The Illinois Department of Agriculture – Division of Cannabis Regulation (IDOA-DCR) today provided an alert to reinforce the child-resistant product packaging and product packaging seal requirements stipulated in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA), which requires cannabis product to be sold in containers that are both “Sealed” and “Child-Resistant.”

According to the alert, any product containing cannabis shall be sold in a sealed, odor-proof, and child-resistant cannabis container consistent with current standards, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards referenced by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act unless the sale is between or among a craft grower, infuser, or cultivation center (emphasis added). The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 regulates special packaging requirements and sets child-resistant standards.

There are several ways to meet the sealed container requirement, depending on the type of product. Options include, but are not limited to:

1. Adhesive lid sticker or induction cap liners (requiring the seal to be broken to dispense contents)
2. Heat-shrink wrap or film wrapper for various containers (requiring that it be torn to dispense contents)
3. Sealed pouches (requiring that it be torn to dispense contents)
4. Sealed tubes (requiring the seal to be broken to dispense contents)

All license holders packaging cannabis products for sale must ensure they are complying with the CRTA, quoted above, and maintaining documentation (certificates or otherwise) for containers in use that have been found to meet child-resistant testing standards. Facilities are subject to inspections, and licensees may be asked to provide such documentation to prove packaging passed appropriate tests to qualify as child-resistant. Failure to meet requirements outlined here may result in your business being found deficient or noncompliant.

For questions related to this Compliance Alert, please contact the Division of Cannabis Regulation team at AGR.CannabisProdRegs@illinois.gov.

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