-sealed in a counterfeit-proof way. They can feature child-resistant closures and odor-blocking technologies. All of this is achieved in a sleek container that's less bulky than bottles and jars. They are equally suitable for filling flowers, extracts, edibles, and topicals, making them a single, versatile solution for a variety of cannabis product types.

The flexible pouch holds a lot of product with minimal waste. They can even be produced from compostable or recyclable materials, making them environmentally friendly and more appealing to discerning customers. They also allow consumers to enjoy a longer shelf life and feel safe knowing that the product is securely encased in FDA-compliant food-grade materials with a closed system that protects children from accidental ingestion.

As cannabis packaging regulations and best practices continue to evolve, cannabis producers should rely on a trusted packaging partner who understands how to use technology to keep their products one step ahead of the competition and leave the bagged food to the snack bar .