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Despite claims that “vice products” are recession-proof, there are real consequences for smoke shop owners who make bad predictions. And while American consumers may reach for the bowl more often during market downturns, the industry has more to fear than macroeconomic conditions.
Women in Cannabis
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Back in the early ‘90’s, starting a business was a radically different game. In the small beach town of Palm Harbor, Florida, an art school phenomenon with a massive entrepreneurial streak turned a passionate side gig into one of the region’s most effervescent smoke shops, YB Norml.
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The Account Executive for HQ is a certified platinum talker. As the former No. 1 sales rep for long-distance carrier MCI’s Bilingual Division and a veteran of the tough-as-nails construction industry, she’s honed her skills in some of the most competitive arenas imaginable.
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If you told Diane Willis in the early ‘90s that PT Bag Co., her humble family business selling small zip-loc baggies for carrying “jewelry” and “herbal blends” by the gram (we know what they were really for), would stand the test of time and be kicking ass more than three decades later, she’d probably laugh and tell you she was just trying to get through the day.
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Picture this: It’s the early ‘90s, a time when the good herb was very much in the shadows—a subculture thriving behind closed doors. Wendy Campbell is a small-town girl from Ohio. She is introduced to something even more out of the ordinary: cannabis.
Heads of Industry
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It’s not often that a spark of interest is literally a spark. But that’s how it all started for Josh Kesselman, the energetic, shaggy-haired force behind RAW.
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As HQ Magazine celebrates a quarter century, it’s only right that we pause to consider its journey. How did a print magazine launched at the turn of the century grow old enough to finish grad school? To find out, we went directly to the source: Sandy Caputo, the hard-charging president of HQ.
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There are fake urine companies, and then there are fake urine companies. Serious Monkey Bizzness is one of the latter. Made exclusively for fetishists, pranksters, and novelty enthusiasts, the goods Serious Monkey Bizzness proffers are the stuff of dreams for a small but underserved market of devotees.
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The CounterCulture Awards, organized by the CounterCulture Association (CCA), is an initiative designed to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements within the cannabis, tobacco, other tobacco products (OTP), and alternative products industries.
Latest Headlines
Quest for the Best
The Best Products from HQ Wholesalers
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Despite claims that “vice products” are recession-proof, there are real consequences for smoke shop owners who make bad predictions. And while American consumers may reach for the bowl more often during market downturns, the industry has more to fear than macroeconomic conditions.
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Before you invest your nest egg into reviving a sinking business, it pays to think through a few things first. After speaking with more than a dozen past and current smoke shop owners across the country, we’ve compiled the pearls of wisdom that stood out most for your edification and entertainment.
Nicotine pouches have made a comeback, with all the innovations, influencers, and creativity to keep up with popular culture.
Legalization in our country goes further than states simply writing their own scripts—it’s a saga with cameos from all over the globe as countries shake up cannabis laws and give American politicians considerations to allow We The People our own pursuits of happiness.
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As the year wraps up, we’re turning the spotlight up to 11 and dropping our list of the Top 25 Products of the Year. These aren’t just the usual suspects—we’ve dug deep and brought the best of the best in smoke shop accessories and alternative supplements.
Jerome is the owner of three Los Angeles California-based smoke shops. We sat down with him to get his insight on the highs and lows of owning a smoke shop in 2024, including top selling-products, and how to stay profitable and successful in these uncertain times.
Industry Associations
United we stand
There’s no polite way to say this: public health experts continue to lie to adult smokers about the benefits of vaping. Nicotine vapor products have been on the market for over two decades, and the evidence produced over that time has consistently shown that they are far safer than combustible tobacco.
In a bid to check the FDA’s abuse of power, 30 vapor manufacturers have sued the agency . . . one of those cases, originally brought by Triton Distribution, has finally made its way to the US Supreme Court.
It’s time for a bit of good news on the public health front. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that youth vaping has dropped to the lowest level in a decade. Over the last five years, it has declined by 70 percent. Just 1.55 percent of students in the survey vaped daily.
Adults have a natural right to use nicotine; any attempts to infringe upon this right should be met with resistance from everyone who values their liberty.
Now that you know switching is a relatively simple process, I want to make the case that it’s essential. Here are just a few reasons why adult smokers should at least try to switch.
