Hemp vs Baccy at Local B&M

[rockymtnsmoker]

Interesting discovery at a local B&M. The store is literally being split into two distinct shops; one side dealing with tobacco products and the other with hemp-related gear (plus e-cigs, vapers, etc.). The young manager I was speaking with suggested it was because the two cultures are so different.
The more conservative customers get impatient waiting while a clerk helps a customer with a $300 bong purchase when all they want is two sticks worth $30 bucks. Apparently, the margin on 'glassware' is significant. This led to a discussion on the inevitability of legalization here in Canada because of the desperate need for new tax revenues and the attributes of corporate vs 'artisanal' weed.
Anyway, it was an interesting chat. Wondering how many of your local B&Ms are baccy only, vs those that also sell bongs and such (which, believe it or not, is actually the name of another shop here in Calgary).

 

[nightmarejones]

Here in Florida there has been a rise in "Tobacco shops", but they are actually, either the roll your own places that sell "premium pipe tobacco" for your cigs (to keep prices low)which is dry garbage and not actually for pipes and other places that are just bong shops with K2 and other "Legal Pot" variations.Even though I know about this, every time I see a new sign saying Tobacco Shop now open or Premium pipe tobacco and cigars, I stop in and for some reason I find myself disappointed.

 

[rockymtnsmoker]

That sucks Nightmare. Visited my first real tobacco shop in Victoria (Canada's west coast) a few weeks back ... A 100 year-old establishment called Old Morris Tobacconists ... and almost cried it was so nice. But even these guys had a rack of glass pipes tucked away in a corner. Hard to believe there aren't enough fine tobacco smokers for more shops to survive.

 

[nightmarejones]

Congrats on your first "real" B&M visit and then again sorry it had that..lol. I am actually lucky-ish there are 4 B&M's within an hours drive from me,the ish part is 2 are subsidiaries and have the same 15 tobaccos and the others are geared towards cigars with only 3 pipe tobaccos between them

 

[aikatal]

Around here (Syracuse, New York), there is still a distinction between traditional tobacco shops and "headshops" that sell pipes intended for smoking something other than tobacco. The B & M's that sell cigars and pipe tobacco often also sell magazines and lottery tickets, but most haven't added bongs and glass pipes to their inventories-- yet.

 

[buster]

My B&M has started carying e- cigs. No bongs and such, but there are plenty of places to get those and a medical marijuana dispenciery every square mile. So what ever floats your boat or what ever gets ya threw the night as they say.

 

[taerin]

I don't think any form of smoking should be frowned upon, with how much harder B&M's are squeezed each year, some are just trying to stay afloat by offering such products because they generate more money. Fader's in Towson, Maryland is a true tobacconist, they have many many many in house blends (looks like at least a hundred). Most of them are just renamed bulk blends, like Lane's 1-Q is called "Unique" there, but they will let you know what their true names are when asked and they are upfront about it. They also have a huge cigar selection, but they seem to specialize particularly in pipes with a big pipe selection in all price ranges. I got my first tobacco pipe there, cheap $25 pipe, that smoked beautifully with a wide open draw, I gave it away because it was only slightly bent and I'm a fully bent kinda guy.
A street from Fader's is a tobacco shop that has wooden and glass pipes, hookahs, cigarette stuff, e-cig stuff, you name it, they have it. I know we are not supposed to talk about hookahs, so I will keep it very brief. I like it because I can stock up on my coals and sisha for my hookah, it makes a fantastic aromatic smoke that my gf will enjoy with me. I think that as long as these places are not selling crack pipes, our community should be fine

 

[rockymtnsmoker]

Nothing against weed personally... been there done that back in the day... but in terms of a retail experience very different vibes. The thing about a traditional tobacconist is that aura of a gentler era, even though that era itself may be something more mythical/ imaginary than fact.

 

[metalmilitia]

there send to be a tobacco shop on every corner her in Jacksonville nc, but there are still one or two that sell only connoisseur products. the employee at the one that I frequent regularly answers calls and tells people "no we don't sell cigarettes or glass pipes"

 

[shutterbug]

In Vancouver and Toronto, the 'smoke shop' as we know it is gone. The Smoke Shops now are all counter culture weed stores, and with the push of vapourizers and e-cigs, they tend to carry these now because that's what this generation is carrying. For our more traditional shops, you need to search for tobacco and cigar stores (which are far outnumbered by these other shops I might add). Also, remember, you do not need a licence to sell the paraphernalia whereas for tobacco it's a different story. Even our convenience stores carry the pot related stuff, so I think they are here to stay.

On my last trip to Vancouver, I saw more people smoking their portable vapourizers than cigarettes. They are ideal for this generation: All parts can be found on the net, and assembly is customize-able, and the vapour 'juice' can be sold without any tobacco taxes. It's all the rage. In fact I saw a documentary about the surge of the hipster vapourizer movement, and it is very prevalent in Vancouver.
Shutterbug

 

[phred]

The B&M that I frequent is run by an older fellow and his daughter - and the last 3 times I've been in, there have been slightly confused customers stopping in to look for gram scales, glassware, and regular cigarettes (he stocks Natural Spirit and another brand whose name escapes me - but it's neither Marlboro nor Camel...). So far, the fellows (it's always younger guys) are polite and respectful, but they do look rather confused by the circle of leather chairs occupied by older guys puffing away on cigars (and the occasional pipe). :D

 

[pipingruotsi]

@ rockymtnsmoker:

I was to the Old Morris 7 years ago. It was maybe the best part of an Alaskan cruise. :wink:

Good to know it's still there.

 

[rockymtnsmoker]

Pred, jealous of you guys that actually have a place you can congregate and smoke in! Don't believe that is possible anywhere in Canada outside a handful of exclusive (and expensive) private clubs.
Pip, Old Morris just seems to keep rolling along. They are located in some expensive real estate so I assume they must own the space or it just wouldn't be economical.
Interesting to me that there are some younger people picking up the pipe hobby - some great examples regularly post here - and there is the whole 'hipster' aspect as well. I'm more and more looking for opportunities to repectfully smoke a pipe outside my backyard in hopes of promulgating the idea that people do still smoke.
I think if the move to legalize weed picks up it will be harder for the tobacco police to keep pushing us into a corner. Maybe we need to form a Fine Tobacco/hemp alliance of some sort to protect smoking in all it's forms. I know not everyone here will be onside with the legalization thing, but it is something that may work out in our favour.
Tobacco taxes in Canada are insane and who knows, if the gov't has a larger pie to tax we might get some relief.

 

[pipingruotsi]

I'm one of those "younger" people, or, at least used to be. I'm 33, but have been smoking my pipe since 22. I'm not a hipster, though, just an old soul. I'd probably even prefer horses to cars. Feed 'em and exercise them and they last just as long as cars lol

 

[rockymtnsmoker]

I was definitely making a distinction Pip. I know most of the younger smokers here would reject the hipster label. It seems to me from reading the posts that the younger smokers who regularly contribute are just gentlemen. This is an attribute that I feel is shared by most of the members here regardless of age, or number of peircings or volume of ink.

 

[pipingruotsi]

that the younger smokers who regularly contribute are just gentlemen

I agree, my friend. I think there's something about the hobby in general, and the time and patience it takes, that lends itself to gentlemen and more quality people across the spectrum of aged-ness.