September Welcome

By
HeadQuest

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 Stories

Recent Articles

POS banner
By
Matt Weeks
Don’t Fear the Creeper: How to Maximize POS Displays
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%?
Decore banner
By
Karen Maina
Is Store Decor Important? 
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.
ATM banner
By
Jimmy Wohl
Versatile and Affordable ATM and POS Services
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.
WIC Banner
By
Emily Long
Katie Motta – CEO at Jade Stone & Alluring Media Co.
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.