With the legalization of marijuana in many states in the U.S., the cannabis industry is becoming more and more mainstream across the country. This emerging market is seeing a huge explosion in sales of cannabis products. In 2017, the sales of cannabis products exceeded the liquor sales in the city of Aspen, Colorado. And those numbers will continue to rise throughout the next decade. According to Bloomberg, cannabis sales may surpass soda by 2030.
It’s hard to ignore the rise of the cannabis industry and it’s becoming even harder to stand out in a crowded marketplace. That’s why many companies are turning to custom packaging as a way to market their products.
Quill is one such company hoping to set themselves apart from their competitors. Quill’s flagship product is a vaporizer pen that is both sleek and discreet. With their packaging, the company has created a minimalistic box that suits the product.
Christopher Schiel of Quill says the company’s products aim to better people’s lives through cannabis. They develop brands and products that are safe, approachable, discreet, and consistent to normalize the plant and its active compounds.
“We think a lot about people who are new to cannabis or haven’t used in a long time,” Schiel says. “How can we make those folks comfortable enough to discover the benefits of cannabis for themselves with delivery devices that intuitively fit into their lifestyle? All of our packaging is developed with this mission in mind.”
Quill used Packlane to road test and refine some of their new designs for custom packaging because they were able to do small-runs on the fly. As Schiel explained, they’re moving forward on working on new case size options and limited edition mailer boxes for future products.
Quill’s current custom boxes are 5-pack wholesale cases for their flagship vaporizer pen. They deliver these boxes to stores with a closure sticker that indicates the strain of the pens inside. “Stores love our wholesale boxes because they’re instantly recognizable and elegantly branded from all angles,” Schiel says. “There’s no mistaking a Quill package amidst a sea of cannabis products, and they’re super easy to manage in every kind of stockroom situation especially considering the quirky specifics of Oregon regulations as live product typically needs to be transferred to a safe on a nightly basis. We’re also super proud that all of our Quill packaging is paper-based and recyclable.”
Stashbox brings the subscription model to cannabis enthusiasts. They design unique themes every month with a high importance on design. Their 420 Adventure Kit is a particular favorite. Using bright colors and custom illustrations, the box speaks to cannabis enthusiasts looking for an adventure.
Oregon’s Baba G has produced a DIY candy kit for the recreational cannabis market that is designed to be paired with cannabis concentrate. Customers add their favorite concentrate to the kit to create their own custom-potency edibles.
Joshua Markus, co-founder of Baba G, explained that they hoped their DIY sour candy kit would allow customers to take the guesswork out of making their own edibles at home. The kit provides an easy-to-follow recipe that makes the candy both delicious and just the right potency for the customer’s preference.
The company is very aware of the role their custom packaging has had on the business. “Since this is a unique product in the industry we knew we had to get creative with product information and packaging design,” Markus says. “We had specific box-size needs and a vision for what we wanted and got very excited when we discovered Packlane’s many options for customization.”
“We wanted to create something that would be eye-catching and instantly labeled as well-designed,” he adds. “Our designer, Kate Troedsson, understood that a quality product demands quality packaging. She created an amazing packaging experience for the customer and absolutely fulfilled beyond our expectations. When we settled on a final draft, Packlane did a wonderful job in translating her design to the physical box.”
As the marketplace grows for cannabis products, the need for high-end and premium custom packaging becomes a necessity. And while marijuana is commonly aligned with the industry, packaging needs to beyond simply slapping a pot leaf or joint on a box. Now, more than ever, it’s critical to catch the consumer’s eye as the cannabis landscape continues to evolve. The potential for packaging within the cannabis industry is infinite and will truly make the key players really stand out.
This editorial series brought to you by our partners at Packlane
They say good things come in small packages. At Packlane, we believe great things come in custom packages, whether they’re small cartons, large printed shipping boxes, or anything in between. With a variety of shapes, colors, materials, and sizes, we give you the tools to create something exciting on the outside, thus exciting your customers about what’s on the inside.
As the only company that provides a custom design lab, live preview, and instant quote, we not only give you the freedom to unpack your creativity and develop your own design, but we also help you do it efficiently. And if you’re having trouble, we’re here to assist with anything from design to technical support.
