April 2024 - #287 Kali Culture

HQ Magazine

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As the industry’s leading publication for over two decades, we want to remind you all that we are more than just another magazine; WE are the nexus of commerce for the counterculture marketplace; headshops, smoke shops, vape shops, adult novelties, and dispensaries. Both publisher and platform, HQ exists to facilitate the continued evolution of a once-marginalized industry now on the cusp of legitimization. As a publisher, we are your advocate and your advisor, your continual stream of all information that matters to you; from product knowledge, to business insights, to how it all fits into the panorama of the bigger world. As a platform, we are your connection. We are the bullhorn, the billboard, and the bridge; the perfect bullseye of your target market. And as this industry continues to come into its own and navigate the coming seismic shifts in the landscape, we’ll be the light to guide its steps.

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CONTENTS

70

30

94

18

108

Smoke Signals

It’s like silver dollar pancakes; they’re smaller, but you can eat more, which gives you a better sense of accomplishment.

30 Stephanie Shepard served a dime in the clink for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, she serves a cause that’s bigger than her. Women in Cannabis

54

ELEV8 to the 7th Floor

The inventor of the Silver Surfer serves it up raw and wriggling.

70

LOWD & Clear

Jesce Horton doesn’t wait for change; he creates it.

100

HeadSpace

Into the Weeds on the Industry’s Stickiest Subjects.

94 Beg Your Pardon? Once the Senate’s fiercest drug warrior, Biden has arguably become our best ally in Washington.

100

The Media Lies: But the media that tells you the media lies also lies. It’s true; we saw it in a meme.

EdQuest

Puff, puff, class in session!

108

Ain’t Data Bitch

Part three: Ready, aim, fire— and then execute.

114

Say What?

Can we say “bong” now? Do the old rules still apply? Scan the QR and weigh in.

54

120

Quest 4 the Best

Inhalin’, imbibin’—it’s what keeps your business thrivin’.

HQ After Hours

Our mini-mag within a mag that’s all about the fun side of adulting.

80

Pu & Pleasure

It’s Your Merchandise: We’re just gonna tell you where to put it.

82

Vendor Profile

Fleshlight: Speaking of telling where to put it . . .

Feature

84 A Milestone of Epic Proportions: CalExotics turns 30!

88

PleasureQuest

Gadgets and play things to really hit the spot(s).

#V895

#V864

TAPAS FOR YOUR BRAIN

Quick, Digestible Hits to Quell Your Information Munchees

Your time to shine is nigh! The best day of your year comes but fi ve days after your worst (y’know . . . tax day). Since we’re “glass is half full” kind of folks, we’re going to focus on the best. So sit back, take a rip, and let’s get in the spirit of our favorite made up holiday (technically, they’re all made up)!

The Waldos Theory: The most credible origin story traces back to a group of high school students from San Rafael, California, in the early 1970s. These students, who referred to themselves as “The Waldos,” would meet at 4:20 p.m. after school to search for an abandoned cannabis crop they had learned about. They chose 4:20 p.m. because extracurricular activities had usually ended by then. Although they never found the crop, the term “420” became their code for marijuana. Over time, 420 was popularized as a term for smoking weed, especially as The Waldos had connections to the Grateful Dead, a band well-embedded in the cannabis culture.

Bob Dylan Theory: Some have tried to connect 4/20 to Bob Dylan’s song, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” because 12 multiplied by 35 equals 420. The song’s chorus, “Everybody must get stoned,” supports this theory, although it’s more of a playful coincidence than a direct link to the date April 20th being celebrated as a cannabis holiday.

The Police Code Myth: There’s a common myth that 420 is the police radio code for marijuana smoking in progress. However, this is not true; 420 is not a police code for anything in any known police department. This misinterpretation added to the mystique of the term but is factually incorrect.

Legislative Codes: Another theory suggests that 420 is linked to California Senate Bill 420, which regulated medical marijuana in the state. However, this bill was named after the already existing term “420,” not the other way around, making this more of an homage to the term than its origin.

Among these theories, the story of The Waldos is the most widely accepted and has the most evidence supporting it. Over the decades, April 20th has evolved from an obscure reference among a group of high school students into a worldwide day of celebration for cannabis enthusiasts, marked by social gatherings, festivals, legalization rallies, and of course the second Black Friday for businesses like yours.

On This Day In History (420 Edition):

1775 - The American Revolutionary War’s Siege of Boston begins, following the battles of Lexington and Concord.

1862 - Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete the first pasteurization test.

1889 -Adolf Hitler is born (Ouch. We need time machines.)

1912 - Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, opens.

1916 - Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs, opens.

1945 - World War II: U.S. troops capture Leipzig, Germany, only to later cede the city to the Soviet Union.

1946 - The League of Nations officially dissolves, giving most of its power to the United Nations.

1961 - Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed Cuban exiles against Cuba.

1972 - Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon.

2010 - The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

Trade Show Roundup

By Sofia Noillif

FANME Consolodates Events

Read More:

While every other show is bent on continual expansion, the Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo (ANME) is taking things in the opposite direction, making a sharp and calculated move to condense their annual calendar to one event, exclusively in July, taking place this year July 15-17. This pivot from its biannual tradition aims to create a more impactful gathering by consolidating the expo into one comprehensive showcase. Organizers believe this strategic change will enhance the ANME experience, offering an expanded platform for innovation, networking, and business opportunities in the adult novelty industry. The July expo is set to be a not-to-miss event, promising more exhibitors, extended networking opportunities, and a vibrant array of nightly events to complement the full-day schedules. Industry leaders express excitement for this evolution, anticipating a dynamic and prosperous future for vendors and buyers alike.

Corrections, Retractions, Etc.

In the March edition of our Heads of Industry feature, we inaccurately reported that Durity Distro owns Mit 45 and that there were four manufacturing centers in Boise linked to our featured industry leader. To clarify, Durity does not own Mit 45 but has a close relationship with the brand. Additionally, there is only one manufacturing center in Boise; the mentioned four locations are smoke shops, separate entities under one owner. We apologize for these errors and are committed to providing accurate and reliable information to our readers. The member of our editorial sta who was responsible has been su ciently flogged, but not sacked. He’s too good for that.

The sober approach

Herba ReLeaf O ers a Better Way

or this month’s edition, we sat down with Cory Kilheen, the articulate mind behind Herba ReLeaf, a quickly growing brand in the natural supplement sphere known for its high-quality kratom extracts. Cory’s responses were so insightful and eloquently delivered that we’ve chosen to present the interview in its unfiltered form, edited solely for brevity. Enjoy.

Can you share the origin story of your company? What inspired you to enter the kratom market?

I’ve been sober for 13 years. During my journey to sobriety, I went to Florida to try and get clean. While there, I discovered kava bars; a place where sober people can have the bar experience and the community it brings . . . When we opened the very first kava bar in PA, we made the decision to manufacture for ourselves once we saw how volatile the wholesale kratom market was. So, for several years, we operated as a kratom manufacturing hub.

What personal or professional experiences led you to start this business?

Seven years ago . . . I found a CBD product through wholesale that was supposed to help with my lingering pain. The first time I tried it, I felt a rush I haven’t felt in years. I found myself slipping back into my addictive behavior. After doing significant research, I learned that this CBD had an incredibly addictive research chemical that was causing dependence . . . I vowed from that day on that I will always put safety first, because I was a victim of malpractice and greed.

When extracts became more popular in the market, I attempted several different ways to do it myself . . . I knew there had to be a green way. Everyone told me I couldn’t. Luckily, I’m a stubborn individual. Days became weeks, weeks became months, months became years, however the day I extracted my first product made it all worth it.

The kratom market is quite saturated. What sets your company apart from the multitude of competitors?

From the gate, I have said I want to put the consumer and their safety first. If anything, that original motivation and mission has grown even stronger. We want to be the safest kratom extract manufacturer in the world, and I believe we have done and are continuing doing that.

Continued on Page 20

Orphan Glass - Shot at Glass Vegas | @orphan_glass | orphanglass.bigcartel.com

Smoke Signals

Delta-8 Crackdown in South Carolina

In South Carolina, the hemp industry is facing unprecedented challenges. This month, a series of raids have disrupted businesses, leading to the arrest of five Greenville entrepreneurs.

Charged with criminal conspiracy for trafficking marijuana, these business owners were caught off-guard, believing their products were within legal bounds. The ambiguity surrounding the legality of specific THC products has only deepened the crisis.

Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins has taken a firm stance against certain THC products, asserting, “If it gets you high, it’s illegal in South Carolina. Bottom line.” This declaration has intensified the scrutiny on hemp-derived products, complicating the legal landscape for businesses operating within the state.

Further complicating matters, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued an open letter prohibiting product labels from mentioning “THC” or “CBD” and barring manufacturers from providing dosage information. This directive has sown confusion among producers and consumers alike, clouding the distinction between legal hemp products and those deemed illegal.

Amidst this turmoil, companies like High Rise Beverage Co. have paused their distribution in South Carolina, signaling the significant impact of the current regulatory environment. This comes as a progressive bill aimed at regulating the sale and adult use of hemp-derived THC products is being considered in the SC House.

This crackdown seems to echo an emerging pattern as state

Safety Meeting (Cont.)

The MIT Quick Pump is one of a kind. There is no other product like this on the market. We have taken every step possible to ensure the safest and cleanest product possible. … There are 21 years of research into the technology we use for the MIT Quick pump. Packing 12 mg of mitragynine and 15 mg of total alkaloids per pump, there is truly no better bang for your buck than this product.

There’s a lot of debate about the safety of kratom extracts. How do you address concerns regarding the potency and safety of your extracts?

We are part of that debate! We agree that kratom extracts need to be created in safer and cleaner environments. For the people who agree, we are on your side. That’s why we take such pride in our product, we take safety incredibly seriously, with an all green, all food grade process.

How do you see the role of kratom evolving in alternative medicine and wellness cultures?

Wanna Get Wet?

Read More:

WET Lubes just rolled out its latest innovation, WET Hempation, at the 2024 Champs Tradeshow. Crafted with natural elements for an elevated sensation, this aloe-based lubricant is enhanced with Cannabis Sativa Seed Extract, promising a silky touch to intimate moments. It’s designed to be safe with natural rubber latex, compatible with toys, and easy to clean with water. Free from glycerin and parabens, Hempation supports a range of playful activities and comes in various sizes for convenience. Additionally, WET suggests exploring their Flavored and Fun Flavors Warming lines for more delightful experiences.

governments around the country continue to tangle with the implications of legal hemp. At press time, it appears that Florida’s ban on hemp cannabinoids is almost certain to pass, though the AHAA is fighting hard to push back. Meanwhile, activists in Ohio are currently meeting with members of their state legislature as well, attempting to avoid Florida’s likely fate.

As these legal frameworks continue to evolve, we will keep you updated on the developments affecting the sale of hempderived THC products around the country. Stay tuned for future installments that will delve deeper into this rapidly changing landscape.

It’s all about education. If we, as a collective kratom community, can talk to people and help them understand the purpose and use of kratom, then it will grow exponentially.

We also call on our peers to adhere to safer manufacturing practices, to ensure any kratom that enters someone’s hands has

been tested and cleared by independent labs, and that products are clearly labeled, so consumers know exactly what they are getting into.

Looking toward the future, what developments or expansions can customers and retailers anticipate from your company?

As I said earlier, education is the biggest need right now in the kratom market. We plan on releasing a much cheaper option for people who want to try MIT Quick but don’t fully understand it. I can’t say too much right now but look for that to release sometime in the next three months.

Besides that, we are always innovating! We want to be the industry standard, and we plan on releasing brand new products into the market that have never been seen before. Stay tuned and stick with us.

The collection honors our 144-year heritage, drawing inspiration from the historic artwork featured in our booklets and ads.

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD WOULDN’T SING

The Last Prisoner Project’s Stephanie Shepard On Why it’s Her Problem

By Eva Berlin Sylvestre

The courtroom is full, and the people are waiting. They’re eager to see the next exhibit: a poster board featuring a lineup of the hardened criminals they’ve been hearing about during the proceedings, a long-awaited photo array of real-life gangsters involved in a drug-trafficking scheme so extensive, it propelled an uninterrupted supply of marijuana across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. With how much money and how many years this went on, with goons and lookouts and distributors from here to kingdom come, it seemed certain the next Al Capone and his grizzly band of henchmen were about to have their sneering

faces displayed before the rapt audience in that New York City courtroom.

Instead, what they got was a mugshot matrix of 15 men grimacing in anxiety, belabored by fragile psyches waiting to sing like canaries on their cohorts. That is, all except for one—the sole woman among them.

And she was smiling.

“I’m not going to have a bad picture,” Stephanie Shepard, Director of Advocacy for the Last Prisoner Project laughs into the phone. “That’s not how I was raised.”

But the smile was more than just posturing. Stephanie, facing a charge of conspiracy to distribute 1000 or more kilograms of marijuana, had never been in any sort of drug trouble in her life. Raised by loving parents in the suburbs of California, she’d never felt the threat of hard times, never had an agent flash a badge at her doorstep before pressing deep into her home.

She could smile the day of her arrest because surely an educated young woman with the habit of good manners would find an understanding officiant helming the gavel, especially knowing the charges were baseless. Even if they could pin something on her, ten years to life in prison for a firsttime offender? Laughable. But when that gavel dropped and she was sentenced to a decade in federal prison for her affiliation with a man whose drug-running peons called a “manipulator” and “puppeteer” while under interrogation, her life as a “daddy’s girl from the ’burbs” dissolved. With each shell-shocked step she took down the underground corridors connecting the brutalist architecture of a U.S. district

courtroom to the frigid holding cells in the bowels of 500 Pearl Street, Stephanie ceased to worry about her own fate—that much had just been sealed—and instead, her mind turned to the pain she’d just wrought on the family who worked hard to raise her right. Awaiting transport to federal prison, she thought of her father, at the time 91 and “my everything,” whose little girl was just whisked away to God knows where for longer than he’d remain on Earth.

The one way I can describe prison is visually neutral. Everything we’re issued, everything that surrounds us is beige, gray, khaki green, and brown . . . Color brings creativity and happiness and so much to your life that you can’t possibly understand until it’s taken from you.

“The one way I can describe prison is visually neutral,” Stephanie says, conjuring images of The Federal Correctional Institution of Danbury, CT. “Everything we’re issued, everything that surrounds us is beige, gray, khaki green, and brown.” Contrary to the vivid imagery popularized by the hit TV series “Orange Is the New Black” which, fun fact, was authored by Piper Kerman after her time spent at the federal prison camp in Danbury

He used to have a bunch of fake IDs and I would look at them and laugh and say, ‘Gosh, is your name even Connor?’

“right down the hill from us,” Shepard describes a world dulled by shades far more subdued. “Color brings joy,” she says of the psychology behind the drab backdrop. “Color brings creativity and happiness and so much to your life that you can’t possibly understand until it’s taken from you.”

The scene was a world away from Stephanie’s life months prior where, upon entry into her tony Williamsburg apartment, a view of the NYC skyline

ensconced the chic interior, replete with careful art that peacocked alongside pristine white furniture and imparted a “welcome to the good life” reception to all who entered. “My friends would refer to it as The Snow Globe,” she says, noting its place at the top of the building and how it was primarily comprised of oversized windows.

It was there that she hosted gatherings and entertained her inner circle of

friends, including the blue-eyed quiet type she was introduced to as Connor. The pair met at a mutual friend’s barbeque—“He was selling weed.”— and exchanged numbers when she was still new to the city. Soon after, when she discovered the lease on her first apartment wasn’t up for renewal, Connor offered to let her stay at his place for a while “above an art store on Metropolitan,” until she eventually moved herself into The Snow Globe.

“It should have been a red flag,” she says, admitting that they’d only met two weeks beforehand, but his charm was undeniable. “He took cooking classes and was always cooking at home,” she says. “He was a foodie, so we ate at the best restaurants in New York.” Per court documents, the pair were an item for the better part of three years. She knew he was a dealer. But marijuana—though still illegal— wasn’t regarded as that big a deal. He was moving serious weight, but she was unaware, and therefore, never properly gauged the risk. She ignored, however, perhaps the biggest red flag of all: “He used to have a bunch of fake IDs and I would look at them and laugh and say, ‘Gosh, is your name even Connor?’” He would dodge the question with a laugh of his own.

In short order, his real identity would come to the fore.

“He eventually gets arrested, and there I am trying to find out information,” she says. “I was talking to the guy who introduced us, and I said, ‘I can’t seem to find Connor [in the system] — are you sure he got arrested?’” The mutual friend suggested she try “this name [instead] and gave me his real one.” That’s how she discovered that the introverted beau she called Connor was simply a character being played by a criminal named David.

“I found out after he was arrested that he had gotten in trouble in Seattle,” she says. “He agreed to cooperate with the cops.” He allegedly wore a wire, but when face to face with “the

connect,” he intentionally exposed the wire, “then fled to Mexico.” Stephanie says, “After about a year, he turned up in Brooklyn as Connor.”

Back to all the fake IDs, “Yeah, I got caught slipping on that.” She couldn’t see it at the time, but she’d already slipped into a pit that put her in absolute and immediate peril of two federal agents, an unscrupulous trickster, and the dishonorable henchmen conscripted by all three of them.

From David’s arrest to the time she took on an attorney—“one of the attorneys for John Gotti, Jr.,” at that— the curtain was pulled and the spool of lies spun by the puppeteer unwound. At the same time, Stephanie Shepard would, for a while, cease to exist, and instead be assigned a strange new name of her own—“Crazy.”

“My paperwork says The United States

of America versus Stephanie Shepard, AKA Craze, AKA Crazy,” she says, referring to the literal name of her case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District Of New York. The nickname was placed upon her by Connor AKA David who, after their breakup, set out not only to paint her as insane, but to pit her against his dealers, often telling them she sold much more marijuana than they had. This not only ramped up competition among them but implicated her as part of the crime consortium—a strategic move. If he could create a bridge connecting her to his illicit affairs, she’d be forced to keep quiet when, post-breakup, at the behest of his new girl, he needed “insurance” that she wouldn’t rat him out once he cut her out of his life for good. Thus, the tactical inception of Crazy, courtesy of the Puppeteer.

Stephanie doesn’t deny that some of her lifestyle was a product of drug money. Men who deal big tend to

pass along a little something to their women—it’s canon. She does deny, however, that she was pushing weight for her former lover’s enterprise. “I was a licensed real estate agent and have always had a nice car and home,” she says. “Yes, the extra money was helpful, but I had a career.” Even one of the arresting officers, Agent Christopher Quinn of the Department of Homeland Security, didn’t find anything that would implicate her when he walked into The Snow Globe the day of her arrest.

From the Official case file in the appeal of United States Of America v. Stephanie Shepard AKA Craze AKA Crazy:

Agent Quinn testified that he had never seen Shepard with any marijuana, with any money, or with any cellular telephones. When he arrested her, at her apartment on May 26, 2010, he did not see a money counter, a heat sealer, or any paraphernalia associated with the marijuana business. Agent Quinn did

Continued on Page 38

not attempt to get a search warrant for Shepard’s residence. He testified that, ‘We did not have any current information to show that Shepard was involved in narcotics trafficking at that point.

Essentially, her source of supply [name withheld] was arrested and incarcerated and did not have information that was current.’ He had ‘no current information that Stephanie Shepard was involved in a conspiracy—any conspiracy.

“They never even caught me with a joint,” Stephanie says. “But 2,300 pounds? Conspiracy?! Evil.” Not only was zero evidence of participation (AKA conspiracy) found in her apartment, there was no concrete evidence that the calls and texts to “Crazy” in David’s cellphone went to Stephanie. When investigators contacted the company that owned the line belonging to “Crazy,” they were met with the following response:

“Search results indicate one or more of the numbers listed on the abovereferenced legal demand may belong to Boost, a Sprint prepaid phone service. Our office maintains subscriber information for Boost accounts, but this information is often inaccurate or incomplete.”

Her filed appeal makes note that the testimony given by David’s frightened henchmen constantly changed, repeatedly failing to corroborate or create probable timelines.

“Each of the cooperating witnesses offered sworn, inconsistent testimony that minimized his own involvement while increasing the amounts of marijuana sold by the other members of the conspiracy,” the appeal reads before launching into the myriad ways “conspiracy member” Stephanie— according to multiple men pictured on the aforementioned courtroom poster board—was simultaneously in more places than one, and in some instances, suddenly not even present depending on who was telling the tale and when.

Still, with no tangible evidence presented and an appeal that was quickly denied, Stephanie languished inside a federal prison with no way to make sense of the decade-long stretch that lay before her. More than just angry, she was embarrassed.

“I had family members who said, ‘You brought shame to our family.’” Stephanie says different opinions ran their course throughout the family, but

ultimately, the only one that mattered was her father’s. She explains:

“My father was born in 1919, in the Deep South, in Alabama.” She mentions that he’d already been through so much, and “to have him deal with his youngest child being called a drug dealer, it was hard. It was so hard.”

The story doesn’t end here. For the complete narrative of Stephanie Shepard’s personal plight and the cause she now champions for others, scan the QR below and continue reading online. Still to come: an indepth examination of her day-to-day challenges on probation, her tireless advocacy, and the personal convictions that drive her.

My father was born in 1919, in the Deep South, in Alabama . . . to have him deal with his youngest child being called a drug dealer, it was hard. It was so hard.

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SUPER FREAK? FREAK?

No Pressure, No Diamonds:

ELEV8 Founder Steve Kelnhofer isn’t Stopping

By Rudy Carrillo

Steve Kelnhofer is a freak—and we mean that the best possible sense of the word. That’s not just because he continues to defy the odds. His highly relatable, yet totally DIY approach to innovation, business, and success speaks for itself, sometimes in loud and proud defiance of the gone-corporate, button-down world that has evolved in today’s smoke shop industry.

As the CEO of Colorado-based ELEV8, Steve’s enterprise offers enlightened consumers everything from the latest designs in glassware to hands-on classes in glassblowing, to healthful CBD and artisanal cannabis flower products. All that plus heaps of educational and research resources on their main page, elev8presents.com, as well as community outreach in veteran’s health and agricultural sustainability projects, means that being a freak is still being the good guy.

An innovator and maverick at heart, Steve is the inventor of the Silver Surfer Vaporizer, a revolutionary concept when it was introduced in the early aughts. Notably and reliably, the Silver Surfer was the first vaporizer in the industry with a ceramic ruby crystalline heater.

More than that spectacular innovation, Steve and his work are important references, a keystone of sorts for what a business can become if guided by vision and personal commitment to both oneself and the customer-collaborators that grow business.

Steve came up during a time when the industry was mostly homegrown. The business models that flowered during those potent and past times tended toward the anarchic, in total contrast to those of today. More than twenty years on though, you can count on Him to offer an effective alternative to the mainstream—an alternative that remains innovative and profitable.

Continued on Page 58

It was all word of mouth . . . people would just hit me up and say, ‘Hey, I’d like to get one of those. My friend had one,’ and I’d say, ‘Sure, let’s go meet at the Home Depot parking lot.’

Talking to Steve to get an idea of what he represents in the newfangled world of smoking accessories is easy enough if you have time to acknowledge the past and can see the future, and the market as something that is dynamic and consumer-driven.

Steve’s story sounds like the stuff of myth, but the thing is, it’s all true. Speaking openly about what got the dude to where he is today, he recounts that it all started when he was working as an electrician, tinkering around with an idea that would spawn a smoking revolution.

at this point,” he begins. “I was in IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers), But I got busted growing pot. And in Colorado, even

cyber-venture) came about . . . it was originally called ‘Sex Sellz.’”

This inauspicious introduction to early internet-based marketing of lifestyle products led Kelnhofer to some profit, but more importantly it allowed him time to think about his big idea: a vaporizer that actually worked.

I went around to glass places around here and they didn’t know how to do it . . . So I got a book and I taught myself how to blow glass. I had a vision . . .

“So, I was already an electrician

back then, it was illegal as fuck. I got charged with a felony. We were in a recession and I was working on Riva Air Force Base. And so, I got laid off, and I taught myself HTML. I started out actually selling sex toys, and that’s how Seventh Floor (Steve’s first

“Because of that internet business, that’s where I started to get into this vaporizer project,” he recalls. He soon found that his main hurdle was sourcing the glass components he would need to complete his design. “I went around to glass places around here and they didn’t know how to do

it. One place said that it was a crack pipe, but they would make them for $80 each . . . So I got a book and I taught myself how to blow glass. I had a vision, and luckily, I was an electrician. I was already working with three-inch pipe . . . so I knew I could make it out of a piece of aluminum tubing. I came up with some ideas, but the glass was the problem that needed solving. Once

I started blowing glass in 2004, that was it.”

Steve’s conundrum eventually resulted in a production breakthrough, and once he got the materials sorted out, it was full steam ahead; the Silver Surfer was born.

“I started selling them on Craigslist,” he says. “I’d go to Home Depot, which

was just a little bit down the street (from my apartment) . . . and I’d pop my trunk, and people could just pick one out. At the time we had different color bases so they could pick their bases or their knob, and it was just crazy. Next was eBay. I sold a lot on eBay at the time.”

Navigating that new frontier of online and in-person sales wasn’t without

challenges. In those early days, when social media was still in its infancy, guerilla marketing was really the only avenue available, especially for a fledgling accessories company.

“It was all word of mouth,” Steve tells me. “I sold them to my friends. The internet was small, and Craigslist was easy; people would just hit me up and say, ‘Hey, I’d like to get one of those. My friend had one,’ and I’d say, ‘Sure, let’s go meet at the Home Depot parking lot.’ I didn’t know these people. But what was super dope about that is that my market really started opening up. I had people that were interested in the same thing as me. It was so tight . . . they would call me up like, ‘Hey man, did you think of this? Could you try it?’” This sense of collaboration, or “fan-involvement” as Steve puts it, not only increased

brand visibility, but also gave him a built-in group of beta testers. As a result, the Surfer continually improved, and sales soared.

“Slowly,” he summarizes, “the whole Surfer has been designed by fans saying, ‘Hey, can we do this?’”

The aughts proved to be a massive success for Steve and his crew. Sales continually climbed, and production expanded to the point where he found himself taking trips to China, at one point even entertaining the idea of buying his own factory.

“We were growing exponentially until about 2011,” he tells me, his voice oozing with nostalgia. “That was my best year.”

It stands to reason that his admittedly haphazard, nearly pirate-like

Slowly, the whole Surfer has been designed by fans saying, ‘Hey, can we do this?’

operation would peak around that time. Massive changes to the industry were on the horizon.

The first pen vaporizers showed up that very year, and not long after, Steve’s enterprise took a “downward turn.” He rightfully attributes it to the corporatization of the smoke and glass industries that came with the turning tide of mass acceptance and legalization. “That’s when big money started coming in,” he says bluntly. He then describes the scene when he visited the Pax headquarters, back then, called “Ploom,” and observed a wall of their warehouse covered in storyboards. The boards didn’t outline their design

ideas or their production schedule, but rather, as he tells it, their marketing plan.

“And I was like, ‘This is all just marketing. This is bullshit.’ And how stupid was I? Because it was about marketing. [Those guys] ended up selling their idea to Japan Tobacco International . . . now it’s us little people competing against literally the best marketers in the world.”

As the narrative unfolds, it’s hard not to think about the story of the Blackberry, the world’s first smartphone— designed and manufactured by a ragtag group of American tech entrepreneurs—that took the world by storm around the same time. It’s almost a mirror; the variables might be worlds apart, but the formula is the same. Self-made visionaries revolutionized the space, only to be outpaced by the next wave of big-money competition that was developing right under their noses. It’s such a beautifully tragic story that it was recently adapted as a film starring Glenn Howerton ( Always Sunny) and Jay Baruchel ( Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder ). The difference: Blackberry is gone. Steven and the Silver Surfer are still here—and Steve is still creating.

For Steve’s part, he’s at least tried to adapt—and has made a valiant effort of it to boot. In 2016, he released the Sidekick, ELEV8’s answer to the market’s evergrowing demand for portability in vaporizing—and he pulled out every stop in its design. Consumer reaction was tepid at best, but Steve stands by his creation.

“I truly believe that there’s nothing out there that can touch my Sidekick,” he states with not a trace of hesitance in his voice. He has a good argument on

Continued on Page 64

paper. The unit, lovingly designed by a veteran connoisseur for the veteran connoisseurs, boasts a 16” air path, a removable battery, a unique cooling rod system, and a built-in stir stick that allows the user to mix up the plant matter without removing the lid. Some may complain the unit comes in just a bit large, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a portable dry herb vape with a better price/value ratio. Your customers would be lucky to have one.

Steve blames the product’s mediocre sales on his own perceived shortcomings, repeatedly emphasizing throughout the conversation that he’s “a creator, not a businessman.”

“I don’t know how to get out there,” he admits, later candidly groaning “marketing is freaking crazy, man; it’s hard.”

The conversation is refreshingly frank. Nothing is rehearsed. There is no PR agent advising on what to say. Not once does Steve backtrack with the requisite “don’t print that.” In fact, it’s clear that his “bag of fucks— if you will—is completely empty. He’s comfortable in his skin, content with

both his place in the industry and the legacy he’s created, whether the market cares to heap the praises he deserves for his pioneering role or not. He doesn’t hesitate to name the distributors who came into the space and tried to bully him into submission, nor does he recoil from giving credit where its due. In fact, he’s lavish praise for his contemporaries.

“I wouldn’t be here without Bert,” he gushes, referencing the founder of the Vapor Brothers, yet another early innovator in the zero combustion space. “He created the first whip style, and I loved it.”

Corporatization may have complicated the market, but Steve has maintained an equilibrium nonetheless, managing to drive his business to a level of success that allows him to give back to the community. ELEV8’s Veteran’s project has been an outright success, providing free Silver Surfers to qualified military veterans. Meanwhile, ever the creator, Steve continues to branch out with new ideas, each a budding branch from the tree that is the Silver Surfer. His newest project might be the most daring; Elevate Pizza promises classic pies with a smoke

infused flavor that Steve swears will electrify the most jaded of palates. “It’s cooked at 800 degrees, but underneath it, I’ve created a system where it shoots smoke over the pizza while it’s cooking. We infuse smoke into the pizza, so when you eat it, you can taste it’s fucking smoked.”

Despite the occasional setback, the successes have outweighed the losses. Steve’s still very much in the game as the pizza venture tastefully illustrates. He isn’t a billionaire, but he’s still at the helm of a multipronged business that is by all accounts, a success. Most importantly, he’s content. He loves what he does and has no intention of stopping.

“I hope to be doing this till the day I die. No pressure, no diamonds. I’m down here building my Silver Surfers, and helping my team put them together. But man, I fucking love this! I love my customers. I love the people when they get involved.”

He pauses, for a minute and then punctuates his thought with a shrug.

“So how do we stay afloat? Get lucky with a great idea, I guess.”

So how do we stay afloat? Get lucky with a great idea, I guess.

I think . . . fighting against prohibition enforcement and the ills that it’s caused to the community is always going to be a really important part of how I move in the cannabis industry.

SAY IT OUT LOWD

Jesce Horton’s Twofold Mission

By Matt Weeks

W hat does a master’s student at Cornell, the founder of two nonprofits, and the entrepreneur behind a profitable venture do in his spare time?

If it’s Jesce Horton, he smokes cannabis. The brainy 40-year-old who heads LOWD cultivation company cuts an interesting figure in the cannabis space. Not only is he the rare cannabis executive who regularly partakes of his product, he both professionally and personally straddles the line between capitalism and social justice.

It’s not dramatic to say Horton represents everything voters were promised from legalization. He’s a smart, independent Black businessman who’s seen the back of a squad car. He founded a cannabis company in his basement and grew it into a multi-million-dollar business with his own hard work.

So, why is his story the exception instead of the rule?

All in the Timing

Horton’s success comes both from his own skills and a little luck. In late 2012, his company moved him to Portland, Oregon—just as the state legalized medical marijuana. Back then, the cannabis industry was welcoming to newcomers. It needed support from the populace, and the libertarian-minded state granted growers and users a great deal of discretion.

“It was an interesting time back then because if you had a medical card and you were growing plants for your own use, you could essentially take the left over and take it to any dispensary for them to sell,” Horton said. “There was no testing system or anything like that. So, I was able to benefit from that period in the industry.”

Education Pays

To hear Horton tell it, anyone can grow weed. What separates the sprouts at LOWD from the run-of-the-mill cannabis is its attention to detail. Horton’s success relies on his combination of passion and talent. An engineering major at Florida State University and a long-time smoker, he possessed both the technical skills and the discerning palette to grow top-shelf herb.

“Any good cultivator will tell you that cultivation is really all about systems and processes, checks and balances. My background in industrial engineering played a great role in my ability to develop systems that were conducive to high-quality cannabis,” Horton said. “On top of that, I had an electrical background as well, so I was able to implement things in the basement grow that traditionally would have needed a more seasoned electrician to do. I was able to use some controls that I learned at Siemens to wire in some systems and efficiencies to help me monitor and control my equipment.”

It’s interesting with cannabis legalization. They typically attach the [social] causes to the legislation, and that’s the reason that they want legalization. Then the dollars end up coming into play and they forget about those causes.

He enrolled in the medical program and started to grow a few plants in his basement. Soon, he was offloading large quantities of bud at local dispensaries. After a year of tinkering with lamps, swapping seeds, and devising new watering methods, Horton left his engineering job at Siemens to dedicate himself full-time to cannabis.

When he decided to go big, he did what all entrepreneurs do: begged for money. After phoning 2,000 people from a list of “potential cannabis investors” and getting zero interest, he turned to people he knew personally. It took some work, but he finally convinced his father, who spent seven years in prison on a cannabis charge, to invest $30,000. After that, other friends and family were close behind.

Seeding Equity

What made Horton’s investors different from the typical moneyed interests was its pigmentation. Like Horton, his investors are Black. That matters. Legalization was meant to at least address—if not fix—the racially-tinged past of the War on Drugs. But, by nearly every estimate, the laws have failed.

“I can go back to medical patients. That’s really where it came from. At first, it was all about patient access. Then, once recreational legalization comes in, the medical program is either gutted or completely eliminated,” he added. “Then they move onto wanting to get people out of jail. That was the next wave of reasons: there’s too many arrests, there’s too many people in jail. And then again, once the dollars start coming in, they start to reimplement prohibition enforcement policies like arrests and things like that to protect the businesses who want to make money. You’re seeing a reverse in what some of those initial causes they were pushing behind equity and legalization or legalization as a whole.”

But Horton is not content to be a pillar of what can go right in the space. He’s determined to turn the ideals of the law into reality.

A Bit of Hope

Toward those ends, he’s founded two nonprofit organizations focused on funding or growing companies operated by non-white executives—the Nuleaf Project and the Minority Cannabis Business Association. He also directs a third nonprofit called B3 (Ben’s Best Blnz) that was founded by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream fame. Eighty percent of B3’s profits get funneled back to Black cannabis entrepreneurs, while the remainder will be evenly divided between the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and the Last Prisoner Project (see page 30 for more on the latter.)

Slowly but surely, Horton’s work is forcing change.

“I think there’s a lot that can be done better without a doubt and I think that most people are right in causing and calling out those issues and that we are failing in many of those promises. However, there’s a lot of businesses that I meet and that I speak to on a weekly basis that are finding their way in the industry that are telling me that they have just gotten a license or that they found a location,” he said. “So, there is movement and there are amazing Black and Brown entrepreneurs that are finding their way in the industry, and they should be celebrated. But there’s a lot that we can do to improve that.”

That includes sticking with programs that push those affected by anti-cannabis laws to the front of the line for licenses, giving them time to grow, ending decades-old cannabis prohibitions, and making a concerted effort as consumers to back socially responsible businesses.

“I think that, because of my history with cannabis, my arrest and how it affected my life at the time and because of my dad’s history with cannabis and his time in prison, I think finding advocacy and community building and fighting against prohibition enforcement and the ills that it’s caused to the community is always going to be a really important part of how I move in the cannabis industry,” he said. “I’m a big consumer. I’m a connoisseur. I’m a grower. But equally, I’ve been affected in my life by some of the things that we’re seeing that are hurting the industry. So yes, it’s definitely a twofold thing for me.”

I’m a big consumer. I’m a connoisseur. I’m a grower. But equally, I’ve been a ected in my life by some of the things that we’re seeing that are hurting the industry. So yes, it’s definitely a twofold thing for me.”

UNLIKELY BEDFELLOWS

Stimulating Sales by Co-Mingling Categories

By Kim Airs

We’ve all been there. You’ve had a rough day of too much work, even if you’re working at home at your desk. You’re just pounding away at the keyboard, hoping for the time to pass more quickly than it does. But it doesn’t. You’ve resorted to a cup of coffee or two, then decide to treat yourself with a dash of sativa to pick up the pace of your day.

And then you’re done. Now what?

Here’s where the combo of pleasure products and cannabis come into play.

As we know, cannabis can light up every cell in your body and brain, whether it’s for relaxing or heightening sensations. No matter how it enters your body, through gummies, vaping, flower, resin, or through delicious bong hits, it’s the way to relax after a hard day or, depending on the strain, increase your energy to experience even more of the day (or night).

would introduce them to expanding their pleasure horizons.

Grouping things by color makes for exciting and eye-catching displays, while changing things up in your displays will always refresh your store, no matter what segment of retail you’re representing. In the years I’ve been in the pleasure products biz, I’ve seen so many stores keep products grouped together (anal toys, g-spot

See where they have their smoke section in an adult store and, if you’re in the smoke business, see if they offer adult products. In a smoke shop, specifically ask the staff for adult products and see what their reaction is. It’s a great way to learn the way a customer may respond in your own store and a way to have staff expand their knowledge to offer these products.

Organization is great, but a little strategic displacement can go a long way to exposing a customer to something new they wouldn’t have otherwise purchased.

How about increasing your high with adult toys and products and pairing them in your smoke shop? You don’t need to offer a ten-inch dong to go with the ten inch-bong(!) but you could start displaying pleasure combos such as a CBD/THC massage oil next to some personal lubricants and a little sex toy, all gathered together next to a popular edible. People often need to view a suggested collection to let them see what would make a nice addition to their standard purchase. Perhaps offering a special price for the collection

toys, dildos, etc.), never diverting from this predictable formula of categorization. Organization is great, but a little strategic displacement can go a long way to exposing a customer to something new they wouldn’t have otherwise purchased. It’s easy to take one or two of the same product and put them in a different department, which encourages customers to see other things, especially when a staff member is unable to personally guide them around the store. It is also a gateway to upselling if a customer is interested in one of the different products.

Here’s a thought: Have you ever done secret shopping in a similar store? It’s a great way to get a feel of how other stores are offering products you’re already familiar with. I’ve always found this is a fun thing to do, especially when I am traveling and won’t get recognized!

When it comes to adult products, there’s so much more to offer to your customers than just information about tokes, vapes, glassware and kratom. Many pleasure product distributors offer free product training provided by manufacturers through various video platforms, which is a fantastic way to learn more about the adult product world. Expanding your knowledge and retailing horizons is always available at your fingertips.

There are many pleasure product companies that are devoting a variety of gizmos to appeal to stoners of every age. There are vibrators that have pot leaf designs right on them and many even have clever names to appeal directly to the toking crowd.

Just flip through the pages of HQ and support those manufacturers that pay attention to YOU! You’ll be glad you did!

Available through our distribution partners:

LET YOUR FLESHLIGHT SHINE

Insert Here for a Skinsational Experience

By Darin Burt

The marketplace is increasingly flooded with products that prioritize technology and artificial experiences, often at the expense of authenticity. This trend has left many yearning for something more tangible and real in their quest for pleasure. Fleshlight provides exactly that—a range of products designed with a focus on genuine, immersive experiences.

Fleshlight’s now-classic design is more than meets the eye. Crafted with durable ABS plastic to resemble an overstuffed flashlight, it’s lowmaintenance, body-safe, and travelready. But the real treasure lies inside – soft, supple sleeves packed with a plethora of stimulating textures, bumps, and ridges that give a sensation rivaling the real thing. Taking it a step further, several models even offer adjustable suction control for a customized, intensified experience. Yowza!

But let’s go back to the beginning, when necessity gave birth to invention, as it’s so often known to do. The opening scene begins thus: Steve Shubin and his expectant wife, Kathy find themselves facing a highrisk pregnancy, prompting a doctor’s order for nine months of abstinence. Yes, nine months. Rather than take it lying down (admittedly odd phrasing for the context) the pair instead decided to get creative. Armed with $50,000 in investment funds and a curious spirit, they began their exploration, eventually discovering

the now famous SuperSkin material. With this revelation, Fleshlight, an intimate pleasure product ingeniously concealed within an everyday object, was born.

Fast forward to 1997, the year when Fleshlight secured its patent. The Fleshlight family expanded to encompass various orifices and textures that defy categorization.

They have since amassed over a billion dollars in sales since their inception, with the classic vaginathemed models accounting for a staggering 90% of their sales.

One of the most compelling aspects of Fleshlight for retailers is its established brand name and a captivating lineup of strokers modeled after and endorsed by

A-list adult stars. The Fleshlight Girls collection features sought-after names, including Riley Reid, Mia Malkova, and Elsa Jean, just to name a few. These stars actively contribute to the molding process, ensuring a remarkably lifelike experience for their fans.

The aforementioned SuperSkin material—the discovery that started it all—remains at the core of what makes this product line stand out. The material, engineered to replicate the sensations of real intimacy, is speculated to be a blend of premium mineral oil and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), though the exact composition remains a closely guarded secret. What sets SuperSkin apart is its reputation for unrivaled lifelike quality, softness (thanks to the mineral oils), and bodysafe properties.

The Fleshlight team continues to pursue cutting edge innovation, as illustrated by their expanding product lineup, which now includes vibrators and lifelike recreations of male adult stars. Whether it’s the inconspicuous design, the incredibly lifelike SuperSkin material, or the capacity to bring the most vivid visual fantasies to life, Fleshlight has evolved beyond its status as a simple sex toy to deliver

cleaning—in one end, out the other), and the high-tech Fleshlight Launch that automates the experience and syncs with interactive content. But as the classic television announcer would say, WAIT! There’s more! Fleshlight now offers the Turbo (which provides a unique oral sex simulation), the Stamina Training (for exactly what you think), and the Ice series (which features a transparent sleeve, offering an eye-full of excitement.)

The acclaim Fleshlight has received stems from its commitment to authentic sensation, o ering a depth and genuineness of pleasure that resonates with users.

a level of satisfaction that obliterates expectations.

And now for the “but wait, there’s more” portion. There’s the Flight series (the new aerodynamically designed, travel-friendly version of the classic), the open-ended Quickshot (appreciated for its ease of

The acclaim Fleshlight has received stems from its commitment to authentic sensation, offering a depth and genuineness of pleasure that resonates with users. By introducing Fleshlight into your offerings, you provide your customers with an invitation to explore a deeper, more intimate level of sensory experience that celebrates the inherent pleasures of touch.

Lupe Martinez, Austin Ferdinand & Susan Colvin

CalExotics: 30

Years & Counting

A PLEASURE TO SERVE

By Darin Burt

Ever wonder how an industry dominated by adult videos and magazines got a passionate makeover?

Meet Susan Colvin, the visionary behind CalExotics, where pleasure and innovation dominate the scene. As CalExotics marks its 30th anniversary, we uncover the alluring story of a brand that has set hearts racing and pulses pounding.

In the mid-1980s, Colvin stepped into the adult space, ready to shake things up and bring a splash of color, style, and passion to a market that was, well, in dire need of a little spice. With a devilish grin and an unyielding belief in the power of pleasure, Colvin set out to turn the world of adult novelties on its head.

But let’s rewind the tape a bit. Back then, adult products were hush-hush, nudge-nudge, wink-wink, tucked away in the dimly

First ANME 1996

lit corners of windowless stores, overshadowed by the towering presence of adult videos and magazines. Vibrators were dull, noisy, and about as exciting as beige wallpaper. Generally, the products were unimaginative devices lacking in any real style, innovation or reliability.

Colvin, however, saw the potential for a revolution in pleasure—a colorful, innovative, and inclusive one.

“I wanted to make products that catered to women and couples,” Colvin recalls, her eyes sparkling with determination. “And I wanted to change the packaging—make it more inviting for all types of consumers.”

Thus, California Exotic Novelties, or CalExotics, as we fondly know it today,

Original Employee

was born on January 1, 1994, right in the heart of Los Angeles. With a humble beginning on the corner of Halldale and Adams Streets (but now with an expansive headquarters in the quiet community of Chino), CalExotics was about to show the world that pleasure was not just a secret affair but a vibrant celebration.

From day one, CalExotics set its sights on rewriting the pleasure product rulebook. Colvin handpicked an all-women team of product developers, determined to create offerings that catered to everyone – women, men, couples, and beyond. And create they did –introducing innovations that left the industry wideeyed and literally buzzing with excitement.

But innovation wasn’t the only priority. CalExotics understood the importance of packaging and marketing, opting for professional photo shoots and tastefully crafted materials that appealed to a diverse audience. Their approach wasn’t just about selling products; it was about fostering connections and building trust—a philosophy that resonated deeply with consumers. Simple concepts like this would create a long list of industry firsts for the company.

CalExotics Employess & Friends

All formerly with CPLC

In an industry where change was often met with raised eyebrows, CalExotics dared to challenge the status quo. “Many thought it was crazy to cater to women and couples. They also thought that people cared more about price than quality,” Colvin says. “But now, three decades later, we’ve changed the business of pleasure forever.”

Over the years, CalExotics has witnessed significant

growth and pivotal moments that have shaped its trajectory. One such milestone occurred with the widespread recognition of the Jack Rabbit following its starring role in an episode of “Sex and the City.” Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of the Dr. Laura Berman massager on her television show in 2009 further propelled CalExotics into the spotlight.

In 2015, the company underwent a transformative rebranding, officially adopting the name, CalExotics. This strategic transition marked a milestone in the company’s evolution, aiming to infuse the brand with a contemporary appeal while maintaining its authentic connection with consumers.

Indeed, CalExotics has become the crown jewel in the realm of pleasure products, offering an extensive lineup that caters to all preferences, orientations, genders, and identities across every product category and price range. But what truly sets CalExotics apart is the loyal fanbase that surrounds it.

“The people in our industry are the most passionate, caring individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” says Colvin endearingly. “We all share a proud sense of community.”

This connection is particularly notable through the industry’s collaboration with the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), where companies and individuals unite to safeguard the rights and liberties of the adult industry.

Colvin doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the challenges along the way. Changing consumer perceptions was one of the biggest hurdles, she admits. The goal was to make products more inviting, offer warranties, and boost consumer confidence.

Roxana Mendoza, Austin Ferdinand, Susan Colvin, Lupe Martinez, Mariana Cabanas, & Nichole Grossman 2022

Jackie White, Susan Colvin, Austin Ferdinand & Lupe Martinez 2019

CalExotics HQ 2015

The people in our industry are the most passionate, caring individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

“We strive to develop a relationship with the end consumer where they know and trust CalExotics,” she explains. “We use our packaging to tell the story and connect with consumers in a way that keeps them coming back to our brand for their pleasure product needs.”

Looking ahead, Colvin envisions an industry that continues to evolve toward more inclusivity, as well as catering to niche desires and communities, with advanced product features and technology at its forefront. For example,

CalExotics is set to launch the CalExotics Connect collection in 2024, featuring six different product styles equipped with app-based technology. This allows couples to connect in various ways, whether they’re in bed together, across the room, or even miles apart.

Social media, Colvin says, plays an important role in amplifying CalExotic’s reach and opening the door to new consumers. It allows brands and retailers to share with and educate people in a way that was previously impossible, she points out. “An educated consumer will be more open to our products,” Colvin insists. “It’s why we’ve teamed up with experts like Dr. Joel Kaplan, Sue Johanson, Dr. Laura Berman, and Dr. Sherry Ross.”

In the playground of pleasure products, CalExotics boasts a dazzling lineup of best-sellers, from the iconic Jack Rabbit to the California Dreaming collection with its bold styles, bright colors, and powerful stimulation features, as well as a variety of “couples’ enhancers” that create intimate fun for both partners. Oh, and don’t forget, penis and anal pleasure products; there’s something for everyone and every desire.

Susan

Susan Colvin 2019

We want CalExotics to continue to be a brand that helps cultivate a happier you.

So, what’s next on the horizon for CalExotics? “Our goal is to continue to grow our brand by offering the best products and services,” Colvin shares. “We’re always working on new products and collections that are more inclusive and push boundaries of innovation.”

“We’re also working toward positively impacting the world by enriching the lives of our team members, their families, and the community,” she adds. “We want CalExotics to continue to be a brand that helps cultivate a happier you.”

Susan Colvin 1994

Left to Right: Dr. Laura Berman

Dr. Sherry Ross

Sue Johanson

Chino HQ 1994

Sizzling Sellers that Put the “F” in Functional

Rocks O RO-80mm Rainbow Bullet Vibe

Add a psychedelic splash of color and a whole lot of pleasure to your life with the Rocks Off Bullet 80mm Rainbow Vibrator. This exquisite vibrator is designed to tantalize and tease, offering seven settings of ecstatic sensation. Packed full of passionately powerful intense vibes, it’ll have you weak at the knees and begging for more.

Measuring just 3.1” in length, its discreet design allows it to slip into a purse or pocket, ensuring you’re never without your pulsating partner. One of the standout features of this incredible little vibrator is its ability to target your sweet spots for hip-shaking clitoral stimulation. Plus, the RO-80mm special edition bullet vibrator is fully waterproof and submersible, making it a fantastic companion at bath time. Great news for retailers and customers: the RO80mm is priced lower than your morning latte and muffin! And the best part? Batteries ARE included.

Tenga Eggs

Timid about exploring personal pleasure? Don’t be a chicken! The Tenga Egg begs to be laid—if you catch my drift. These innovative Japanesedesigned disposable strokers come in a variety of textures with bumps, nibs, and grooves that truly intensify sensations. Each egg has a removable hard plastic “shell” which you “peel” to find a sachet of lube, some instructions, and a squishy “inner egg” section that slides over the shaft and expands to a whopping 12 inches in length and 8 inches in girth, so you’re all but guaranteed a perfect fit no matter what your size. For retailers looking to add a bit of “egg-citement” to their shelves without being too intimidating, the Tenga Eggs are packed in a clear egg carton containing six matte white oversized eggs, each labeled with a graphic depicting the inner texture. Whether you like your eggs scrambled, over easy or hard boiled, Tenga has your order ready.

Our papers are crafted in France and Spain using nely pressed plant, bamboo, organic hemp and Medicago sativa ber as well as acacia tree sap as an all-natural gumline.

PARDON ME,SIR

Love Him or Hate Him, Biden Keeps Delivering Big Wins for Cannabis

By Rudy Carrillo

Featuring headlines that cannabis aficionados from the 1980s and 1990s might have mistaken for science fiction, the US government—directed by people’s advocate and President Joe Biden— changed course recently. The President’s team issued pardons and proclamations aimed at reducing the ill effects that years of cannabis policy mismanagement had wrought on individual citizens.

Though casual and political observers alike have often placed Biden on the fence with regards to his position on marijuana possession and consumption, the President did much to clarify his intentions with executive orders pardoning those most affected by the draconian federal marijuana laws established as part of “the War on Drugs” more than 30 years ago.

Here’s a beginning to the backstory— or the end of it, depending on your perspective and experience. In 2022, Biden issued a presidential proclamation pardoning individuals convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal and Washington, D.C. statutes. Biden went on the record when that

quest for cannabis justice, using the presidential proclamation to urge state governments to take similar actions and imploring federal agencies like Health and Human Services and the Justice Department to review their classification of marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic, a dangerous substance.

Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit.

- President Joe Biden

executive order was processed, telling Americans, “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit.”

Biden went a few steps further in his

And now, just a year after POTUS’ stunning announcement and actions, Biden has once again stepped into the fray, expanding the scope and scale of the proclamation he issued in October of 2022.

In addition to pardoning those affected by unfair federal possession laws, the latest writ from our president also pardons those convicted of cannabis use and possession on some federal lands.

Continued on Page 96

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According to progressive outlet NPR, the new legislation is more focused than its predecessor, as the pardons “encompass U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who committed or were convicted of simple possession, attempted simple possession or use of marijuana — regardless of whether the offender had been charged or prosecuted yet.”

This executive order clearly signals a sea change in American cannabis policy. While announcing this latest presidential order, Biden also pardoned 11 individuals who he believes are serving disproportionately long prison terms for crimes like simple possession of cannabis. Biden’s reflection on such actions shows the President has an evolving set of beliefs regarding the matter: “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

Vice President Kamala Harris got on board the justice train, too, agreeing with Biden’s perspective on marijuana possession and archaic sentencing laws, telling the press, “As I have declared many times before, no one should be in prison simply for smoking weed.”

Looking forward, especially during an election year, can be hard for leaders and pundits alike. But the Biden Administration has unequivocally demonstrated an interest in setting years of bad legislative and judicial decisions aside in favor of a more nuanced look at how

cannabis forms an intrinsic part of American culture, a phenomenon that needn’t be judged as something either criminal or unforgivable.

But instead of speculating about what the future holds, sometimes looking back at the past can give us all a reason to move forward. ***

Back in 1988, this reporter was just leaving college. In his final year, he made friends during an organic chemistry class, with a botanist named Mark. Mark was a peaceloving and educated man. He had spent most of his time in grad school, working out the horticultural basis for high yield, high THC, indoor grown cannabis and afterwards set up a grow room in an Airstream trailer he parked in the mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mark had long hair and liked to listen to the Grateful Dead at high volume while working on his project. His mere appearance and musical proclivities made his rural neighbors suspicious and soon the police came knocking, to tell him to turn down the music and follow the neighborhood association compact. Based on Mark’s appearance and his disdain for their presence on his land, the case was referred to the local office of the DEA.

I went out to his house one day to visit, and he made a point of showing off the 25 plants he had nurtured and grown into high-quality specimens using 5-gallon buckets. I stayed the weekend under a large picture

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.

President Joe Biden

window in his living room. When the weekend ended, I went back to town to work on my dissertation.

That next Friday I heard the bad news: sometime after I left, the DEA raided Mark’s property with police dogs and percussive grenades. One of the grenades was propelled through the picture window, shattering it and deafening Mark in the process. After being dragged out of the house and waiting six months in a supermax prison, he was sentenced, under federal guidelines, to serve 20 years behind bars.

About five years later, he was granted a new trial, based on the methods the feds had used to arrest him for marijuana possession. Mark and his ankle monitor made their way back to Albuquerque, where he took a job as a cook at a local bagel restaurant and awaited yet another trial by fire. When we met up, he mostly told me how afraid he was. He was tired of the beatings, the lack of opportunity and the end of a promising career as a scientist.

Two weeks later, in the spring of 1997, he left the ankle monitor in a toilet stall at the restaurant and hitchhiked to the border in El Paso. I never saw him again.

If Biden’s step over the fence is to mean anything, it should signal the end of stories like this, tales where youth and education are not only thwarted by an overzealous federal government, but where tragedy follows by the bucketful.

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By Matt Weeks

What do you know about cannabis? Seriously, ask yourself that question.

Maybe you know how some strains affect you. You may know a few active ingredients. Perhaps you can explain a bit about how it functions within your body.

But there’s a chance— and not a small one— that at least some of this information is not true. That won’t come as a shock. Cannabis enthusiasts are both the most informed consumers and the ones calling loudest for more research. They accept that our best conception of cannabis is probably incomplete and might be somewhat wrong.

that cannabis has no medicinal value and that every benefit brought by cannabis products was a placebo? Would anyone actually change their opinion? Probably not.

the means to hijack our emotional responses in ways that make us deny our reality so that they substitute another, more advantageous version. Just look at the evidence.

THE ECONOMICS OF THE INTERNET CREATED A TWISTED SET OF INCENTIVES THAT MAKE TRAFFIC MORE IMPORTANT—AND MORE PROFITABLE—THAN THE TRUTH.

Ryan Holiday

But what if it’s completely wrong? What if it could be proven conclusively

This thought experiment serves to highlight a weakness in modern society. Bombarded with endless information, we’ve largely lost our ability to discern truth from fiction, separate opinion from fact, and judge objective reality. Powerful forces have

The Rise of Alternative Facts

There is no place more subject to modern reality distortion than politics. Take, for example, the day Donald Trump was sworn in as President. It was a cold and wet day, normal weather for D.C. in mid-January. Likely as a result of the dreary weather, the number of attendees, estimated at approximately 300,000 (roughly the same as George W. Bush) fell below that of Obama, who’s first inauguration saw an estimated 1.8

Continued on Page 102

Trust Me, I’m Lying

By Ryan

Holiday

400 Pages (Paperback)

259 Pages (Hardcover)

6:25:00 (Audio)

million in attendance. But when Sean Spicer took to the podium the next day to deliver his first conference as press secretary, he insisted the crowd was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.”

When asked about these provably false statements on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that weekend, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway insisted the press secretary didn’t lie—he had offered “alternative facts.” It was a phrase that perfectly captured the heart hallmark of the Information Age. Conway asserted a new political epistemology. There is not a single reality with two ways of looking at it; there are two realities.

Awed at Conway’s chutzpah, pundits noted the similarities between the Trump administration and the allcontrolling government from George Orwell’s novel “1984.” He wrote: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth

By Jonathan Rauch

318 Pages (Hardcover) 12:23:00 (Audio)

Truth vs. Profi t

When Colleen Gay resigned as the president of Harvard shortly after Christmas, the national media was quick to frame her ouster as the result of two separate causes. The first was how she answered a question about protests on campus over the IsraelPalestine war. The second concerned

charges of plagiarism on her academic record.

These were complex—and odd— reasons for a resignation. And the extent to which each influenced your understanding of what ultimately led to her removal depends on the media you consumed. As Ryan Holiday explains in his book, “Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator,” everyone’s worldview is influenced by the way information is generated online. Unfortunately, that means that our media institutions are at the peril of market forces. “The economics of the Internet created a twisted set of incentives that make traffic more important—and more profitable—than the truth,” he wrote.

Throughout his tenure as the Director of Marketing for American Apparel, Holiday used these economic incentives to his advantage, finding surprisingly effective ways to sneak stories into major media outlets and bypass their fact checkers. But what scared him more than his success was discovering just how little fact checking mattered. It turns out that even when news outlets issued corrections about Holiday’s bogus stories, they didn’t change minds. In fact, people are more likely to think false claims are true after the claims have received a correction. Pandora can’t close the box.

Continued on Page 104

Who Fact Checks the Fact Checkers?

By David Pogge

That’s the refrain you hear echoing through the cavernous halls of the internet, usually from armchair skeptics who are convinced their late-night YouTube benders have earned them an honorary doctorate and possibly unlocked the secrets of the cosmos. Newsflash: they haven’t—on either front. Sure, it’s a fair question. In fact, it’s a question you need to ask. But thinking it’s a mind-bender that’ll upend millennia of collective wisdom? Nah, dawg. It’s been covered. You just need to catch up with the rest of us.

So, whose job is it then to play the role of truth police to the truth police? Look in the mirror, Einstein. It’s you. It’s me. It’s all of us. Every time we peruse an exposé from Snopes or Politifact, or any of the other

‘myth-busters,’ we’re in the judge’s seat. We probe their methods, size up their evidence, and then—big moment here— we decide if they’re legit or if they’re full of shit. Publications like these have attained the role of trusted fact checker by showing their work and demonstrating a consistent adherence to an objective process over time, thereby establishing credibility.

The beauty of legitimate fact checkers is they don’t play the game of ‘absolute truths.’ They’re not psychics or soothsayers. Instead, they present the assertion in question, analyze the data, and say, “Based on A, B, and C, we believe this to be [true/false]. See for yourself.” It’s an open, observable process that

presents a falsifiable conclusion, meaning a statement that could hypothetically be proven wrong through evidence. This is all part of the process known as “empirical rationalism,” a concept developed by the Enlightenment philosophers that still serves as our basis for collective knowledge today and underpins such fact-finding methods as modern judiciary practices, objective philosophy, and even the scientific method.

I’m not saying they nail it every time— nobody’s perfect, after all. But betting on their batting average isn’t a bad gamble, thanks to this collectively developed, tried-and-true system.

In January 2017, Sean Spicer lied about the weather to people who had, just hours before, experienced a cold, rainy day. Was it merely a case of brazen dishonesty meant to frame his boss in a (literal) better light … or was this the opening shot of the War on Reality?

Whose Truth is it, Anyway?

To be clear, reality denial is not a right or left issue. Or rather, it’s both. Troll culture and cancel culture share the same DNA, according to Jonathan Rauch, author of “The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth.” His research finds that all political factions have propaganda mechanisms that are “rooted in a sophisticated understanding of human cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities” and, crucially, use digital technology “to amplify their speed and reach.”

Imagine a good friend suddenly reversed all their opinions on every moral, economic, and social issue. Would this affect how much you want to hang out with them? They would be the same person, but chances are you’d want less to do with them. You would feel that they changed on a deep level, even if everything in their life remained the same.

If we can understand the same people as completely different people depending only on what they think, their minds—to some degree—shape our reality.

as we understand it. For example, if you read a news article stating a new species of shark has been discovered, you’ll believe this “fact” instantly. Most of the time, anyway.

Scientists have found there is a small window after we learn a new fact when we can teach our brains to “un-believe” it. Imagine seeing an outrageous headline, then glancing up to discover it was posted by the satirical paper The Onion. In this case, you’d immediately discount its veracity. This can happen with all facts—so long as doubt is introduced shortly after discovery.

WHAT IS REAL?

The human animal, like the wolf, survives through community. On some level, the most important decisions we make when assessing a new idea is whether it will help us socially. This is why, once an idea becomes central to our identity, it’s near impossible to change it. We don’t want to risk losing our social circles. The psychologist Daniel Kahan calls this “identityprotective cognition” and says it’s a bedrock component of the human psyche.

Is it Already Too Late?

Neuroscience research suggests that we believe something is true as soon as we understand it. If we see a pen sitting on a desk, we don’t question whether it’s real. We instantly accept that it is. Seeing is believing.

Something similar happens with ideas. If we read an assertion of fact, we immediately believe it as soon

Humans can train themselves to do this automatically, but it’s not easy. For years, experts have insisted the best defense against realitydenying news is a deep media training. They say we must learn to read skeptically. We must always be on guard for deep fakes and AI hallucinations. We must not believe our eyes and ears. It is their final, most essential command.

Luckily, there is another tract that is gaining scientific attention that may provide humanity with a pathway back to a shared objective reality. It’s part of a new vein of research called the Science of Attention, and it might provide our last, best hope to resist a deeply fragmented world.

We must be always on guard for deep fakes and AI hallucinations. We must not believe our eyes and ears. It is their final, most essential command.

15K+

By Sofia Noillif

IN WE TRUST

Volume 3: The Execution

Our industry is rapidly evolving. We’re experiencing the ripple effects of an over-digitized world, driven by a rejuvenated consumer base that pulsates to the rhythm of auto-tuned sexbots masquerading as pop stars. While we await the day artificial intelligence might render the Terminator saga prophetic, the venerable old-school shops, once interwoven on the fringes of society, find themselves sidelined by corporate America’s newcomers riding the crest of legalization. Our beloved local shops who for decades thrived on a culture made of human connections and personal interactions might be facing its biggest monster yet, as the war on cannabis is taking its last breath. But if our industry is known for something – besides being the dopiest – it is for its relentless resiliency.

This is where data analytics steps into the fray. Like David uses Goliath’s own sword to vanquish him, any local shop can harness the power of the digital leviathan for its own advantage, offering corporate titans a taste of their own medicine. However, the OGs in our industry possess something that eludes any corporate playbook, a secret ingredient that no merger, acquisition, or diversification can replicate. It is the rooted appreciation for an enduring culture, one that’s founded on the quintessential traits that make us human.

The Datanamics

“You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure.” You hear it constantly, likely most often from the young, digitally savvy members of your team. They get it. In truth, though, this wisdom traces back to Peter Drucker, a distinguished figure from the now-gone age group we revere as the “Greatest Generation.” Gen Z, you might be wondering if I’m veering off topic but rest assured, I’m not. The essence here is simple: If a man armed only with a typewriter and a penchant for calculators was aware of the power of data, shouldn’t you be as well?

In today’s marketplace, the journey to understanding, reaching, and engaging your target audience invariably circles back to data. This invaluable asset offers a roadmap to tailor your strategies with precision.

Building your Data Pool: Attracting and Engaging Potential Customers

In our fiercely competitive and saturated market, the battle for our customers’ attention is never-ending. After all, our average customer may face 99 problems, but finding a store that offers the necessary supplies isn’t one. How do we attract and retain new customers in the digital age? Luckily, we’ve once again brought in Dr. Gaby Pogge, our data scientist friend with a PhD in Social Psychology, to help us put a plan together.

The straightforward, though challenging, answer is to refine and expand your web and digital marketing strategies. “With a crowded marketplace, companies need to distinguish themselves from their competitors,” Dr. Pogge explains. “An effective and efficient way to do this is to find your target audience in their preferred online spaces and provide useful and informative content that attracts them to your online or physical storefront. In marketing circles, this is what is known as ‘inbound methodology.’” Let’s break that down into edible, tasty terpene-filled pieces.

Begin with your social media presence by ensuring you’re active on the appropriate platforms. Younger demographics, particularly Gen Z, prefer TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, often viewing Facebook as a “cheugy” platform favored by millennials and boomers. But before you all-out abandon Zuck and his content-moderating minions, continue reading.

Facebook is a goldmine for industry-specific communities, offering a treasure trove of opportunities to uncover new store openings, spot emerging competitors, or dive into cannabis-themed groups to connect with your ideal customers. The aim is to transform these prospects into loyal patrons through targeted interactions. However, to truly resonate with younger audiences, it’s imperative to master their digital vernacular, serving up content that speaks directly to their interests and comfort zones. These groups act as your compass, pointing you to the heart of the action. Social media is without question the most affordable platform for engaging directly with your audience, leading them seamlessly to your online and physical storefronts. Forget about shelling out for paid ads; by crafting compelling content yourself, you can naturally draw customers to you. Continued on next page

Measuring Website Performance

Inbound methods allow you to attract potential customers to you without a dollar of ad spend. But how can you know if your inbound strategy is working for you?

“To effectively leverage inbound marketing, you need to know how visitors arrive to your site and the content they engage with when they get there,” Dr. Pogge explains. “Understanding traffic sources to your website and what users do when they arrive empowers you to make SEO and content decisions that will attract and engage your target audience, and ultimately, drive sales and revenue.”

Owning a website is good and owning a website that boosts your sales is fantastic. But you need to know how different aspects of your website are performing to make the most informed decisions. So, how can we measure website performance? Enter Google Analytics. And yes, for those wondering, Google Analytics does have a free version brimming with features perfect for individual sites and businesses on the smaller side.

Think of Google Analytics as your key to upgrading from the classic Ford Model A to the sleek Tesla Model S. Google Analytics collects demographic information based on the browsing data and activity associated with Google accounts. It’s a dashboard that not only tracks how visitors land on your site, be it through Google, Facebook, or referrals but also reveals their behaviors—like their favorite pages on your site—and their demographics, including age and gender. This information is a gold mine to understand the composition of your audience and tailor your content and marketing strategies accordingly.

While the sheer number of features on Google Analytics might seem daunting, the core functions—understanding your audience, analyzing traffic sources, monitoring user interactions, evaluating content, and tracking conversions—are surprisingly user-friendly. These essentials can significantly impact your business, even if you’re not the most tech-savvy entrepreneur. Pair this analytical power with a smart, wellexecuted social media campaign, and you’re set to become the brightest star in today’s crowded digital sky, drawing customers right to your doorstep. Here, you can work your traditional magic and convert visitors into loyal patrons.

Going Full Circle

Beyond customer acquisition, the true value lies in building customer loyalty. Acquiring a customer is only half the battle; the real challenge lies in retaining them. Once a customer is in your store, you have the opportunity to gather valuable information and customize your products and services to meet their needs.

One powerful way to gather data is by strategically leveraging your POS system. By encouraging customers to sign up for loyalty programs and provide basic information such as their name, email, contact number or social media accounts during transactions, you can capture valuable data. Tracking individual customer purchases allows you to gain insights into their preferences, frequency of visits, and spending habits and to tie it back together with your digital marketing strategy.

Armed with this information, you can tailor your promotions to reach specific customer segments, identify best-selling products and determine peak buying times. By implementing personalized marketing campaigns and utilizing targeted advertising on social media platforms, you can effectively re-engage existing customers and become a fierce competitor—even in a world of giants. 305-604-7964

WORDS. WORDS. WORDS?

By Rudy Carrillo

Words have meaning, but we all know that the meanings of words change over time. If you’re still not sure of that, the next time Christmas rolls around, have a listen to the classic yuletide tune, “Deck the Halls”.

But it’s not just a fact that the meanings of words evolve over time and through repeated usage; some words get eliminated from use all together, are forgotten, and then come up again in conversation and business, as social and legal mores among humans themselves change and evolve.

Whoa. What does that mean? Well to start out, here’s a little story about the words we use, can’t use, haven’t used, are forbidden from using and will surely use again … all as they relate to the humble smoke shop, hemp, and cannabis industries in the good old USA.

The OGs reading this article may recall a time between about 1965 and the late 70s when just about anything went, language-wise. Back in that beforetime, smoke

Re-Examining the Delicate Language of Head Shops

shops were known as head shops, because, like wow, man, that’s where you went to feed your, uh, head!

During this essentially pre-regulatory time, customers were free to walk around the store talking about hookahs, bongs, and joints, but due to a strongly enforced federal law, the M-word was always strictly verboten. That prohibition has rung true until recently, when nationwide legalization efforts changed the rules of the word meaning game, again.

To counter the cruel linguistic situation caused by erasing the word “marijuana” and similar terms from the world of small business, folks like you and me relied on slang and hipster talk to get them through.

Back then, words like grass and herb and sasquatch (just kidding!) were being used as a code to talk about cannabis in retail situations where saying the M-word could literally bring the police and get you put in front of a judge. Eventually, however, the fuzz caught on and those words became taboo as well. By the 90s, any reference whatsoever to the sticky icky, whether coded or not, was likely to get you tossed straight out of your local head shop—which at that point, was more likely identified as an extra cool tobacco outlet.

And just so you don’t have to go through such a heady experience yourself, dear reader, Headquest has done it for you … well, at least the judge part.

We talked to Leonard Frieling about the nature of those once forbidden words. Frieling is a former Colorado Judge who has acted as a cannabis advocate and is very knowledgeable about the evolving laws and language of the smoke shop.

All the rules have changed. Or have they?

He had a lot to say about how restrictions on language shape our ideas of what’s acceptable and what’s not, ultimately influencing the choices we make and maybe even the products we buy.

We reminded Frieling that something like that happened in 1970, when the feds began cracking down on personal marijuana use, gravely remembering that we know that in the 1970s head shops were bizarrely free in what they were doing; up until a point, that is.

Continued on page 116

Ed Quest

Shops of that era sold all kinds of paraphernalia and didn’t seem to care about the legal nuances, but by the early eighties state legislation aimed at restricting language because it referred to illegal activities and substances became a common outcome for local and regional drug war efforts.

In quick order shop owners and consumers faced harsh language restrictions.

Frieling riffed on that historical context, reminding us all that it comes down to the law and how a law specifies its requirements by spelling them out. At the time this wordbanning all went down, there was an aggressive drug war going on in America that targeted casual users of cannabis. Small businesses would regret any association with drug users, many lawmakers felt, and so their legislation began to demonize words by making their use illegal too.

“Here’s a simplified example,” Frieling told HQ, “I have a screwdriver within reach. I can use it for a legal purpose, but if I stick it through somebody’s temple or into their carotid, it’s frowned upon. That’s an illegal purpose. Same screwdriver. So, if I have a store called murder weapons R us with racks of screwdrivers and hacksaws and sledgehammers and the like . . . I can’t define their use for an illegal purpose . . . I’m breaking the law if I do.” He then draws the obvious comparison to pipes and their intended use, finishing with, “On the other hand, if my sign says ‘tobacco products,’ I’m okay.”

This sort of thinking was essential for survival in the past when federal enforcement of anti-cannabis laws was at its

peak (think through the end of the 20th century and into about 2005), but what about today, when many smoke shops are catering to consumers who are buying and using perfectly legal cannabis products?

After our long talk with the judge, and after hearing his considered opinion about how words and their definitions mattered when talking about subjects related to cannabis, we thought the next thing we ought to know is how our readers, particularly our valued sponsors and business owners, feel about the law and the language.

If you own a smoke shop, do you say the words “cannabis” or “marijuana” while doing business? Is it okay to admit that a “bong” is a device used to smoke cannabis, or do the sanitizing words like “water pipe,” “tobacco,” and “tobacco products” still haunt your salesroom floor?

We’re keen to know your take on this continually evolving subject. In fact, we think your input is essential. Please scan the QR below to weigh in and help us compose the next volume of this series, slated for June of 2024.

Scan here and join the conversation!

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HARVARD PROF: TIME TO ADD VAPING TO THE QUIT-SMOKING TOOL KIT

We’ve Reached a Tipping Point in the Debate Over Nicotine Vaping

We’ve reached a tipping point in the debate over nicotine vaping. Scientists can no longer deny that e-cigarettes are powerful quit-smoking tools, and it’s time for doctors to recommend vaping to patients who can’t quit combustible tobacco.

I’ve defended both of those conclusions repeatedly in this column. But in this case, the arguments above aren’t mine, they’re Dr. Nancy Rigotti’s. In midFebruary, the Harvard Medical School professor published an opinion piece in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) titled Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation — Have We Reached a Tipping Point? Her answer is an unequivocal “yes.”

smokers in the vaping group were smoke-free compared to just 16.3 percent in the counseling group. Those using vapor products also reported fewer respiratory symptoms at the half-year mark. Negative side effects “were few and similar in the two groups,” Rigotti noted.

By Alli Boughner Vice President American Vapor Manufacturers Association

stop smoking … It is now time for the medical community to acknowledge this progress and add e-cigarettes to the smoking-cessation toolkit.”

Many public health officials and activist groups in the US still refuse to acknowledge the quit-smoking potential of nicotine vaping. Instead, they faithfully repeat the FDA’s assertion that “more research is needed to understand the potential risks and benefits” of vaping to adult smokers.

Rigotti’s op-ed appeared in the NEJM alongside the latest clinical trial to compare nicotine vaping and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The study split 1,246 participants into two groups, one using a refillable vaping device with e-liquid in their choice of nicotine strength and flavor and receiving smoking-cessation counseling. The other group received only smoking-cessation counseling, including NRT if they chose to use it.

After six months, 28.9 percent of

In short, adding vaping to cessation counseling improved quit-smoking rates without exposing smokers to any serious health risks. It’s the same conclusion many studies have reached in recent years—including the latest meta-analysis published by the highly respected Cochrane Collaboration. Rigotti’s takeaway:

“The evidence now supports a strong conclusion that e-cigarettes are tools that clinicians can use to help adults

Rigotti concluded her piece with a polite but pointed recommendation for these prohibitionist voices. If the goal is to reduce smoking and save lives, they need to abandon this rhetoric and fall in line behind the science. I’ll give her the last word:

“U.S. public health agencies and professional medical societies should reconsider their cautious positions on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. The evidence has brought e-cigarettes to a tipping point. The burden of tobacco-related disease is too big for potential solutions such as e-cigarettes to be ignored.”

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