The requirement for “seed to sale” inventory control systems is growing in importance. State regulators are now mandating the cannabis industry to track the cultivation, processing, and sales of cannabis throughout the supply chain process.
To assist with the transition, manufacturers are turning to industrial marking technology. Product codes such as batch/lot, serial numbers and best-before dates help identify products and assist traceability.
The print technology can be integrated in various stages of supply chain. During the cultivation process, cannabis flowers, edibles and oils are transported for further processing. Digital marking & coding can be implemented with conveyors, baggers, vertical FFS and other packaging machinery to identify the contents.
Two-dimensional (or 2D) barcodes can be printed directly on products which contain serialized product data that gets verified with a central database. 2D barcodes are similar to linear 1D barcodes but can represent more data per unit area.
Labels also help with track & trace requirements prevalent in the marijuana industry. One common approach is to pre-print the static information on rolls of labels, and then use industrial coders to imprint the variable data as a separate process.
The Autoprint Reel-to-Reel label printer, for example, is an unwind / rewind systems that enables the imprinting of labels at very high speeds. When larger areas of print are required, Markoprint offers a seamless 4.25-inch printhead that produces crisp, clear messages that meet the stringent label requirements in cannabis packaging.
All these various types of information and protections can be easily applied by industrial inkjet printers based on Thermal Inkjet technology. Markoprint coders are a cost-effective solution for fast and contactless marking of products and packaging. A wide selection of different inks extends the range of possibilities.
As an added measure, security inks containing taggants and/or fluorescence under UV light – are now available for use in cannabis packaging applications. These inks are jetted by HP-based industrial printers such as Markoprint.
For more information:
AT Information Products
Tel: (201) 529-0202
www.atip-usa.com