Development of packaging for cannabis products
Thanks to changing norms, new laws and the hard work of talented design and packaging agencies, marijuana is finally moving beyond pot leaves and Woodstock-era hippies and getting a much needed branding makeover. People are getting tired of the High Times, Cheech and Chong stereotypes, and ready to bring brands out with their own ethos and narrative.
The two principal purposes of packaging are to protect the product it carries and the consumer who buys it, and to market that product to purchasers, both directly and indirectly. The package must provide protection against anything, physical or environmental, that might damage the product. It also has to be sealed in a way that prevents pilferage or opening by someone — a child, for example — who might be harmed by the product. Security is task one. For marketers, the choice of package format is more of a challenge. The feel of a glass container in the consumer’s hand instantly projects quality. On the other hand, the space available on the side of a flexible pouch offers more opportunity for expansive, colorful graphics that draw consumers’ eyes. Putting the glass jar into a paperboard carton with colorful graphics combines the two. There are as many choices as there are packaging formats.
Clever design packaging is future. This herb jar was designed primarily by the architect Jaime Magaliff, the Dispensary 33 display packaging won an AIA Chicago award. The architects’ solution was a custom-blown glass bulb with a wooden base that twists together and uses a pressure locking mechanism to maintain a seal. The custom glass top is paired with a laminated wood bottom. Each has a negative or positive pressure locking mechanism, neatly pairing to keep the dispensary’s product legally fresh.
Unfortunately, customers won’t be able to take home their weed in one of the little glass packages–they are for display purposes only, given that each of the 60 that the dispensary commissioned cost about $120 to make.
Other products
CBD has grown very fast around the world. The packaging designs have evolved in parallel. The art and science of cannabis packaging design is still new, and artists, designers and scientists are still looking for the best ways to protect the consumer from things like harmful chemicals and tricky marketing. Some people are coming up with novel ideas for cannabis packaging every day. By taking an informed look at what some of the most interesting design thinkers in this industry have created so far, we get a better idea of how things are changing.
It is clear to me that as soon as the package would touch people, it should be a complete experience. It shouldn’t only tell you what’s inside, but what the brand stands for. And it needed to be flawless in its appearance, simple and colorful shapes, clean lines and clever solutions. That’s exactly what people need for packaging design in the future.
Design Escapism: Getting High on Marijuana Packaging
Hemp leaves are emerging in art and design everywhere, but since number of countries comes legalization society does no longer get so affected by the “drug” symbol – cannabis leaf. What does that mean for designers and creatives? A whole new world of packaging challenges to take on! From concepts that aim to end the stigma of marijuana, to child-proof containers. The direct message on the package becomes a subtle hint to the educated consumer.
