The legal US cannabis industry is valued at $2.7 billion as of 2014 up 74 per cent from 2013, making it the fastest growing industry in the U.S. over that span (according to ArcView Market Research). As the market grows, so does the need to protect children in the home from unintentional ingestion. To help address this issue, CHILD-GUARD – a new child-resistant slider technology from Presto Products Company that was on show at Pack Expo last week – has been applied to FunkGuard – a child-resistant reclosable package geared toward the cannabis industry from FunkSac.
FunkGuard was tested in an ISO 17025 accredited facility and meets the standards set for child-resistance by Title 16 CFR 1700 of the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA), as well as ASTM D3475 standards. The pouch is also approved for use with food grade materials.
FunkGuard can be used as a primary package or as an exit bag solution – wherein primary packages are placed into a larger FunkGuard pouch before leaving a dispensary in order to comply with individual state regulations.
FunkSac – a packaging solutions provider specialising in odour barrier and child-resistant packaging for the cannabis industry – partnered with Atlapac Corporation, a contract converter, in order to bring the product to market.
“Child-resistance is one of the great conundrums of packaging,” says Paul Unrue, VP at Atlapac. “How do you make a package that is difficult for a child to get into, while being simple enough for an elderly individual to easily access their medication? When we saw the CHILD-GUARD slider, we knew there was finally something new and innovative in packaging.
The design is both high-tech and intuitive. It is extremely difficult for a child to open, yet very easy for an adult to do so.”
CHILD-GUARD offers a smaller form factor compared to other child-resistant options as well.
“The slider is very sleek, it fits within the normal constraints of the slider and rails of the bag,” explains Fortune. “Other child-resistant options require a two-piece system, meaning two separate products must be shipped. Using CHILD-GUARD has cut our shipping costs in half.”
“We are very proud of CHILD-GUARD’s ability to protect children in this space and look forward to moving into different product categories that should not be consumed by children or taken without adult supervision,” says Brad Hansen, president of Presto Specialty Group, Presto Products Company. “This includes home care, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, pet foods, and any other granules, powders or solid mixes.”
