Getting Colorado marijuana packaging right: Your 2025 guide to staying compliant

Colorado’s cannabis scene is well-developed and brimming with opportunities for businesses. But getting your product onto those shelves means following some specific state regulations. That’s why you need to figure out the latest Colorado marijuana packaging rules imposed by the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) and find a way to adhere to them.

Making a mistake when packaging your blunts or other products can lead to your CO market dominance plan backfiring. At MYLARMEN, we deal with regulations daily. In this blog, we’re going to simplify things for marijuana brands in the Centennial State and help you understand the key aspects of Colorado’s requirements for 2025.

What are the Colorado marijuana packaging regulations you need to know?

The goal behind all rules is safety and transparency. Colorado’s MED spares no effort to ensure cannabis products stay out of the hands of children and that adults know what they’re buying. These rules apply to selling flower, concentrates, edibles, or topicals.

Your mission-critical focus should be on child-resistant packaging (CRP). In CO, every single marijuana product has to be sold in a package that restricts access and uses proper mechanisms for access control (you’ll often see this referred to as ASTM-certified). If your product has multiple servings (like a pack of gummies or a tincture), your Colorado marijuana packaging must stay child-resistant even after it’s been opened and resealed. CRP protects curious kids throughout the lifecycle of a marijuana product. 

On top of that, your packaging must be opaque, so they can’t see the buds or other goods inside. It’s another layer of safety that makes it less eye-catching to children and offers some discretion for the consumer. Getting your packages certified for child resistance is a formal process, so it really helps to work with a supplier who knows the ropes.

CRP and opaqueness aside, the way your marijuana is contained also matters. Loose flowers may go into a compliant jar or pouch. But for edibles or concentrates, especially those with multiple doses, you often need individual servings marked or wrapped inside the main container. 

Rigorous marijuana packaging standards cover every step in CO to keep things safe for a single dose and a whole consumption experience.

Getting your labels right: A big part of marijuana packaging in Colorado

A label is the combination of your product’s identification elements and usage instructions. The Centennial State has detailed requirements for the information that must be visible on all Colorado marijuana packaging types.

Your labels must be a cinch to read (the state specifies minimum font sizes, usually around 1/16th of an inch) and include a plethora of elements. Here’s a rundown of the must-haves:

• The universal symbol must be easy to spot, right on the front.
• State how much THC and CBD (and other key cannabinoids) your marijuana contains. For edibles, this means milligrams per serving and per package. For flower or concentrates, you can go with a percentage.
• List all the ingredients. If it’s a concentrate, you must also list any solvents used during extraction. Don’t forget potential allergens.
• For edibles and tinctures, spell out what counts as one serving and how many servings are in the whole package.
• For edibles, provide guidance on how long it might take to feel the effects.
• The MED requires specific warnings related to health risks, driving impairment, and keeping products away from kids. You have to include these exactly as written.
• Print the license number of the cultivator (for flower) or the manufacturer (for infused products). Do the same for the batch number to link your product to its specific production run and lab tests.
• Show that a licensed Colorado lab has tested your product and showcase the lab’s name and the test batch number.
• Some products, especially edibles, require an expiration or best-by date for quality and safety.

Paying no heed to these details or getting them wrong is a compliance issue.

So, how is marijuana packaged in Colorado in practice?

In CO, compliant packaging usually comprises a main container that holds the product, which must meet all child-resistance, opacity, and labeling rules. However, it may also involve exit bags that are used at the point of sale in Colorado’s dispensaries. Depending on a particular situation and the type of the main packaging, an exit bag may be mandated to be non-transparent and child-resistant.

You’ll see various types of containers and bags in CO. The most popular of those that are proven to meet Colorado’s marijuana packaging laws include:

• Pouches, which are good for flower or single edibles. They require a certified locking mechanism and must be opaque.
• Jars, which are the latest trendy upgrade for buds. They can be made of glass or plastic, must come with a certified child-proof lid, and be opaque (or placed in an opaque outer box/bag).
• Tubes, which are common for pre-rolls or cartridges. Vaping devices that contain marijuana may require additional packaging standards. 
• Specialty tins/containers, which are used for smaller edibles like mints or gummies. These must feature certified child-resistant opening designs.

The key is to confirm that your packaging has passed the official ASTM tests for child resistance and that it fully blocks the visibility of the product. You also must ensure the material is safe when in contact with marijuana and suitable for what you produce and sell. What works for flower doesn’t necessarily work for liquid tinctures.

Let’s tackle packaging together

Figuring out the right things to adopt for marijuana packaging in Colorado can feel like a head-scratcher. There’s a lot to do for brands to stay compliant and prove that they care about consumers in the Centennial State. Getting this right is super-important for running a legal, safe, and successful marijuana business here.

Are you looking for practical assistance to ensure your packaging hits all the right marks for Colorado? Get in touch with MYLARMEN to bring your go-to team to your corner. We know the regulations and MED’s requirements and can go the extra mile for marijuana and cannabis brands.