Scratch and Sniff Cannabis Packages Patent in the Works
The proposed packaging would offer greater quality and reliability.
Two inventors, Random Vaughn and Jonathan Tanzer from Olympia, Washington, have made an application for a patent that gives rights to their novel idea on marijuana packaging. The patent application that was published a few weeks ago by the US Patent and Trademark Office is aimed at ensuring that the packaging allows consumers to detect the quality of the contents before purchasing, while also sticking with state regulations.
Specifics of The Patent
In their filing, the applicants underscore that the uniqueness of their invention would be its ability to inform the consumer of the authenticity of the product before opening and consuming the product. The consumer will identify the scent of the product individually by strain in its unsmoked form. As such, the application differs from similar applications that seek to have coffee drinkers detect its scent after brewing it. The advocated packing would be secure from the use of non-THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) volatiles that emit the scent of the product once a sticker attached to the package is scratched.
Specifically, the brainchild advocates for wrapping and selection strategies that offer all the benefits of safe packaging while eliminating any possible drawbacks. As a consequence, consumers will be able to differentiate between varieties of medicinal marijuana and ascertain the quality of the product without accessing the content. Medicinal marijuana is used to counter seizures, insomnia, and headaches among other ailments.
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Resolving Prevailing Hurdles in Marijuana Packaging
The Vaughn-Tanzer invention will provide solutions to the current challenges in cannabis packaging. As it is, current packaging regulations in some states require that cannabis products be packed in vacuum-sealed wrappings. This is a requirement that prevents consumers from smelling and identifying the nature of the product. Even when dispensaries provide a separate scent samples, there is no guarantee that the contents of the airtight sealed package are similar to what is used as a taster.
The proposed packaging would offer greater quality reliability by letting the customer smell exactly what they are purchasing when visiting a dispensary. Vendors would also be saved from the trouble of setting aside a product sample as a taster.
Two Possible Variants
In the application, the inventors propose that the scratch and sniff sticker takes two variations.
- Variant 1: The externally placed sticker will be infused with the smell of cannabis using terpenes. In plants, terpenes have a defense function when they produce toxins or feeding deterrents against predators. But in other cases like the cultivation of marijuana, they also act as non–intoxicating metabolites in which specific compounds can be selectively produced, extracted and used to produce precise effects. Terpene profiles in marijuana allow the production of specific aromas and flavors, as well as recreational and medicinal varieties of the product. This variant would give the consumer the real cannabis scent.
- Variant 2: The scratch and sniff sticker will not have the actual scent of cannabis but will mimic flavors and brand names used in the product’s market to reflect the quality of each taste. For example, in the general classification of terpenes, limonene flavor is highly valued for its citrus flavors of lemon, pineapple, and orange. The terpene is also linked with medicinal properties for depression, fungal infections, and gastric refluxes.
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In the applicants’ case, the flavors would include a freshly cut grass aroma that points to weed packed almost immediately after harvest even while maintaining its original power and effectiveness. Other flavors listed by the applicants include cinnamon, the seaside, bacon, bread, the Christmas tree, aftershave scent, furniture polish, vanilla, Sunday roast, fish and chips, and shampoo.
Even while the application awaits a response, the proposal sounds innovative and would save both the vendor and the consumer from the trouble of having to prove the quality of the content. As far as innovations go, this one can help leap the cannabis industry forward with better quality management, customer satisfaction and better marketing methods as the new patent excites cannabis marketing teams across the country.
Where Does the Cannabis Industry Go from Here?
Currently, there many more patents submitted in the cannabis industry from basic packaging methods to better cultivation methods, through innovative farming technology and maintenance software. In a previous article, we highlighted “How Data Advances Indoor Marijuana Growing in an Age of Technology” while in another article we also placed attention to the ways that “Digital Coins and Marijuana Industry are a Match Made in Heaven”.
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