As the legal use of cannabis becomes rampant in different US states, child safety concerns are rising, forcing businesses to keep in step with safety meexistasures put in place by the authorities.

Packaging companies have also gone out of their way to create safer pouches to prevent child access to cannabis content.

The American Society for Testing and Materials describes a child-resistant bag as one that makes it hard for children below 5 to open or access its contents within a specified timeframe.

Child-resistant stand-up pouches are categorized into single-use and re-closable variants.  single-use child resistant pouches are only child resistant until they are opened by the consumer. while the re-closable can be re-closed by the consumer and retain their child resistance. 

In this article, we will compare re-closeable and single-use stand-up pouches to help you choose which one is fit for you.

Re-closable Pouches

Re-closable pouches are also loosely called Lifetime Child Resistant Pouches because they can be used multiple times and retain the same level of safety they had before they were opened. The idea behind “Lifetime” is that the pouch will remain child resistant during the “lifetime” of the consumption of the product inside the pouch.

So for example, if a pouch containers 4 servings of cannabis edibles the “lifetime” of the pouch is being opened and closed 4 times.  A child below 5 cannot multitask. Manufacturers of re-closable bags use this knowledge to create pouches that a child finds hard to open before they get tired and give up. Lifetime pouches typically have a two-step opening process.

Push and turn, a two-piece molding with the benefit of providing the child with false interactivity is one of the three most common child-resistant mechanisms.

Secondly, there are squeeze and turn packs, which are typically single-piece moldings, and are very common in homes. Finally, there's the 'line up the arrows' closing method where two fixed points on the package and the closure must be matched to open the pouch.

Sophisticated lifetime bags such as the pharmacy zipper bags only open with two hands. They are easy for adults, including those weakened by medical conditions to open but a child has a very hard time trying to open them. The child-guard push-pin zipper bag works by inserting a pin to open the sliding zipper. These pouches have tons of other benefits.

Single-use Pouches

Common single-use pouches are designed to not have an easy open feature, and so require the use of a scissor or knife to open it.  They are popular for packaging single servings of drugs including medical cannabis.  Blister packs have polymer trays whose opening is sealed to aluminum lidding foil. 

A single-use package only maintains the approved standard of child resistance as long as it has not been opened.

To make these packs child-resistant, packaging manufacturers use a two-step opening process and add a paper label that children can't easily peel off.

Typical single-use pouches include sample packs, fold-overs, stand-up, and pillow pouches. While they are not built to maintain their child resistance after opening, they do provide a single use child resistance and they still offer all the great barrier properties needed to keep the contents at optimal freshness until  the pack is opened.

There's been growing concern over the contribution of single-use packs in filling landfills and pollution. In this case, your company has to emphasize the need to dispose of the pack safely after use.

Child-Resistant Exit Bags

Some Child Resistant Exit Bags used by dispensaries for cannabis are made from a combination of child psychology and modern technology.  These pouches only open when an adult inserts their fingers under the flaps to access the closing. The closing opens with upward and rolling movements.

This opening method is incomprehensible to children under five. When a child uses this pouch, they still pull at the flaps and expect it to open which does not work.

These pouches are also odor-proof, bar UV light from interfering with content quality, and are moisture-resistant. They are perfect for storing powder and granules too.

Why are they called Exit Bags? In most states cannabis regulation is a subset of the state’s liquor control laws. Often the same agency that regulates the sale of alcohol also regulates cannabis. Many states require that any product sold by a dispensary be placed in Child Resistant outer packaging before it leaves the dispensary, also called “Exit Packaging.” 

Cannabis brands love flexible barrier packaging for child-resistant exit bags because in addition to the child resistant properties the flexible barrier pouches preserve the product's scent and structure. They also make an ideal storage choice because they are flexible, lightweight, include recyclable structural materials, safety features, and preserve the environment.

When to Ask for Customized Child-Resistant Pouches

The key reason to invest in customized child-resistant pouches it to beat the competition! Sell more cannabis, and improve your brand’s appearance to the consumer. Now more than ever it is hard to stand out on the dispensary shelf, or keep your brand fresh in the customer’s mind after their purchase. Amazing custom packaging helps 

• Improve brand awareness
• Increase sales
• Protect your protect

While the market is teeming with different stand-up pouches, there's always a chance that you'd like a combination of some of the features, want an addition or removal of some of them.

Additionally, you may have changed or added a new target market.

More importantly, the face of the pack has to appeal to your new demographic. This may call for a change in material or color combos.

Additionally, your customers may ask for a child guard that's not too hard for an adult but is difficult for children over the age of five. You may also need differently shaped spouts to prevent the likelihood of liquid squirts when pouring.

People respond better to advertising campaigns that address their safety concerns. This goes further than just children's safety.  When medicine is kept in poor conditions, it loses its potency. It all depends on what you're packing and the concerns that people have about the product.

Find Packaging that Sells

At Carepac, we understand that packaging either attracts customers or throws them off. We have tons of attractive packaging options to suit your needs. Contact us to get the right packaging for all your needs.