Ensuring a product stands out on the shelf requires more than just a bold logo or flashy colors. Effective packaging is an integral part of brand identity, displaying personality and helping to create consumer trust by conveying product information and usage instructions. At the same time, packages must comply with a web of regulations, be child-safe and senior-friendly, and protect the product inside.
Good packages perform all those functions; great ones do so affordably and in an eco-conscious way. That’s where CannaCarton comes in. Built on decades of experience in highly regulated industries, the company helps cannabis brands communicate their values, streamline their operations, get a grip on their supply chains, and stay ahead of shifting regulations.
“We got into cannabis because we saw a real need for compliance and supply chain expertise,” said CannaCarton President Tony Reyes. “Our background is in food, pharma, liquor — industries where everything going in or on the human body is tightly controlled. So when legal cannabis came along, we knew the same level of technical precision and best practices would be needed.”
CannaCarton is a specialized division of CartonCraft, which for more than thirty years has provided folded cartons and other packaging for brands including familiar names like McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, Jack Daniels, El Jimador, Herradura, Southern Comfort, and more. After rising through the organization, Reyes was named executive vice president in 2017. In 2018, recognizing the parallels between cannabis and CartonCraft’s existing core markets, he redirected some of the company’s top talent toward building what would become CannaCarton: a full-service, turnkey packaging solution for the cannabis industry. From folding cartons and labels to jars, pouches, tubes, and more, CannaCarton provides a broad range of packaging products and services, including warehousing, logistics, and on-demand labeling.
In addition to their catalog of certified Child Resistant jars, bottles, tubes, and caps. CannaCarton is a full-fledged packaging manufacturer and strategic partner.
“Oftentimes, cannabis companies’ purchasing departments are buying everything — fertilizer, lights, packaging, etcetera — so they really need subject matter experts to help them avoid landmines,” Reyes said. “That’s what we built our business on. We’re a domestic manufacturer with the ability to import strategically, and we’ve built relationships as a trade partner with companies who would traditionally be considered our competitors. I think our collaborative approach and versatile capability set is what makes us so valuable to our customers.”
Packaging with purpose
With a deep bench of packaging veterans, the CannaCarton team offers clients a rare mix of technical know-how, hands-on guidance, and a polished, professional approach. And their solutions are not only efficient and compliant but they’re also designed to scale with customers’ brands.
To Reyes, packaging is far more than a functional necessity. It’s a powerful brand statement.
“Packaging is a great way to communicate the values of your brand and make an impression before one starts experiencing the product,” he said. “Chefs will say, ‘You taste with your eyes.’ It’s the same in consumer packaged goods and product management.”
Coming from the world of health and beauty, liquor and beverage, and fast food, the CannaCarton team understands people start to identify with a brand before they ever consume a product. That means stepping into a dispensary or driving past a billboard can make a powerful, lasting first impression.
“That’s why having brand identity is so critical,” Reyes said. “And a big part of brand identity is what you can do with packaging. Take a look at the brands that do a great job of connecting with their consumers. More often than not, they utilize their packaging really well in order to achieve that.”
But in a patchwork of state markets, each with its own shifting set of rules for how packages can look and the information they must present, establishing brand identity isn’t an easy task. According to Reyes, that’s a challenge CannaCarton is uniquely equipped to handle.
“We’re not attorneys, but we still stay really close to what’s happening in the legal landscape,” he said. “In developing markets like Missouri, brands recently were changing packaging constantly as new compliance updates rolled in. So we advise clients not to overbuy — maybe just a 60- or 90-day supply — to avoid costly waste.”
Reyes also encourages brands to standardize packaging formats where possible and design with automation and ease of assembly in mind.
“A lot of companies want super-unique packaging, but if you’re not at scale yet, that can be a burden,” he said. “Using common formats allows you to leverage volume and reduce costs.”
Sustainability meets domestic supply chain
One of CannaCarton’s most notable differentiators in the current economic climate is domestically produced, sustainable packaging.
“We’ve been working for years to eliminate international uncertainty and keep our production stateside,” Reyes said. “Now we’re offering pop tops, jars, and lids — all U.S.-made and tariff-free. It didn’t happen overnight but, post-COVID, we saw what was coming and knew we had to be ready.”
With factories running three shifts a day, five days a week, and hundreds of employees in Iowa, Florida, and Illinois, CannaCarton is no mom-and-pop shop. Nevertheless, Reyes takes pride in maintaining a people-first approach that extends to both clients and team members.
“We’re a family-owned company,” he said. “We pay competitive wages, offer strong benefits, and invest in our people. We’ve even had a [diversity, equity, and inclusion] company audit our pay practices to ensure equity across gender and race and measure impact in our local community. I don’t know of many cannabis packaging companies that are doing that.”
When it comes to clients, the goal is always partnership.
“A lot of people come to us after a bad experience elsewhere,” Reyes said. “We hear the frustration, and we want to change that. Whether you’re a major player or just getting started, we’ll meet you where you’re at — and help you grow.”
