July Welcome

Finally…July! It is the month we have all been waiting for…not only are we all smack dab in the middle of trade show season, we are gearing up for our 2nd HQ Event this month! Can you believe it? If you haven’t registered yet, there is no time to waste. Register at www.theHQEvent.com to secure your spot. Recall the saying, “Curiosity killed the cat…but satisfaction brought it back.” Be curious, find satisfaction! This show is all about community and bringing advanced technology and increased professionalism to this fabulous industry! We can’t wait to show you everything we have in store. Don’t miss it!

As things are heating up this summer, be sure to check out the latest and greatest the HQ Quest for the Best section this issue! You really don’t want to miss the boat on these freshly launched products.
Now, we all know of some great stories that involve our industry comrades, but I bet you haven’t heard the one about Drake Fischer, owner of Durity Vape and Smoke Shop. Durity means “hardened, something that can endure pressure”, which just about sums up this awesome Shop of the Month story! Thanks for sharing with us, Drake!
Lastly, we are already prepping for THE Holiday edition of 2021. Wholesalers, do you have what it takes to make the list of lists? Send us an email to communications@headquest.com and tell us about your most popular, new launched, or most innovative product to date! We can’t wait to spotlight the best of the best as we kick things in high gear for the busiest time of the year!
See you all at the HQ Event. Be there or be square.

Recent Articles

Common business advice tends to view the 80:20 rule simplistically. Focus on the 80% of your store that drives profit, it says. Ignore the rest. That’s fine for the average folks. But what about those who want to boost the other 20%?
Before you've said a word, your shop is selling. The customer hasn’t touched a single product, and your staff hasn't even said hello. Your decor and layout have already done the talking, either pulling people in or pushing them away.
As VP of Operations at ATM Wholesaler and Elite Merchant Services, he’s picked up the baton from his father and CEO, Norman Koza, who passed it to him after founding this successful company over 25 years ago.
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.
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.
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.
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.