January Welcome

By
HeadQuest

January 2022 Welcome

The first issue of 2022 is here! The fact that we made it through the past 12 months is nothing short of miraculous, and we all know why, so there’s no need to revisit the chaos that was 2021. It’s time to move forward and embrace new adventures and opportunities. As we’ve discovered, germs, the government, and even the wrath of mother nature are no match for creativity, stamina and the entrepreneurial spirit. A big shout out to retailers, manufacturers, and distributors for finding ways to connect and deliver products that fit the needs of today’s cannabis enthusiasts and progressive wellness consumers. Pause for applause. We encourage everyone to join us in helping to bring more positivity, more stability, and more community to our industry. Stay tuned for another exciting giveaway coming up soon where you can win prizes galore from your favorite vendors. And don’t forget about the HQ Event trade show happening later this Spring. As always, it’s our continuing mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations — wait, that’s Star Trek — but our course heading is kinda the same: to boldly go where few B2B magazines have gone before, to bring you more products, more features, more news, more inspiration (more run-on sentences) not only in the print editions, but online and on the social media platforms where you get your news and information. Think of us as HQ-PLUS, the Metaverse of the smoke shop industry, but without the need for crazy goggles. v

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

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By
Emily Long
Women’s History Month Spotlight
Even without the representation and recognition they deserve, women have always been at the center of the cannabis movement.
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By
Matt Weeks
The Glass Ceiling
There are objects Americans buy because they need them, and objects Americans buy because they let them be a certain kind of person. A perfectly functional version exists, usually for a fraction of the price. But the other version comes with a name, a story, and a reason to pay extra.
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By
HeadQuest
The Psychedelic Underground: How a New Counterculture Is Rewriting the Rules of Getting High
Walk into any warehouse rave, desert gathering, or rooftop after-hours in 2026, and you’ll feel it: the psychedelic underground is back, louder, weirder, and far more self-aware than its ‘60s predecessor ever imagined.
Hot Regulaion
By
Matt Weeks
Too Hot For Regulation: How to Stay Cool Amid Crackdowns
In 62 BC, Julius Caesar announced his plan to divorce his second wife, Pompeia. She had been involved in an ancient Roman sex scandal, accused of flirting with another man during a women-only religious event.
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By
Matt Weeks
One Bad Sign: Mike Wittenberg Reflects on his 18 Months in a Foreign Jail for Cannabis Crimes
ile Mike Wittenberg sat in a Dominican Republic prison, a thought occurred to him. “I could appreciate flushing the toilet,” he said. “When you’re in a third-world jail without running water 23.5 hours a day, you learn to appreciate the little things.”
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By
Joe Reefer
Omni-Channel Marketing in the Cannabis Industry
When it comes to marketing, cannabis is different from every other consumer good available today. If sales start to dip in traditional retail, you can simply increase ad spending. However, with companies like Google, Meta, and even traditional broadcasters placing strict bans or severe limitations on cannabis advertising, the standard “pay-to-play” system just doesn’t work.
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By
HeadQuest
Krave Kratom
It feels impossible sometimes to escape the more ridiculousness aspects of pop culture—like pickleball, whatever a Labubu is, and the inevitable media frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's upcoming wedding. Thankfully, there’s at least one trend that’s still on the rise that I can get behind, which is kratom.
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By
Emily Long
Blunt Brunch
When Adelia Carrillo (Fakhri) and Parisa Rad first sat down for brunch in Phoenix, AZ, with a few other women in the cannabis industry, they had no idea how that moment would change the trajectory of their lives. “The energy in that room was transformative,” Adelia says.