September 21 Welcome

Happy September everyone! As we head into Fall, HQ has some big news…are you ready for the holiday season? If you haven’t started stocking up for the holiday rush, it’s time to get on it. According to a survey of Black Friday shoppers, holiday shopping begins not after Thanksgiving, but in October with more than half of those eager consumers beginning their gift buying right after they put their Halloween decorations away. Get a sneak peek at what’s Hot with holiday shoppers in this month’s special feature…plus, we have tons of prizes involved. Don’t miss it!

Up next, Decades Psychedelic, was born in South Buffalo. But this ain’t your normal shop, nor is it run by your typical shop owner. Meet Ryan, owner of Decades Psychedelic for 25 years, who is also a licensed and certified firefighter and paramedic. Don’t miss this incredible story about how Ryan and his team share a passion and mission to help the less fortunate!

Lastly, the cannabis and smoke shop industry is saturated with products and packaging reflecting the latest pop culture icons and cartoon characters, but artist Sean Dietrich is bringing a dose of originality to the table — or the canvas, to be more precise. Take a peek behind the curtain as HQ goes behind the scenes with one of the most talented artists in our industry.

Recent Articles

“Winter rain Now tell me why Summers fade And roses die.” – Bob Weir, “Weather Report Suite”
For years, Jennifer Mansour felt them coming. “You can’t stop one,” she said. “As soon as I’d notice that the lights felt a little too bright, I knew I was done for. I’d tell my boss, and then I’d get in the car and pop on my sunglasses because I could feel another one coming on, and I couldn’t do a thing to stop it.”
We love a good music festival here at HQ Magazine. Now that the major music festivals in the U.S. are starting to release their initial lineups, we figured it would be a great time to review some of the best 2026 music festivals in cannabis-friendly states.
An old adage tells us not to judge a book by its cover, but A Woman’s Guide to Cannabis: Using Marijuana to Feel Better, Look Better, Sleep Better–and Get High Like a Lady makes a powerful statement about the role of beauty and femininity in the cannabis industry before you even read the first page.
Sometimes, it’s good to be obsessed. In an industry heavy with similar products, it’s often the little things on the margins that separate great products from good ones.
Even without the representation and recognition they deserve, women have always been at the center of the cannabis movement.
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.
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.