Accessible Design: Making Cannabis Packaging Inclusive for Users with Disabilities
Introduction
As cannabis becomes increasingly legal and normalized, it's important to consider how this product should be packaged. Cannabis packaging falls into two categories based on its intended purpose: medical or recreational (or both). Medical cannabis packaging is often considered more "serious" than recreational, with higher-quality materials and more elaborate designs. This type of packaging is often very attractive in terms of design but may not be as easy to open as recreational packaging due to size and complexity.
In February 2019, the state of California became the first jurisdiction in the United States to legalize recreational marijuana.
In February 2019, the state of California became the first jurisdiction in the United States to legalize recreational marijuana. The decision was a major milestone for cannabis legalization efforts across North America and around the world. It also represents a big step forward for an industry that has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade.
The legalization of recreational cannabis sales in California represents a significant win for both consumers and businesses alike: consumers now have access to quality products without having to go through any hoops or wait times; businesses can now operate without fear of being arrested by law enforcement officers who are tasked with enforcing outdated policies restricting access to medical marijuana dispensaries (MCDs).
As more and more states move towards legalizing cannabis for medical or recreational use, it has become increasingly important to ensure that marijuana products are accessible to consumers with disabilities.
As more and more states move towards legalizing cannabis for medical or recreational use, it has become increasingly important to ensure that marijuana products are accessible to consumers with disabilities. The cannabis industry has responded by creating packaging that is designed with all types of users in mind. However, some of these new designs may not be as inclusive as they could be.
The most common complaint from users with physical impairments is difficulty opening containers like childproof caps on bottles or ziploc bags full of flower buds. While these are important safety precautions for children who might get their hands on a product, they can also make it difficult or impossible for adults with limited dexterity or mobility issues to open them on their own--and this means that many people will need assistance from another person when purchasing cannabis consumables at dispensaries or retail stores (or even growing their own plants).
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), almost 1 in 5 Americans live with a disability.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), almost 1 in 5 Americans live with a disability. In addition to this, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that between 20 and 25% of people have more than one disability.
In order to ensure your packaging is accessible for users with disabilities, it's important that you consider how many people may be affected by your design choices--and what those disabilities might be. The most common types of disabilities include:
Visual impairment: Blindness or partial sight loss; color blindness; cataracts; glaucoma; macular degeneration; diabetic retinopathy etc.;
Hearing impairment: Deafness or partial hearing loss; conductive hearing loss such as otosclerosis etc.; sensorineural hearing loss such as age-related presbycusis etc., tinnitus (ringing in ears); hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sound); phonophobia (fear of loud noises)
To meet the needs of these consumers and create an inclusive product design process, it's important to consider accessibility at every step of development.
To meet the needs of these consumers and create an inclusive product design process, it's important to consider accessibility at every step of development. This means designing for users with disabilities from the beginning, rather than just making changes after you've already developed your product.
A comprehensive approach includes considering all possible disabilities or impairments that could impact a user's experience with your product. For example, someone who is blind may need braille instructions on their packaging; someone who has limited mobility might need help opening a jar lid; and someone who is hard of hearing might need written text in large font sizes so they can read it easily without glasses (or if they're wearing them).
Accessible design isn't just about making sure things are easy to open--it also involves thinking about how people navigate through content within apps or websites when using assistive technology like screen readers or magnification software that reads text aloud as needed by each person depending on their specific needs at any given time (for example: reading directions while cooking dinner vs reading emails while commuting).
Cannabis packaging falls into two categories based on its intended purpose: medical or recreational (or both).
Cannabis packaging falls into two categories based on its intended purpose: medical or recreational (or both). The difference between the two is often subtle, but can be important for those who need to access their cannabis quickly and easily.
Medical cannabis packaging is often considered more "serious" than recreational, with higher-quality materials and more elaborate designs that make it stand out from other products on the shelf. This type of packaging may also have more complicated openings than recreational products, as they're designed to be used by people with limited mobility or dexterity issues in their hands.
Medical cannabis packaging is often considered more "serious" than recreational, with higher-quality materials and more elaborate designs.
Medical cannabis packaging is often considered more "serious" than recreational, with higher-quality materials and more elaborate designs. The containers are made from glass or plastic that can be reused, rather than cardboard boxes that are thrown away after each use. According to Packaging World magazine:
"Packaging is one of the most important elements in any industry because it not only protects products but also communicates their brand values."
"Medical cannabis packaging needs to communicate both safety and quality as well as being easy for patients to use."
These factors make medical cannabis packaging more expensive than recreational--and more complicated for users who have disabilities like blindness or arthritis in their hands or fingers (the latter condition affects 1 out of 5 Americans).
This type of packaging is often very attractive in terms of design but may not be as easy to open as recreational packaging due to size and complexity.
Packaging should be appealing to the eye.
Packaging should be easy to open.
Packaging should be easy to store and transport.
Accessible cannabis packaging is also important for people with disabilities who need it for medical reasons, such as those who are blind or have limited hand mobility due to arthritis or other conditions that make opening a bottle difficult.
Recreational cannabis packaging has a much broader audience than medical products since anyone can purchase it in most states where it is legal.
Recreational cannabis packaging has a much broader audience than medical products since anyone can purchase it in most states where it is legal. Recreational consumers are often more visually oriented and therefore more attracted to attractive and innovative designs. The packaging also has to be easy to open as well, which means that recreational cannabis companies often have more accessible designs than their medical counterparts.
The same can't be said for medical marijuana packaging, which tends to stick with tried-and-true methods due to the limited market size and patient population (which generally consists of older adults). While some states have mandated some level of accessibility for these types of products--such as California's requirement that all packages be resealable--many others do not regulate this at all or require only minimal accommodations such as making sure there's enough room around labels so they're easily readable by people with vision impairments
Conclusion
As cannabis becomes more mainstream, the industry will need to make sure that its products are accessible and inclusive for everyone. The best way to do this is by making sure there are multiple ways of opening each package so that users with different abilities can easily open it without assistance.
