By
HeadQuest

Welcome to August. The fact that we have survived over half of 2020 already is in itself, a miracle and arguably cause for celebration. Thus far, we’ve weathered a pandemic, averted navigated mass chaos, and if the memes on Facebook are true, just missed a plague of murder hornets. If by December, we haven’t been nearly grazed by a comet, we should all be at least a little surprised.  

 

But don’t let all of the signs of the apocalypse distract you from the good things happening this year. Like, for instance, the fact that HQ and SSE are teaming up to create the ultimate smoke shop trade show experience. No, we’re not suggesting that spending a few days checking out amazing products with amazing people can make up for the calamity we’ve seen this year, but you have to start somewhere, right? Start here with us—and read all about it

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

2026-08-05_10-11-53
By
Jimmy Wohl
Fragile Markets Need Sturdy Security
You’ve chosen to work in a gray area. You sell products that contain cannabis or cannabis-adjacent substances as well as accessories that can be used to consume it. And while that area has become less gray—you can see rays of sunlight peeking through—the skies are still cloudy. THC remains a Schedule 1 substance, even as medical marijuana has migrated to Schedule 3.
2026-07-30_23-43-05
By
Emily Long
What Retailers Wish They Knew When They Opened Their First Shop
Running a cannabis business is notoriously complicated. For dispensaries, complex compliance burdens permeate every facet of the business, from zoning and licensing to marketing and payments. Whether you’ve been in the cannabis space for mere months or multiple decades, you’ve likely run into drawn-out approval processes, supply chain headaches, or constantly changing regulation that makes compliance challenging, not to mention the other micro and macroeconomic factors that plague all small business owners.
3
By
Joe Reefer
Behind the Scenes: Not Ya Son’s Weed
Blending traditional values with modernized, energetic branding, Not Ya Son’s Weed falls somewhere between the cannabis days of yore and today’s recreational cannabis boom. Not Ya Son’s Weed offers a variety of products—including pre-rolls, exotic flower, and gummies—that provide much-needed relief without being too overbearing.
2026-07-30_20-13-55
By
Matt Weeks
Hawaiian Punch: One man’s fight to keep hemp legal
The officials came for Lance Alyas once before. In 2023, they caught him in a sting, seized his merchandise, and tossed him in jail. But just seven days later, after he invoked Hawaii's version of a Freedom of Information Act request, the whole case fell apart. Alyas was released without bail, allowed to simply walk out the door. Now, he’s advocating for freedom from Hawaii’s state officials once again. Only this time, it’s not just his own freedom. As the owner of Oahu’s top-rated smoke shops, he’s fighting for everyone’s right to sell hemp products in the Aloha State.
2026-07-30_8-12-05
By
Emily Long
Sula Benet and the Ancient History of Cannabis
Born Sara Benetowa in Warsaw, Poland, in 1903, Sula Benet may not be an immediately recognizable name in cannabis spaces today, but she should be. While she primarily studied Polish folk customs, Benet became known for her graduate thesis at the University of Warsaw, titled Hashish in Folk Customs and Beliefs. In the paper, she claims that the plant kaneh bosm—which is referenced throughout the Old Testament and Torah and often translated as “calamus”—actually refers to hemp. Benet’s theory remains both significant and highly controversial today, especially as various religious and evangelical groups continue to demonize the plant.
2026-07-30_8-00-37
By
Matt Weeks
How North Carolina Could Save Us All
If the United States were ever a country based on strict adherence to the law, those days are long past. The modern game lies in devising methods to circumvent laws. It’s how the rich avoid taxes, the powerful avoid jail, and industries of all kinds bypass regulations. The paradox is that, despite its ubiquity, it’s not easy to stay beyond the reach of the long arm of the law. Well-moneyed, influential organizations still sometimes misjudge the political and legal playing field and have to pay up. The Sacklers (the family behind Purdue Pharma) eventually were bankrupted by the courts for their role in the opioid epidemic, and officials hit Meta with a $5 billion fine over privacy concerns.
2026-07-30_7-49-06
By
Karen Maina
The Rise of Wellness Smoke Shops
When you walk into a smoke shop today, you might notice the glass cases that once held rolling papers and blunt wraps now display CBD tinctures, functional mushroom capsules, kava elixirs, and hemp-infused sparkling water. The staff might talk to you about terpene profiles, cortisol levels, and a new vape line.
CBD 3
By
Jimmy Wohl
Lung, Tongue, and Skin
I went home and told my girlfriend, who, after Googling the name of the business I bought it from, told me that, yes, it was technically weed. But it was CBD. She started laughing, telling me I had been ripped off.