Defense Industry Contractor Transforms His Experience Into A Cannabis Packaging Company

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/julieweed/2016/03/05/defense-industry-contractor-uses-his-experience-to-build-cannabis-packaging-company/#6fc3f38666e9

When Willie Franklin visited a sick friend who was using medical marijuana for pain relief from throat cancer, he also walked into a whole new industry for his business. “You should get into these dispensaries,” his friend said, “They’re just handing me my medicine in ziplock baggies.”

As a packaging creator for the defense industry, Franklin knew how to create robust bags, boxes and other containers that wouldn’t tear or leak. “I was already selling flame-retardant crush-proof boxes around the world,“ he said. In the five years since that meeting, Franklin has taken his friend’s advice and started courting both medical and recreational marijuana businesses. He says his sales have increased significantly every year.

Franklin’s first product for the industry was a small professional-looking white mylar bag for dispensaries that featured a medical symbol and spaces for the dispenser to write in the type of marijuana, etc. contained in the bag. This type of simple labeling made it easier for patients and staff to keep track of what they had.

From there, his business “just took off,” Franklin said. Starting with generic packaging created to meet legal standards, he has branched out to more individualized products. Lately he has been creating more branded merchandise for the recreational stores and producers who are trying to create an image and awareness for their products. “This is a different direction than the dispensaries have taken,” he said.