Airtight Cannabis Packaging: What, Why, and Who?
December 4, 2023
Protecting your cannabis. It’s one of the most crucial aspects of good cannabis packaging. Without an airtight seal, your cannabis will degrade over time and lose weight, potency, and smell.
But what exactly is airtightness? And why is it so important? We will be diving into that better to understand the role of airtight packaging with cannabis.
Air Tight Packaging: What is it?
Across many of our different cannabis packaging options, you’ll see that most have “Highest airtightness rating (USP 671:Tight)” in their description. But what is a tightness rating, and who decides what packaging gets what rating?
The United States Pharmacopeia is a nonprofit organization created to set standards for pharmaceutical companies and medicines. USP 671 is the code for describing a packaging item as “tight.” “Tight,” by this definition, means containers that have the best protection against vapor transmission over a “longer” period (typically months or years, depending on the conditions surrounding the packaging).
The reason that USP certification is so important is because it does impact your business’s bottom line when it comes to packaging your cannabis. Many packaging companies claim to have airtight packaging, but you should always check those claims.
Always ask to see lab certified results to ensure a packaging vendor’s products do what they say they do.
How is Air Tight Tested?
There are eight different methods of permeation testing that are used when gauging the vapor transmission of a container. These testing methods are based off based upon dosage form, package type, material of construction, and study goals. During the testing for our packaging, lab technicians opened and closed each package 30 times to simulate actual cannabis container usage.
Then, they placed a precise amount of a “desiccant” in each container. A desiccant is a material that absorbs moisture, like the silica bag found in snack foods. The containers were placed in a controlled environment at 23 ℃ and 75% relative humidity for 14 days.
After 14 days, they weighed the desiccant to see how much water it absorbed. To score the highest rating of ‘tight,’ each container could not absorb more than 200mg/day/liter of desiccant. Using our AssurSeal® containers, less than 36mg/day/liter was absorbed.
Why is Air Tight Packaging Essential to Cannabis?
Vapor transmission is an essential component of cannabis packaging because it tests the efficacy of keeping cannabis in the best conditions for consumption. Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate tests how quickly moisture permeates through solid surfaces over a specific period. With cannabis flower, high rates of moisture transmission can cause the flower to lose weight, ultimately resulting in loss of revenue. Edibles can dry out and lead to stale, crunchy gummies or have too much moisture over time, leading to mold growth.
Who: AssurPack® Prioritizes Airtightness
We’ve worked to bring you different lines of airtight packaging that serve different purposes. AssurSeal® was the first airtight packaging we brought to market, made for various functions, including edibles, pre-rolls, or flower. AssurCard® is our airtight blister pack that’s customizable in any way you need. AssurPouch® is our solution for beverages, transdermal patches, and single-serving edibles, made to be an ideal packaging method without the need for scissors. Our SecurSlide® is perfect for any need you’re looking for, complete with a harder outer casing, airtightness, and the ability to create custom inserts for your goods.
Proper packaging protects your product’s integrity and helps save your bottom line on all fronts. We are here to help you select the optimal airtight packaging for your cannabis products.
