Labeling the High Life
Cannabis is an exploding market, and packaging is becoming more and more critical.
By Toni McQuilken
The United States is in the midst of a revolution. As of the November 2016
elections, cannabis is now legal for both medicinal and recreational use in
eight states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada,
Oregon, and Washington. In addition, 18 more states and the District of
Columbia now have laws on the books that either legalize medical marijuana usage,
or at the very least decriminalize possession of the substance. At the same time, the
federal government has maintained its stance that cannabis is illegal, putting the
debate of states vs federal authority in the spotlight once more. For now, the federal
government hasn’t sought to try and enforce their laws in states where legalization
has happened, but it remains to be seen how this will all play out.
Th ere is no denying that despite the
murky legal matters, the cannabis
industry is absolutely exploding. Forbes
noted that the industry grew an incredible
30% in 2016, topping out at $6.7
billion—that’s billion with a B. Given
that the income is coming from a small
handful of states, it is safe to assume
that as legalization continues to spread,
and more competition enters the market,
it is only going to continue to grow.
No matter what your personal opinion
is of cannabis use, there is no denying
there is a huge market for it in the
United States, that is not only bringing
in huge dollars, but is also employing
hundreds of thousands of people.
Standing out from the
crowd
All of that sets the stage for a staggering
number of companies looking to get
into the market and build their brands.
Like any other industry, some are just
looking for fast and easy ways to put
10 Printing News October 2017 PrintingNewscom