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U.S. Vape Shop Survival Depends on CBD

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Written by Tony Ottomanelli

The option of vaporizing nicotine became a modern delivery system option to so many former smokers, allowing them to live cleaner lives by avoiding the combustion smell and carcinogens which routinely defined the act of smoking traditional cigarettes.

Furthermore, vaping rapidly became not only a lifesaver, but also a lifestyle — one that many believe to be much healthier. From this, many consumers became so overwhelmingly enthusiastic from their new found liberation from cancerous cigarettes, that they also saw potential for financial freedom.

Therefore, these same vape product consumers began establishing small businesses, such as vape shops or launching E-liquid brands — which created a billion dollar industry that was growing at a pace that nearly doubled industrial net worth annually.

The Vape Industry was so quickly becoming a permanent economic fixture in the global market moving too fast to control — often mislabeled as a “fad” by talking heads.

How the Vape Industry Created Economic Conflict

This high profitability rate clearly was transferring consumer dividends from other and more powerful Big Businesses – ahem, tobacco. As a matter of fact, these same Big Business outlets have been the support beams propping up the capitalist economic structure of the global economy.

Thus, the FDA was inclined to step in and maintain the status quo of the economic forces — Big Businesses that are too big to fail. So, they announced the FDA Deeming Rule.

Dr. Michael Siegel of Boston University’s School of Public Health has been researching Tobacco Harm Reduction for decades and he recently told me, “A lot of these groups get a lot of money from the pharmaceutical industry who really stands to lose, so there is a monetary influence. “

The actions of the FDA were expressed in a way that convinced the general public to support requiring highly specific guidelines that would redefine the origin of the activity of using vapor products. The unfair and harsh regulatory framework introduced by the FDA has been criticized for its obviously biased position.

Unfortunately, when attempting to communicate about the technological vaping phenomenon, the actions taken by the FDA consisted of influencing public opinion to believe in countless inaccuracies, exaggerated labels and false narratives.

The most damage attributable to areas in the regulation was when this new technological advancement to improving public health had become more popular and preferable to smoking. So, vapor products were basically identified as an equal counterpart — persuading citizens to believe falsehoods.

Vape devices for nicotine delivery suddenly went from celebrated harm reduction tools by consumers into despised tobacco abusing applications by the establishment. Thus, vaping nicotine has been targeted to be considered just as bad or entirely worse than smoking cigarettes.

At the same time, vaping was initially proven to be a version of nicotine delivery known for having a 95% reduced risk quality when compared to smoking tobacco. This claim was essentially a scientific conclusion made by one of the most reputable Medical Organizations in all of Europe — The Royal College of Physicians of Public Health England.

The point is that vaping is not smoking — it may appear similar to the untrained eye but when you look at the evidence a little closer, it’s very easy to see that smoking kills over 400,000 Americans annually and Vaping has killed no one. Regardless, the establishment has succeeded in influencing public opinion to think otherwise.

All things considered, it’s certainly a complicated situation.

Why Vape Shops Must Carry CBD Brands

vape shops

Vape shops will need to consider CBD if they wish to succeed long-term

All across the United States we are seeing the independent sector of the vapor industry slowly declining, desperately in need of assistance and relief. While it has been inspiring to witness the vape culture evolve, for all that has been gained, some key principles have been lost.

In an interview we conducted, two of the most well-known vape industry influencers Phil Busardo and Dimitri Agrafiotis approximate, “How 5,000 dedicated vape shops have been forced to close down since 2016.” Sadly, it seems this number keeps growing as the years pass.

Running a small business is extremely difficult nowadays, but the owners of these establishments are passionate and resilient. Throughout the independent Vape Industry, we see a plethora of small business operators hoping to save what is left of the legacy they have built.

Subsequently, American Vape Shops are doing everything they can to stay afloat, so creating multiple avenues for revenue is the most significant act that must be taken, in which choosing to carry several different brands of CBD is definitely their best option for maintaining business.

The fact that many entrepreneurial professionals in the vapor industry now also have launched their own brands within the CBD industry, has been a massive transition, but also a wise business decision — becoming major facilitators within another modern emerging industry.

In addition to this, we have witnessed how much this transition has provided many of these business-savvy advocates to take the proper precautions by using their experience and gained knowledge of the system. Therefore, avoiding any type of penalty or punishment by regulating authorities are extremely wise business practices.

Furthermore, this will likely pay-off in the long run, not just for CBD Products, but for independently owned vape shops as well.

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About the author

Tony Ottomanelli

Tony Ottomanelli II earned a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences from Depaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He is a former NCAA basketball player and high school basketball coach. After teaching Sociology courses at Owens College in Ohio, he decided to help his family open a restaurant in the Denver, Colorado area. Now, as a proud resident of Denver, where the Recreational Cannabis Industry was initially born, Tony has become a Researcher and Published Writer focusing on topics related to Recreational & Medical Cannabis, Hemp-based CBD and the Vape Industry.