The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) released its new online packaging and labeling app on Tuesday, Aug. 2, in a change that affects both the medical and recreational markets. The new application will allow cannabis business owners to get their packaging and labels pre-approved by the OLCC online.
According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), all packaging and labeling for medical cannabis must be approved by the OLCC by Oct. 1, 2016. After that date, no medical cannabis and/or cannabis product may be sold in unapproved packaging and labeling. Effective Aug. 2, all labels and packaging for recreational cannabis must be approved by the OLCC through the new application before the product is put up for sale.
This new process requires licensees to submit their applications and pay a fee online. The application fee is $100 for every label and package submitted for approval. If one label and one package are submitted, a $200 payment must be included with the submission. According to OLCC guidelines, a licensee does not need to submit payment if they are using packaging already on the approved list. That list will be made available on the OLCC website as it is built.
A document proving that the packaging has been tested by a qualified third-party testing firm and met the required child-resistant packaging standard, clear pictures of the packaging and label panels, and a description and clear picture of the marijuana product sold in that package also will need to be submitted to complete the application.
Medical growers registered with the OHA will need to create a new OLCC account if they haven't already done so, while growers licensed by the OLCC can use the same login information they have always used, according to an OLCC spokesperson.
Additional rule changes also require that all marijuana products (including seeds, plants, usable cannabis and cannabinoid products such as edibles) be labeled with the universal marijuana symbol (pictured above), and the packaging cannot be attractive to minors (including the use of cartoons).
Read the packaging and labeling guide
OLCC packaging and labeling app
