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Have you heard the news about New York’s proposed adult-use cannabis packaging and labeling regulations? Among the key provisions to note: an environmental sustainability program that directs licensees to incorporate at least 25% post-recycled consumer content into their packaging. The draft rules also require cannabis operators to annually report key metrics on the implementation of their environmental sustainability programs, which may include reuse of packaging after sanitation or the use of non-plastic or compostable materials. “We’re really excited to move the needle and to be leading here on the environmental component,” Lyla Hunt, the New York Office of Cannabis Management’s deputy director of public health and campaigns, told Cannabis Business Times. In more mature markets out West, some cannabis operators have already implemented sustainability standards that could provide a benchmark for newer markets like New York. Troy Meadows, co-founder of California-based Legion of Bloom, has taken steps in his own business to transition to more environmentally friendly packaging solutions for the company’s vape cartridges and flower line. Meadows shared with CBT three steps that operators can take toward more sustainable packaging from his own experience. “I feel like, as with all things, sustainability is a journey, not necessarily a destination,” Meadows said. “You definitely have to balance what works best for your systems as an organization.” -Melissa Schiller, Senior Digital Editor | 
