What is a head shop?
A head shop is a retail store that specializes in selling paraphernalia related to cannabis & tobacco, such as scales, bongs, papers, and TREED products. The first head shop is believed to have opened in the United States in the late 1950s, around the same time that the unique counterculture movement was at its peak.
It all started in the 50s.
The origins of the head shop can be traced back to the beatnik culture of the 1950s, which embraced cannabis use and laid the foundation for the counterculture movement of the 1960s. During this time, a number of underground “smoke shops” or “headshops” began to emerge, offering a range of products for cannabis users. These early smoke shops were often small, discreet operations that operated out of basements or back rooms.
As the counterculture movement gained momentum in the late 1960s, these smoke shops began to evolve into more mainstream head shops. head shops were typically located in trendy neighborhoods and marketed themselves as alternative lifestyle stores, offering a wide range of products for the counterculture crowd.
The head shop phenomenon quickly spread across the United States and Europe, and by the 1970s, head shops could be located in most major cities. Today, head shops continue to thrive, offering a wide range of products for cannabis enthusiasts and serving as a hub for the cannabis culture. Nowadays many head shops are referred to as smoke shops or bodegas.
What’s next?
Offering a diverse selection of products many head shops have revolutionized into convenience stores, sex shops, coffee shops and lounges. In many instances local head shops have become cannabis culture hubs showcasing underground private events, giveaways & pop ups.
As the underground cannabis movement flourishes and local trappers continue to flock to their local head shops, smoke shops, and bodegas the future is unknown.
