Effective January 1, 2019, the state of Washington will have new regulations for the labeling and packaging of marijuana products including edibles, useable marijuana, and marijuana mix. Some of the existing rules will stay in effect and will be required in addition to the new rules.
Here is a brief list of some of the new labeling requirements for all products which will be required effective January 1, 2019.
- “Warning – May be habit forming.”
- “Unlawful outside Washington State.”
- “It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.”
- Business/Trade Names and 9 digit UBI of producer and processor
- Unique identifier generated by traceability
- Electronic format including URL/QR code, optional for accompanying materials
- Universal Symbol
While this is not a complete list of changes, it is important to make note that licensees will be required to make changes to their labels and in some cases, to their packaging and to keep in mind that timely submission of application materials is advised. With the January 1st deadline seemingly off in the distance, it can be easy to put of submission of application materials for the new labeling and packaging requirements. However, failure to submit your application early could result in unnecessary delays as the WSLCB is expecting to be overloaded with last minute submissions near the years end.
The new packaging and labeling requirements are mandatory for all licensees effective on the first of the year and beginning June 7, 2018, licensees can choose to use the current rules or the new rules but must comply with all requirements in either scheme they choose. The new rules include the new universal symbol. This symbol will be required on ALL PRODUCTS and the color cannot be changed. It must be presented in its true form. The new universal symbol will take place of the following warnings: “This product contains marijuana,” and “For use only by adults twenty-one and older.” The NOT FOR KIDS symbol will only be required on edibles. These symbols are both available for viewing and downloading on the WSLCB website under the "Cannabis Packaging and Labeling Resources" tab.
Packaging adjustments within the scope of the new rules will allow certain infused solid edible products to be packaged loosely. This applies to such products as lozenges and capsules and will be approved on a case by case basis and will require a resealable child resistant exterior package.
To ensure that your labels meet requirements of the new rules, all MIE labels will need to be submitted with an application for review. This process can take up to 14 days and needs to be completed and ready by January 1, 2019. Two application types are available on the WSLCB. One for current packaging and labeling rules and one for the new packaging and labeling rules which will be effective on the first day of 2019.