Patient Education ►
Labeling Products
Compliance , Compliance , Compliance ...
What ’ s the deal with those huge “ MARIJUANA ” stickers ? by Mitch Alexander ,, contributing writer
One of the many requirements in this industry is compliance . Whether you ’ ve realized it or not , everything about your cannabis products must be compliant . Compliance has many different meanings when it comes to cannabis , and each state has different laws surrounding compliance . For example , in Missouri , the word “ Marijuana ” must be the largest word on the package . Missouri also does not allow cartoon packaging or any packaging that can be considered marketed towards children .
Every level of the industry has different requirements . When dispensaries receive bulk flower , not much labeling is required . However , when the dispensary breaks down that flower for sale , the labeling requirements change . For packaged flower to be compliant for sale , several things must be present . First and foremost , as mentioned above , the word “ MARIJUANA ” must be the biggest lettering on the packaging . Testing results for several cannabinoids are required to be on the labeling , as well as the name of the cultivar . As seen in most , if not all states with legalization , the infamous THC symbol must be present . Every state will have different variances of this symbol , but almost all share a resemblance . Generally , the THC symbol will be a red triangle or diamond shape with the letters “ THC ” and often the letter “ M ” for marijuana beside or below . In some places , like California , you might see a THC symbol with the letters “ CA ,” a marijuana leaf , and an exclamation point .
Clearly marking the products as cannabis products is a requirement , but it doesn ’ t stop there . Before a dispensary can sell a THC product , it must label every single item individually . Whether it be stickering 130 jars of 3.5g of flower , to stickering the hundreds of packages of edibles , everything must be labeled .
What is on label ?
This label is rather simple , yet still important . The dispensary label must include the dispensary name , license number , and an identifying barcode for that specific product . To top it off , the product ’ s name will also be featured with product details such as the weight or amount and the manufacturer if needed .
One of the most critical pieces of information featured on the dispensary label is the batch number . The batch number signifies the specific pound of flower , or specific batch of gummies produced , or concentrate extracted . This information helps the dispensary stay in compliance by getting the right items in the bag . The state and DHSS track every transaction . From seed to sale , the state monitors it all . When a product is assigned a batch number , it is the responsibility of the dispensary to ensure the batch number sold is the exact batch number that makes it into the patient ’ s hand .
If the dispensary accidentally sells the wrong batch number or mistakenly puts the wrong product in the patient ’ s bag , several issues arise . Let ’ s say the patient orders and pays for a 3.5g jar of a specific cultivar , and the budtender mistakenly places a 1g pre-roll of the same cultivar in their bag . The dispensary has sold the wrong product . Now the dispensary has potentially made the patient unhappy , the dispensary inventory is inaccurate , and most of the patient ’ s allotment