I’ve been around this industry for a good 10 years. One of the perks of my job is to get on the road and visit different types of companies in different parts of the world. During my tenure, I’ve traveled extensively, from Israel and Indonesia to Indiana and Arkansas. Sure, some places are more exotic than others, but every place has something to offer, something special that’s unique to the location.

Prior to this issue, I was in San Diego, CA, USA, for the TLMI Converter Meeting, a sneak peek event for the all-new Mark Andy Digital Series HD, as well as a visit to a label company. Southern California is one of the those places where you may say – at least I did – “Hey, I could live here.” Apart from the idyllic climate, there’s varied topography with ocean views, tons of craft beer, authentic Mexican food, scenic hiking, year-round tennis and golf (or whatever your sport du jour is), and even recreational marijuana (if you’re into that sort of thing).
It was brought to my attention that one of the local San Diego marijuana dispensaries has a slogan that simply states “The New Normal.” As far as the West Coast goes, there is no longer any sort of stigma associated with what’s becoming a burgeoning industry. In fact, well-informed packaging companies are profiting – both labels and flexible packaging manufacturers are seizing the opportunities present in a brand new market, and one that requires lots of packaging. Tamper-evidence, attractive aesthetics and barcodes are all part of the cannabis packaging equation.

Speaking of barcodes, while out West I paid a visit to Pacific Barcode, Inc. in Temecula, just a short ride north of San Diego. Here I saw a label company doing something different. The subject of this issue’s Narrow Web Profile is interpreting the “shift to digital” printing in a way I have not seen before first-hand. That’s enough of a teaser – you can turn to page 46 and read all about it for yourself.

This issue also brings information on a market that might be something different that what you’re used to – pouch converting. As we’ve reported previously, flexible packaging is a serious growth market, and it’s an area where you can cash in, perhaps even without any further capital investment. Pouches in particular are growing at a faster rate than other areas of the sector due their convenience and practicality.

Interestingly, a lot of the aforementioned cannabis retail products are packaged in pouches.
More synergism from L&NW.



Steve Katz, Editor
[email protected]
Twitter: @LabelSteve