Standard packaging for CBD products?

CBD news from the Federal Palace:

An over-the-top unicorn is a topic of conversation in the Federal Palace. Of course not a living creature, but the one that is depicted on the brightly colored packaging from Pure Production AG.

If the Aargau company produced lollipops or chocolate, then interest in the unicorn would be low. But the small boxes don't contain sweets, but CBD grass, and that's why some politicians are worried: Is the colorful, happy unicorn luring our children and young people down the wrong path? To colorful? Too attractive?

There is debate about these products -> Check it out in the shop now!  SVP National Councilor Verena Herzog is convinced of this. After “Blick” reported on the brightly colored boxes, she launched an initiative and wanted to know from the Federal Council whether he was aware of the packaging and what he wanted to do about it.

Because of the attractive advertising with mythical characters and colorful packaging, children and young people are already being recruited for addictive substances, writes Herzog in her proposal. The Federal Council responded in its statement on Wednesday that we knew about the packs with mythical characters. “However, since these do not violate applicable law, they will be tolerated.”

Such packaging would only be punishable if it only addressed children and young people. However, the last word has not yet been spoken, as the Federal Council indicates in its statement.

As part of the ongoing consultation on the Tobacco Products Act, it will become clear “to what extent the criticized mythical creatures on the packaging need to be regulated more strictly for tobacco products or tobacco substitute products.”

Standard packaging as the only solution:

For Thomas Beutler, research associate at the Tobacco Prevention Working Group, the solution is obvious. He calls for standard packaging for CBD products and standard packaging for tobacco and tobacco substitute products.

The color he suggests is a muddy brown. “So it’s clear at first glance that the products in the box are harmful to your health.” Australia has had such standardized packaging since the end of 2012 and was the first country to follow the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Others joined:

- Australia (since 2012)
- France (since January 1, 2017)
- United Kingdom (since May 21, 2017)
- New Zealand (since June 6, 2018)
- Norway (since July 1, 2018)
- Ireland (as of September 30, 2018)
- Hungary (from May 20, 2019)
- Slovenia (from 2020)

But Beutler does not believe that Switzerland's name will soon be on this list. “The Swiss Parliament has not proven to be very prevention-friendly in the past.”

If the standard packaging still made it into the new law, it would be the end of the unicorn on the colored packaging. As a CBD producer, you are aware that you are in the middle of a delicate debate, says Stevens Senn, CEO of Pure Production. But he is surprised that even the Federal Council is now discussing its packaging. “We strictly adhere to the guidelines and applicable youth protection regulations with our products.” And he emphasizes: “We don’t want to use our packaging to specifically advertise our products to young people.” But we take the criticism to heart.

Senn: “We will revise the product design; this was already planned as part of the product evaluation.”

Text by Fabio Vonarburg / watson.ch