Head Shop

A head shop is a retail store that sells merchandise related to cannabis, cannabis culture and other relevant counter-cultures.

Not to be confused with tobacco stores, which focus on tobacco products and accessories, head shops offer cannabis-related tools, supplies and accessories, including hookahs, water pipes, bongs, one-hitters, rolling papers and glass pipes. Despite this seemingly clear distinction, the fact that cannabis is a federally illegal substance means that many head shops continue to operate under the guise that their tools and accessories are intended for tobacco consumption.

A brief history of head shops

Head shops first appeared in the 1960s in major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Amsterdam.

Historically, these stores have maintained close links with many counter-culture movements and served as important outlets for newspapers, comics and other underground publications. Today, many head shops continue to sell books and magazines, records, posters, clothing and incense, among other things that can enhance the experience of cannabis and other substances.

The origins of the name «head shop» remain unclear. Some attribute the name to the Grateful Dead's enthusiastic fans, known as «deadheads», while another rumor has it that the name comes from an acronym meaning «he eats acid every day» (He Eats Acid Daily, with the initials HEAD). Still others claim that the name was inspired by Jefferson Airplane's song «White Rabbit». The phrase «feed your head» is repeated at the end of the song as a challenge to the listener to expand his or her mind, and head shops became a way of helping customers feed their heads.

Most people agree that the name is linked to the first association of the word «head» with a person who consumed a substance to excess, dating back to the early 20th century. By the 1960s, «potheads» and «acid heads» had become popular slang.

Throughout the 1970s, head shops mushroomed across the country, and by the end of the decade there were an estimated 30,000 nationwide. As their popularity and commercial success grew, many stores set aside radical politics and counter-culture movements.

Today, as efforts to legalize cannabis, psilocybin and other drugs continue to bear fruit across the country, the role and importance of head shops is booming. A growing number of online head stores are opening alongside traditional stores.