Thanks to the well-defined cannabis labeling requirements set out by the Department of Cannabis Control, consumers of legal cannabis are less likely than ever before to encounter any harmful substances or contamination within a given product. The cannabis labeling requirements also ensure consumers know exactly what they are purchasing, eliminating the guesswork that used to take place when buying a ziplock bag of edibles or a mislabeled bud. Learn what’s required on your cannabis product labels, and don’t forget to familiarize yourself with cannabis packaging requirements as well. 

A Deep Dive into Cannabis Labeling Requirements 

Not all cannabis products are created equal, which means the labeling requirements vary as well. Let’s dive into the details of how to label your cannabis products correctly.

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Cannabis Labeling Requirements: Primary Label

Because the primary panel is displayed to consumers at the retail level, it should be placed on the top or on the front of the package. The primary label for manufactured products and flower or flower-only prerolls must include the following information:

  • Product Identity: Include a name to identify the product
  • Universal Symbol: Include the California symbol that identifies items as containing cannabis, measuring at least 0.5” x 0.5” and visible in black
  • Net Weight or Volume: Include a list of the package contents in both metric and U.S. units
  • “Cannabis-Infused”: Include the description “Cannabis-Infused” (edible products only)

Cannabis Labeling Requirements: Information Panel

The information panel is any part of the label that is not the primary label, excluding the batch or lot number, which must be featured on the package but is not mandatory to be displayed on the primary label. The information panel must include the following information:

  • Manufacturer Name and Contact Information 
  • List of All Ingredients Within the Product: List ingredients in descending order by weight or volume, including any sub-ingredients
  • Government Warning Statement for Cannabis Products: Must be written in capital letters and bold font
  • “FOR MEDICAL USE ONLY:” Include the description if THC concentration exceeds the amount available for sale in the recreational market
  • Date of Manufacture/Packaging: Include month, date, and year of manufacture
  • Expiration, Use-by, or Best-by Date: When applicable
  • Batch or Lot Number: You MUST include this on the information label
  • UID Number: Include the unique tracking number issued through the Track-and-Trace system
  • Instructions for Use and Any Preparation Needed: For consumed products 
  • Allergens: When applicable, include the word “Contains,” followed by a list of any major food allergen in the product using specific food names, including milk, egg, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, fish, or crustacean shellfish.
  • Sodium, Sugar, Carbohydrates, and Total Fat Per Serving in Milligrams or Grams: For edible products only
  • Artificial Food Colorings: When applicable
  • “KEEP REFRIGERATED” or “REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING”: Include the description when applicable 

In addition to these requirements, and in accordance with Proposition 65:

  • Businesses must provide a “clear and reasonable warning before knowingly and intentionally exposing anyone to chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.”
  • Beverage manufacturers must label qualifying containers with the CRV recycling information.

Cannabis Labeling Requirements: Flower and Flower-Only Prerolls Informational Panel 

You must include the following four items on any part of the label that is not part of the primary label:

  1. Government Warning Statement: Must be written in capital letters and bold font
  2. Licensee Name and Phone Number or Website: Must be the name of the licensed cultivator or licensee packaging the product. The name chosen must be a name listed on the license certificate, like a legal business name or the registered DBA
  3. UID Number: Include the unique tracking number issued through the Track-and-Trace system 
  4. Date of Manufacture/Packaging: Include month, date, and year of manufacture

Cannabis Labeling Requirements: Label Prohibitions for All Cannabis Products

When it comes to cannabis product labels, a few key things are forbidden per DCC regulations § 17408. You cannot include the following on any cannabis product labels:

  • Unproven health claims
  • The name of a California county (unless 100% of the cannabis was grown there)
  • The words “organic” or “Ocal” (unless you are registered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture or California Department of Public Health)
  • Branding that markets cannabis product as an alcoholic beverage
  • Designs attractive to children, including, but not limited to:
    • Cartoons
    • Images popularly used to advertise to children
    • Imitations of candy labeling
    • The words “candy,” “candies,” or the like

Cannabis Labeling Requirements: Label Placement and Appearance 

Should your cannabis product packaging consist of multiple layers, basic labeling must also be included on the inner container that actually holds the cannabis product, for example:

  • Vape cartridges, shatter, wax, and inhaled cannabis products must include the universal symbol
  • Topicals, tinctures, edibles, and non-inhaled cannabis products must include the universal symbol, along with the product name and net weight or volume. 

Cannabis labeling requirements mandate that labels be displayed legibly on the outer layer of the packaging and printed in English using, at a minimum, a six-point font size to ensure accuracy, legibility, and safety for consumers. 

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Cannabis Labeling Requirements: Cannabinoid Content

When it comes to cannabinoid products, the content can be placed on the primary label or information panel and must be displayed in milligrams. Additional cannabinoid content information must also include the following:

  1. THC and CBD per Package: For all manufactured products
  2. THC and CBD per Serving: For edibles and concentrates when applicable
  3. Other Cannabinoid Content: When it makes up 5% or more of the total cannabinoid content when labeled after testing

Understanding and abiding by the cannabis labeling requirements is made easy with Green 420 Pack’s labeling services. We would be more than happy to add compliant labels to your cannabis products. Contact us today to learn more about our custom labeling services for all of your cannabis products.