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California Releases Marijuana Labelling and Packaging Statutes

Avatar Evelyn Chase
November 9, 2017
Last updated: July 5, 2026

California’s California Department of Public Health released detailed labelling and packaging requirements for manufactured cannabis. These statutes directly affect most products in your dispensary, from edibles to pre-packaged flower. Therefore, understanding the rules will help your cannabis business stay compliant. Below, we’ve outlined the basic marijuana labelling and packaging requirements for California.

Packaging

Packaging must follow a few core rules:

  • Products are not allowed to be attractive to children or easily confused with candy/foods that do not contain cannabis.

  • Packages are required to be tamper-evident, child-resistant, re-sealable, and labeled.

  • Every marijuana product must be traced by assigning unique ID numbers for identification and tracking.

Labelling

Every product should be labelled with the following information:

  • Every product should be labelled with the following information:

  • The date of manufacturing and packaging contained.

  • All known allergens such as wheat and nuts.

  • The product source and date of cultivation.

  • The number of servings per package and recommend dosage.

  • All pharmacologically active ingredients such as THC or CBD and amount (mg per serving).

  • Display the phrase "FOR MEDICAL USE ONLY" for medicinal cannabis patients.

  • Provide the universal symbol for cannabis.

  • Include the Government Warning (specific language provided here.)

The importance of proper labelling and packaging is clear for any dispensary or cannabis retailer. After all, risking a compliance violation is never an option. As a result, the ability to customize labels with the information above can greatly benefit your business.

Many dispensaries pre-package products to help prevent inventory loss and speed up transactions. By staying ready to adjust labels as rules grow more detailed, you empower your business and save on printing costs. For example, smart POS systems like IndicaOnline integrate with high-speed label printers. This lets you create state compliant labelling that also includes your own branding. In addition, you can browse our hardware accessories to expand the capability of your marijuana POS system.

Editor’s update (2026): Oversight of California’s cannabis packaging and labeling rules has since moved. In 2021, the state consolidated its three cannabis agencies into a single Department of Cannabis Control, which now publishes the current child-resistant, tamper-evident, and labeling requirements. The core principles described here still apply. However, always confirm the latest specifics with the DCC. Retailers keeping products compliant on the shelf rely on cannabis POS software for California dispensaries that tracks package IDs and label data at the point of sale.