Child-resistant (CR) packaging is a container designed and tested so that most young children cannot open it within a set time, while most adults, including older adults, can. Testing follows formal protocols, for example the US poison prevention packaging test method (16 CFR 1700.20) or ISO 8317 for reclosable packages.
In practice
Many cannabis regulations require CR packaging for retail products, sometimes for the outer package and sometimes for the immediate container, along with opaque or plain packaging rules. For home growers, the same logic applies at home: store jars of flower and any edibles locked or out of reach and clearly labelled, since accidental ingestion by children is the main documented harm in this area.
Rules differ by country, state, province and city, and change often. This is a general definition, not legal advice: check local rules.
Don't confuse with
- Tamper-evident: shows if a package was opened; not the same as child-resistant.
- Airtight: about freshness; a mason jar is airtight but not child-resistant.
