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⚖️ Reference material only. Always verify with your state regulator and your compliance / legal team before finalizing packaging.
SD South Dakota Medical Only
State Compliance Guide

South Dakota
Cannabis Packaging Requirements

South Dakota cannabis packaging is regulated by the South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program. The market is medical only. Packaging must be child-resistant, must carry the state universal symbol, and must print 5 required warning statements. No pre-approval of artwork is required. Royal Supply last reviewed this guide against the regulation on September 1, 2026.

5Required Warnings
YesChild-Resistant
NoPre-Approval Needed
September 1, 2026Last Reviewed
Official symbol available from the state agencySTATE SYMBOLVIA OFFICIAL AGENCY
No public artwork download — obtain via the state agency
01 — The Mark

Universal Symbol Requirements

Symbol Specifications

SymbolDepartment standard cannabis symbol — edibles only
Minimum Size1/2 inch by 1/2 inch minimum.
  • Applies on the marketing layer of an edible product.
  • No size is set for any other product type.
ColorsNo color or contrast is specified.
  • Print it to contrast clearly with the background — an illegible symbol risks rejection for obscuring required information.
  • Separate rule: the package transferred to the patient must be opaque.
PlacementEdibles: front or most predominantly displayed area of the marketing layer.
  • No panel requirement for any other format.
  • Royal Supply house standard — stricter than the South Dakota rule. Carrying it on all packaging is Royal Supply practice, not a mandate.
How To ObtainRequest the artwork file from the Department of Health before an edible label prints.
  • Medical Cannabis Program: https://doh.sd.gov/programs/medical-cannabis/
  • One standard symbol serves all registered establishments.
Notes on this section — 1
  • Which version is current cannot be determined from the rule text.

Marks that an item contains cannabis or cannabis extract. Edibles only.

  • Not required on flower, vapes, concentrates or topicals.
  • Artwork is created by the Department of Health and is not printed in the rule.
  • Medical-only market; specs differ by product category.

Official Files & Links

⬇SD Standard Cannabis Product Symbol page

Design & Print Specs

PlacementAll product packaging
Bold RequiredNo

Beverage measuring device required for multi-serve (10–100 mg THC) products.

02 — Say It Exactly

Warning Statements

These must appear verbatim. Use the copy buttons to pull exact text into your artwork files. Anything marked otherwise is our recommendation and is not required by South Dakota.

Product
Market
Format
Options
Your warning block 
—
See every statement individually, with citations7
Always required2
Print character for character. The rule prescribes no WARNING: prefix, so do not add one. Warning statements must be set no smaller than six-point font.
All cannabis and cannabis products — no product-type condition.
Exact text required

South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program prescribes this wording. Reproduce it character for character, including capitalization and punctuation.

Contains cannabis. For medical use by qualifying patients only. There may be health risks associated with the use of this product. There may be additional health risks associated with the use of this product for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning on becoming pregnant. Do not drive a motor vehicle or operate heavy machinery while using this product.
All cannabis and cannabis products — no product-type condition.
Exact text required

South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program prescribes this wording. Reproduce it character for character, including capitalization and punctuation.

Cannabis has a high potential for abuse. This product has not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for preventing or treating any condition or disease process.
Product-type required3
Do not apply this to product types outside flower, trim and pre-rolls.
Cannabis flower and trim only, including pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes. Not required on vapes, edibles, concentrates or topicals.
Exact text required

South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program prescribes this wording. Reproduce it character for character, including capitalization and punctuation.

Not for retail sale to persons under 21 years of age.
Inhalable cannabis products only.
Exact text required

South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program prescribes this wording. Reproduce it character for character, including capitalization and punctuation.

Possession by persons under 21 years old is illegal.
Edible cannabis products only, expressly except an ethanol-based tincture.
Exact text required

South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program prescribes this wording. Reproduce it character for character, including capitalization and punctuation.

Effects of this product may not be felt for up to four hours.
Royal Supply recommendations2
The 10 mg single-serving limit and the container options are codified at 44:90:10:05(1), but no beverage-specific warning wording is prescribed anywhere in 44:90:10:12.01. This sentence is our own copy — it does not replace the required 12.01(1)(a) and (1)(b) statements.
Single-serving cannabis beverages at or below 10 mg THC.
Royal Supply recommended

Not required by South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program. This is Royal Supply's own compliance-tested language, offered as good practice.

WARNING: This beverage contains up to 10 mg THC. For medical use only. Do not drive or operate machinery after consumption.
Multiple-serving cannabis beverages above 10 mg and up to 100 mg THC.
Royal Supply recommended

Not required by South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program. This is Royal Supply's own compliance-tested language, offered as good practice.

WARNING: This beverage contains multiple servings of THC (10–100 mg total). Use the provided measuring device. For medical use only. Keep out of reach of children.
03 — The Fine Print

Packaging & Labeling Rules

Child-ResistantEvery package handed to a patient must be child-resistant, tamper-evident, resealable and opaque — and either your container or the dispensary's exit bag can carry that load.
  • Child-resistant to the federal 16 C.F.R. 1700.15 standard.
  • Tamper-evident: sealed so that opening leaves clear and lasting evidence.
  • Resealable, except on single-serving products.
  • Opaque.
  • Your container or the dispensary exit packaging may satisfy these. They do not both have to.
  • Flower, trim and inhalables: soft-sided containers 4 mil or thicker; rigid containers need a tight-fitting lid.
  • Beverages at or below 10 mg THC: child-resistant container, metal can with a stay-tab, or glass bottle with cork or crown cap.
  • Beverages above 10 mg to 100 mg THC: child-resistant container with a resealing closure, plus a measuring device.
  • Wholesale and transfer containers: fully enclosable, tamper-proof, resealable, non-contaminating, and child-resistant and retail-ready except for bulk flower.
  • Flower shipping containers: 10 pounds or less.
Notes on this section — 1
  • The 4 mil / tight-lid spec is scoped to flower, trim and inhalables. Do not apply it as a universal packaging rule.
ARSD 44:90:10:01(1)-(4) and closing paragraph; 44:90:10:01.01; 44:90:10:02; 44:90:10:05(1)-(2)
LabelingWhat must be printed on a South Dakota label, plus the extras that attach to a specific product type. All of it is codified rule text.
  • Type: 6 point (1/12 inch) minimum, printed clearly in English. Warning statements carry the same 6 point floor.
  • No typeface, color or contrast is specified.
  • Accordion, layered or multiple labels are allowed as long as nothing required is obstructed.
  • THC content stated two ways: milligrams of total THC, and as a percentage of product weight.
  • Print the results of any department-required testing.
  • Never print a CBD-content claim, or solvent-free, pesticide-free or heavy-metal-free. Only registered-lab test results.
  • State onset and duration in hours or minutes. The licensee supplies the figures; the rule sets none.
  • Identify any pesticides used in cultivation.
  • Cannabis products: list all ingredients, plus any extraction gases, solvents or chemicals.
  • Edibles: name any major food allergen — milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans.
  • Expiration date: 12 months maximum on edibles, 14 months on everything else, from harvest or manufacture.
  • Net contents in dual units: solids in ounces plus grams or milligrams; liquids in fluid ounces plus milliliters.
  • Equivalent cannabis weight, calculated from the department conversion table.
  • Edibles other than tinctures, oils and capsules: serving size in ounces and grams or milligrams, fluid ounces or milliliters, or number of pieces.
  • Same edibles: number of servings per marketing layer, plus a nutrition facts panel in 21 C.F.R. 101.9 format.
  • Tinctures, oils and capsules: dosage size in milliliters, drops or capsules, with mg THC per dose. No serving-size or nutrition panel.
  • Vapes and topicals: weight of concentrated cannabis used, in milligrams or grams.
  • Identifiers: registration number of every cultivation, manufacturing or dispensary facility involved, batch numbers, cultivation date for flower or trim, production date for products.
  • Those identifiers may sit on the container or on the exit packaging — they need not crowd the primary artwork.
  • Once the label is affixed, do not alter the expiration date or relabel with a later one unless retesting supports it.
Before you print
  • Onset and duration figures come from the licensee, not from us. Get them before treating a proof as complete.
  • Stock wholly packaged before October 1, 2025 is grandfathered on its existing expiration or use-by date. Confirm pack date before re-plating older SKUs.
ARSD 44:90:10:08; :09; :10; :11; :12 (as amended by 52 SDR 10, effective August 4, 2025, operative October 1, 2025); :12.01; :13
THC SymbolThe state symbol is an edibles-only mandate here, not a universal mark.
  • Edibles: 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch minimum, on the front or most predominantly displayed area of the marketing layer.
  • Not required on flower, vapes, concentrates or topicals.
  • Printing it on those is over-printing; leaving it off an edible is non-compliance.
  • The Department of Health designs one standard symbol. The artwork is not reproduced in the rule — request the file.
  • THC disclosure is separate and applies to every product: mg of total THC and percent of product weight.
  • Carrying the symbol across all packaging for brand consistency is allowed, provided it obscures nothing required. That is our practice, not a rule.
Before you print
  • Which artwork version is current cannot be resolved from the rule text. Confirm with the Department before an edible plate is cut.
ARSD 44:90:10:12.01; 44:90:10:09; 44:90:10:14
Health WarningsTwo warnings on every package, three more fixed to product types. The wording never rotates.
  • 6 point minimum on warning statements. No typeface, color or contrast specified.
  • All products: both always-required statements, verbatim. See the warnings list for exact text.
  • Flower, trim and pre-rolls: the under-21 retail-sale line.
  • Inhalables: the under-21 possession line.
  • Edibles, except ethanol-based tinctures: the four-hour onset line.
  • Add no WARNING: prefix — the rule prescribes none.
  • There is no keep-out-of-reach-of-children statement in the rule. Any such copy is voluntary and must not obscure a required statement.
Notes on this section — 1
  • Our two beverage warning sentences have no counterpart in the rule. They are recommended copy, not mandated text.
ARSD 44:90:10:12.01; ARSD 44:90:10:10
Serving SizePotency is capped at the package level as well as per serving, and the ceiling changes with the product form.
  • Single-serving edibles bundled in a marketing layer: 100 mg active THC per serving maximum.
  • Multiple-serving edible containers: 500 mg total THC maximum.
  • Tinctures and oils: 5,000 mg THC per container maximum.
  • Beverages, single serving: 10 mg THC maximum.
  • Beverages, multiple serving: above 10 mg up to 100 mg THC, with a measuring device and a resealing closure.
  • Beverages bundled in a marketing layer: 100 mg THC maximum.
  • Cultivator retail packages of flower, trim and pre-rolls: 3 ounces or less.
  • Flower shipping containers: 10 pounds or less.
  • On-label: edibles other than tinctures, oils and capsules print serving size, servings per marketing layer and a nutrition panel.
  • On-label: tinctures, oils and capsules print dosage size and mg THC per dose instead.
Notes on this section — 1
  • These figures reflect the August 2025 amendments. Any potency table built before then needs re-checking.
ARSD 44:90:10:03(1)(b); :03(2)(b); :04; :05(1)-(2); 44:90:05:02; 44:90:10:01.01
Opaque PackagingThe package the patient walks out with must be opaque — but it does not have to be your container.
  • Product must not be visible without opening the package.
  • A clear or windowed primary container works if the dispensary exit bag supplies the opacity.
  • No color, contrast or finish requirement beyond opacity.
ARSD 44:90:10:01(4) and closing paragraph
ResealableResealable at both retail and wholesale, with different exceptions — and multi-serving edibles have a cheaper route.
  • Retail packaging: resealable, except single-serving products.
  • Transfer and wholesale containers: resealable, no exception.
  • Multiple-serving edibles may instead heat-seal individual servings at 4 mil or thicker.
  • Those heat-sealed servings must have no easy-open tab, dimple, corner or flap.
ARSD 44:90:10:01(3); 44:90:10:01.01(3); 44:90:10:03(2)(a)
Notable RulesMedical-only market. Two things sink artwork here: the design prohibitions, and treating the edibles symbol as universal.
  • No humans, animals, creatures, vehicles, fruit, cartoon characters, toys or emoji.
  • No artwork likely or intended to appeal to anyone under 21.
  • Never use the word candy or candies.
  • No reference to items typically marketed to under-21s.
  • No health or physical benefit claims.
  • No cannabinoid-content or contaminant-free claims except certified lab results.
  • Nothing false or misleading.
  • Nothing may obscure identifying information or warning statements.
  • No unauthorized trademark use.
  • The department symbol is edibles-only — not flower, vapes, concentrates or topicals.
  • Packaging specs vary by category: flower and trim, inhalables, edibles, tinctures and oils, capsules, beverages, vaporizers, topicals.
Before you print
  • Verify rule text on sdlegislature.gov only. Cornell renders the superseded expiration section; Justia truncates both main warnings mid-sentence. The Legislature serves the rules through a JavaScript application, so open them in a browser — a plain download of the page returns no rule text.
Notes on this section — 4
  • The expiration-date section was restructured operative October 1, 2025 — six subdivisions, expiration moved to (1). Re-point any older template.
  • The October 1, 2025 grandfather cutoff is that same operative date, not a separate deadline.
  • Scope: chapter 44:90:10 only.
  • Onset and duration figures come from the licensee, not from Royal Supply.
ARSD 44:90:10:14; 44:90:10:01 through :12
04 — Quick Answers

South Dakota Packaging FAQ

What universal symbol is required on cannabis packaging in South Dakota?
South Dakota requires the Department standard cannabis symbol — edibles only. Minimum size: 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch minimum. Applies on the marketing layer of an edible product. No size is set for any other product type.. Placement: Edibles: front or most predominantly displayed area of the marketing layer. No panel requirement for any other format. Royal Supply house standard — stricter than the South Dakota rule. Carrying it on all packaging is Royal Supply practice, not a mandate..
Is child-resistant packaging required in South Dakota?
Every package handed to a patient must be child-resistant, tamper-evident, resealable and opaque — and either your container or the dispensary's exit bag can carry that load. Child-resistant to the federal 16 C.F.R. 1700.15 standard. Tamper-evident: sealed so that opening leaves clear and lasting evidence. Resealable, except on single-serving products. Opaque. Your container or the dispensary exit packaging may satisfy these. They do not both have to. Flower, trim and inhalables: soft-sided containers 4 mil or thicker; rigid containers need a tight-fitting lid. Beverages at or below 10 mg THC: child-resistant container, metal can with a stay-tab, or glass bottle with cork or crown cap. Beverages above 10 mg to 100 mg THC: child-resistant container with a resealing closure, plus a measuring device. Wholesale and transfer containers: fully enclosable, tamper-proof, resealable, non-contaminating, and child-resistant and retail-ready except for bulk flower. Flower shipping containers: 10 pounds or less.
What warning statements are required on South Dakota cannabis packaging?
South Dakota prescribes exact wording for 5 warning statement(s) plus additional statements depending on the product type. The verbatim text is listed on this page.
05 — Receipts

Sources & Citations

  • South Dakota Administrative Rules ch. 44:90:10 — Medical Cannabis Packaging, Labeling and Advertising: 44:90:10:01 (packaging standards), :01.01 (transfer and wholesale containers), :02 (flower, trim and inhalables), :03 (edibles), :04 (tinctures and oils), :05 (beverages), :08 (label legibility and type size), :09 (test results and prohibited claims), :10 (onset, duration and the edible four-hour warning), :11 (pesticides, ingredients, allergens), :12 (label content), :12.01 (warning statements and department symbol), :13 (identifying information), :14 (advertising and design prohibitions)
  • ARSD 44:90:10:12 as amended by 52 SDR 10, effective August 4, 2025, with a delayed operative date of October 1, 2025 (six subdivisions; expiration date at subdivision (1))
  • Chapter source notes and effective dates: 48 SDR 40 (Oct. 5, 2021); 48 SDR 54 (Nov. 15, 2021); 50 SDR 62 (Nov. 27, 2023); 52 SDR 10 (Aug. 4, 2025)
  • ARSD 44:90:02:16 (cannabis equivalency conversion table); ARSD 44:90:05:02 (cultivator retail package limits)
  • Federal standards incorporated by reference: 16 C.F.R. 1700.15 (child-resistant effectiveness, in effect July 21, 1995); 21 C.F.R. 101.9 (nutrition labeling, August 29, 2016); 21 U.S.C. 321(qq) (major food allergens, April 23, 2021)
  • South Dakota Department of Health, Medical Cannabis Program — https://doh.sd.gov/programs/medical-cannabis/
  • Rule text retrieved and verified from sdlegislature.gov on 2026-08-26. Do not verify South Dakota rule text against law.cornell.edu (renders the superseded pre-August-2025 44:90:10:12) or Justia (truncates the 44:90:10:12.01 warning statements mid-sentence).

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Reference material only — not legal advice. Verify all requirements with South Dakota Dept. of Health, Medical Cannabis Program and your compliance / legal team before production.
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