Pot’s Plastic Problem: How Can Cannabis Truly Go Green?

It’s no secret that the cannabis industry is booming, but so is its plastic packaging problem. So how exactly do we address pot’s plastic problem?

Browse the shelves of the average dispensary, and you will quickly notice nearly every edible, flower, and vape product comes packaged in plastic. Glossy bags, thick jars, hard tubes—plastic is everywhere.

As cannabis legalization continues to pass in the United States, medicinal pot is now legal in 48 out of 50 states (with 24 states having legalized it recreationally to date). As legal availability expands, so does the influx of new products and their packaging, adding to the growing wave of plastic pollution.

Progress, not perfection, is the goal. Not all cannabis brands rely on plastic; some companies package primarily in glass, paper, cardboard, or other nontoxic and biodegradable materials. However, the majority of cannabis brands do package their products in plastic, leaving room for creative solutions, innovation, and industry-wide reform. We’ll address the root of the problem, the issues it causes, and some solutions to the pot industry’s growing plastic problem.

“It’s our dream for the cannabis industry to be plastic-free. At The Woods, we believe the health of our community is inseparable from the health of our environment. As an industry rooted in nature and wellness, cannabis should use packaging that reflects those same values.”

— Woody Harrelson, Co-Founder of The Woods Weho and a Plastic Pollution Coalition Notable Member

Pot’s Plastic Packaging is Everywhere: Why That’s Bad News

Cannabis flower outside of its plastic packaging. | Photo: Jonathan Olsen-Koziol

Why is the cannabis industry’s reliance on plastic packaging such bad news? 

For starters, plastic never goes away, and 98% of plastics are derived from fossil fuels. About 40% of all plastics are used just once before being trashed, earning them the ‘single-use’ designation. Without serious intervention, plastic production is expected to triple by 2060.

A 2020 study out of the Toronto Metropolitan University estimated that the Canadian weed industry generated over 5.6 million units of cannabis packaging in a month for dried cannabis alone. In the U.S., measuring the pot industry’s total plastic packaging pollution is more difficult due to a patchwork of state-by-state legalization. However, it’s likely even higher than Canada due to larger markets in states like California, Colorado, Michigan, and even Missouri.

The Root of the Problem

A person holding a cannabis leaf. | Photo: David Gabrić

A major root cause of pot’s plastic packaging problem? Regulation. Cannabis packaging falls under several strict regulations, which vary by state. These regulations prevent tampering, require child-proofing, odor reduction, and measures that ensure the freshness of cannabis products, avoiding issues like mold growth. 

According to Newsweek, Kyle Sherman, founder and CEO of Flowhub, agreed that “rigid compliance packaging requirements” contribute to pot’s plastic problem. He said plastic packaging from pre-rolls, flower jars, vape cartridges, and edibles makes up the bulk of pollution.

Cannabis producers often rely on single-use plastic containers to meet regulatory requirements. Containers are thick-walled and non-recyclable, with pre-rolls and vape carts often packaged in a hard plastic tube, and nugs of flower inside a jar within a cardboard box, sealed with plastic wrap. Edibles and flower often come in re-sealable, thick plastic bags.

Add to this the rapid growth of the industry, with millions of products sold annually, and the result is an enormous, fast-growing stream of cannabis-related plastic pollution. Plastics are a cheaper type of packaging that can be used to boost profits in the short term—but this is only artificially cheap, because plastic has serious costs to human and environmental health. According to experts, plastics cost at least $1.5 trillion in global deaths and injuries each year, harming people from before they are born through old age. Plastics are manufactured with more than 16,000 chemicals, 4,200 of which are known to be hazardous and have been linked to numerous serious health problems, from cancers to heart disease, infertility, and more.

Many of the chemicals in plastic, and plastic itself, are attracted to fats and oils; so are THC and CBD, two key chemicals in cannabis. Storing cannabis or cannabis products in plastic packaging—including aluminum cans coated in plastic—can diminish its THC and/or CBD content as these chemicals cling to plastic. And this also means plastic chemicals are likely leaching into cannabis. 

Marijuana Regulations by State

A glass bowl filled with weed on top of a wooden table. | Photo: CRYSTALWEED cannabis

You can check CannaCon for an active list of marijuana regulations across states, which reflects the wide variety of packaging laws in place depending upon location. Some of the more interesting finds: 

States with regulations for child-resistant packaging include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia.

Packaging resembling commercial food products is banned in Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Utah, and West Virginia.

Bare containers are required for packaging in Florida and New Hampshire.

Packaging must clearly indicate tampering in Alabama, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.

While these regulations are designed to protect consumers first and foremost—especially children—they have led to an unintentional consequence: an industry reliant on single-use plastic for the sake of cost-effectiveness. But they don’t inherently mean that plastic must be used as the choice of packaging material. However, the industry has currently shifted heavily toward plastic for the sake of convenience and cost, when there’s an opportunity for other materials to be used.

How Can the Cannabis Industry Truly Go Green?

Tourists shopping at a legal cannabis shop in Pattaya, Thailand. | Photo: Joshua Resnick

The good news is that solutions exist, and being a consumer grants you the power to help change the status quo. What can you do directly when shopping? For starters, ask your budtender or dispensary manager which brands offer plastic-free packaging and choose companies that offer glass or biodegradable options over plastic whenever possible.

To fully address the plastic packaging crisis, approaches are needed that go beyond consumer and individual actions:

Collaborate + Reform
Lawmakers must work with scientists and industry leaders to reform packaging laws, prioritizing alternatives to plastic without compromising safety. Collaboration is needed to streamline industry standards across state lines to reduce waste and keep costs down.

Innovate + Invest
Producers and packaging companies need to prioritize innovation and invest in packaging with nontoxic and biodegradable materials and minimal, safer designs at the forefront, moving away from single-use plastic packaging.

Educate + Incentivize
Consumers need education on the environmental toll of overpackaging and to be given sustainable choices. Encourage loyalty programs for container returns or discounts for bringing reusable bags.

It’s high time for the legal pot industry to fully go green. The next time you shop, ask your dispensary what they’re doing to reduce plastic, and choose companies with packaging options that are leading the way. We need cannabis industry brands and leaders to step up, along with local, national, and state legislation, to help significantly reduce plastic pollution and improve the health of people and the planet. 

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