On Sketchy Smoke Shops in States Where Weed is Illegal
As I think of topics I could write about on this blog, one topic keeps coming to mind: smoke shops.
A vast majority of smoke shops in Texas are incredibly sketchy shitholes you’d be embarrassed to be seen at. And I’d be willing to bet it’s the same in most other states where weed is illegal.
Also, because part of what I envision for this blog is a place that holds all players in this industry accountable.
This is for two reasons:
One, I want to celebrate the companies making high quality products in an unregulated market.
A smart business decision driven by the awareness that high quality products, despite the costs, generate the highest return due to their ability to build priceless customer trust and loyalty.
This is how capitalism should work.
Two, I want to destroy all the fraudulent, poorly run businesses selling expensive, dangerous products to their customers.
And many smoke shops in states like Texas are a prime example.
Most Smoke Shops in Texas are Sketchy
First, they often sell their drug-adjacent products next to sex products, like porn and dildos.
If you’re really lucky, you’ll see a dick-shaped bong, which of course is placed right between both sections to create a seamless customer experience.
It creates the impression that all of the products being sold are forbidden. AKA bad vibes.
Second, and most importantly, they sell all sorts of dangerous products. Basically anything they can get away with.
Remember spice?
A product so sketchy that it triggered severe psychosis and/or death in some individuals. There were even some cases where spice had trace amounts of rat poison.
Now it’s Kratom, which also has a tendency to cause psychosis, addiction, and hallucinations.
Essentially, these shops don’t care about their customers' health. Which is evil at worst, a poor business plan at best.
Speaking of business plans - let’s talk about smoke shop markups.
Doubling the Internet Price
Typically, the way retail shops are able to profitably resell other companies’ products, is they buy those products in bulk at cheap wholesale prices.
Often, that means the retail shop can sell the product at the same price the original manufacturer would at their own shop or on their own website.
Certainly there are some smoke shops doing this successfully like any good business should. I’ll highlight one of them here: Cosmic Cowboy in Austin, TX.
Then, there are the sketchy smoke shops. Often located downtown, or off a busy street in your city. I’ll highlight one of them here: 7 Days Smoke in Austin, TX.
I found out recently that this smoke shop was selling Hometown Hero gummies at… wait for it… double the internet price on Hometown Hero’s website.
Instead of $30, they were being sold for $59.99.
Purchased from 7 Days Smoke in Austin. TX
From Hometown Hero’s website.
Are the owners smoking their own spice? Because that’s the most brazen act of price gouging I’ve ever seen at the retail level.
You’ll also like to know that all sales are final.
So if you find yourself accidentally paying double the price for one of these products, you’ll have to eat one of those expensive gummies and forget about it.
Key Takeaways:
Buy direct from your favorite manufacturer. If you can’t wait for shipping, find a good quality smoke shop near you that practices ethical business.
An unregulated market can be an unsafe market. If these smoke shops are willing to sell spice and kratom, you can bet they're not checking to make sure the hemp-derived THC providers they work with are high-quality.
Be safe - and don’t spend your money at sketchy fuckin’ smoke shops.
