There’s a problem spreading through the smoke shop world right now, and it’s deadlier than any hemp ban, regulation, or crackdown coming down the pipeline:
Shop owners are waiting.
Waiting to see what the government does.
Waiting to see if intoxicating hemp will magically be “spared.”
Waiting to see if their current revenue model holds long enough.
Waiting to see if intoxicating hemp will magically be “spared.”
Waiting to see if their current revenue model holds long enough.
Waiting is the killer.
Waiting is how shops die.
Waiting is what wipes out the businesses that could have survived — and even thrived — if they moved early.
Waiting is how shops die.
Waiting is what wipes out the businesses that could have survived — and even thrived — if they moved early.
Right now, the strongest move you can make is incredibly simple:
**DIVERSIFY.
NOW.
NOT LATER.**
NOT LATER.**
If intoxicating hemp is more than 20–25% of your revenue, you are in danger.
If it’s 40–60%? You are in critical danger.
If it’s 70–100%? You are a countdown clock unless you pivot immediately.
If it’s 40–60%? You are in critical danger.
If it’s 70–100%? You are a countdown clock unless you pivot immediately.
But here’s the truth:
Diversification is not hard.
Diversification is not expensive.
Diversification is not complicated.
Diversification is not hard.
Diversification is not expensive.
Diversification is not complicated.
It only feels overwhelming because you’ve never been forced to do it.
Well… now you’re being forced.
And the owners who act NOW — not after the impact — will absolutely dominate the next 12–24 months.
This blog explains why diversification is the only survival strategy, what categories to build, how to do it intelligently, how UNSWholesale.com fits into the plan, and why ChadWadeTV.com exists to keep you focused, motivated, and moving.
Let’s dig in.
1. The Harsh Truth: If One Category Can Kill Your Store, You Aren’t Running a Business — You’re Running a Gamble
Most shops built their entire revenue system on intoxicating hemp.
Not because they’re dumb.
Not because they’re lazy.
But because hemp was:
Not because they’re lazy.
But because hemp was:
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fast money
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high demand
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high margins
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low-effort sales
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trending everywhere
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easy to push
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easy to replace
It was the perfect storm of revenue.
But storms don’t last forever.
Real businesses survive trends.
Weak businesses depend on them.
Weak businesses depend on them.
If your entire store shakes when one category gets touched, you’re not diversified — you’re vulnerable.
Diversification isn’t sexy.
But it’s freedom.
It means no law, no ban, no trend, no economy can take you out.
But it’s freedom.
It means no law, no ban, no trend, no economy can take you out.
If hemp disappears tomorrow, a diversified shop shrugs and replaces revenue.
A non-diversified shop collapses.
A non-diversified shop collapses.
Which one do you want to be?
2. Diversification Isn’t Optional — It’s Your Airbag
When a car crashes, the airbag doesn’t stop the crash.
It stops the death.
It stops the death.
Diversification is your airbag.
It doesn’t stop laws from changing.
It doesn’t stop hemp from getting capped or removed.
It doesn’t stop the market from shifting.
It doesn’t stop hemp from getting capped or removed.
It doesn’t stop the market from shifting.
But it stops you from dying because of it.
Diversification turns:
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Regulation…
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Market pressure…
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Lost categories…
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Price crashes…
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Supply chain issues…
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Customer behavior shifts…
…into inconveniences, not catastrophes.
You cannot wait until the wreck to install the airbag.
You install it before the crash — because survival depends on timing.
Right now is “install time.”
Right now is “pivot time.”
Right now is “move early before it’s too late.”
Right now is “pivot time.”
Right now is “move early before it’s too late.”
3. The 5 Diversification Pillars Every Shop Must Build NOW
Diversification doesn’t mean adding 100 new SKUs.
It means building five strong pillars so that your business is unshakeable.
These pillars are legal, stable, margin-heavy, and demand-proof.
Let’s break them down.
PILLAR 1 — Botanical Lifestyle Products (Blue Lotus, Herbals, Calming Blends)
Customers want calm.
Customers want mood support.
Customers want relaxation.
Customers want mood support.
Customers want relaxation.
Those needs don’t disappear with hemp.
They simply shift categories.
They simply shift categories.
✔ Where to Source
UNSWholesale.com → Blue Lotus Products
URL: https://unswholesale.com/blue-lotus-products/
Clean Link: Blue Lotus Products
URL: https://unswholesale.com/blue-
Clean Link: Blue Lotus Products
✔ Why It Works
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Same demographic as Delta buyers
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Legal + stable
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High-margin
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Fast-growing category
✔ Your Goal
Build a $5,000–$15,000/mo botanical pillar.
PILLAR 2 — Kratom (Capsules, Powders, Shots)
Whether you love it or hate it, kratom is one of the strongest repeat-demand categories on the market.
✔ Where to Source
Search for kratom brands within the shop.
✔ Why It Works
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Weekly repeat customers
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High average transaction value
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Strong margins
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Long-term demand
✔ Your Goal
Build a $5,000–$20,000/mo kratom pillar.
PILLAR 3 — Functional Mushrooms (Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Blends)
Wellness is exploding.
Focus, energy, clarity — these are modern cravings.
Focus, energy, clarity — these are modern cravings.
✔ Where to Source
UNSWholesale.com → Mushroom Products
URL: https://unswholesale.com/mushroom-products/
Clean Link: Mushroom Products
URL: https://unswholesale.com/
Clean Link: Mushroom Products
✔ Why It Works
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Legal anywhere
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Trending nationwide
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Multi-age demographic
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High perceived value (great margins)
✔ Your Goal
Build a $4,000–$10,000/mo mushroom pillar.
PILLAR 4 — Glass, Water Pipes, Hand Pipes, Dab Rigs
Glass is your forever category.
It never gets banned.
It never loses relevance.
It never stops selling.
It never loses relevance.
It never stops selling.
The stores that slept on glass during the hemp boom?
Big mistake — now they need to fix it.
Big mistake — now they need to fix it.
✔ Where to Source
Search for:
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Water Pipes
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Rigs
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Hand Pipes
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Bowls
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Attachments
✔ Why It Works
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Evergreen demand
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Cultural value
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High markups (2x–7x)
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Visual merchandising power
✔ Your Goal
Build a $10,000–$40,000/mo glass pillar.
PILLAR 5 — Essentials: Torches, Grinders, Wraps, Lighters, Papers, Incense
This is your recession-proof, legislation-proof category.
These essentials keep the register ringing every single day.
✔ Where to Source
UNS Wholesale → Category Map
URL: https://unswholesale.com/sitemap/categories
Clean Link: All Categories
URL: https://unswholesale.com/
Clean Link: All Categories
✔ Why It Works
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Constant demand
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Small add-ons = big profit
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Perfect for merchandising
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Strong impulse buys
✔ Your Goal
Build a $15,000–$25,000/mo essentials pillar.
4. The Revenue Math: How You Replace Hemp Fully
Here’s the basic math:
If hemp was $20,000/month for you…
Your diversification plan should look like:
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Botanicals: $5,000
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Kratom: $7,000
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Mushrooms: $3,000
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Glass: $8,000
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Accessories: $7,000
That’s $30,000 — WITHOUT hemp.
If hemp was $50,000/month for you…
You build:
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Botanicals: $12,000
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Kratom: $15,000
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Mushrooms: $8,000
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Glass: $20,000
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Accessories: $15,000
That’s $70,000 — WITHOUT hemp.
In every model, the diversified version of your business makes MORE money than the hemp-dependent version.
This is what real business looks like.
5. Why UNSWholesale.com Is the Only Partner Built for This Shift
Every distributor says they’re ready for the hemp collapse.
They’re lying.
They’re lying.
They overleveraged hemp.
They filled warehouses with risky SKUs.
They didn’t diversify early.
When hemp goes, they go with it.
They filled warehouses with risky SKUs.
They didn’t diversify early.
When hemp goes, they go with it.
UNSWholesale.com didn’t fall into that trap.
UNS:
✔ Built a multi-category catalog
✔ Focused on glass, essentials, botanicals, mushrooms
✔ Created a buyer-friendly platform
✔ Ships unbelievably fast
✔ Is stable, legal, and diversified
✔ Focused on glass, essentials, botanicals, mushrooms
✔ Created a buyer-friendly platform
✔ Ships unbelievably fast
✔ Is stable, legal, and diversified
You’re not rebuilding your pivot with a guess —
You’re rebuilding with a confirmed, stable supplier.
You’re rebuilding with a confirmed, stable supplier.
6. How to Diversify in the NEXT 30 DAYS — Step-by-Step
Here’s your exact action plan.
WEEK 1 — Inventory Reset
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Remove 30–40% of hemp-heavy shelf space
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Re-tag slow hemp SKUs for clearance
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Place first diversification order at UNS
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Build your “pillars” list with my 5 categories
WEEK 2 — Store Layout Overhaul
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Move botanicals and mushrooms to eye-level
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Build a “Wellness Wall”
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Create a torches & grinders impulse rack
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Rebuild your glass wall with better lighting
WEEK 3 — Staff Training & Customer Education
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Train staff on all five pillars
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Give them customer scripts
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Role-play selling botanicals and mushrooms
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Teach them add-on strategies
WEEK 4 — Marketing & Communication
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Update your Google Business listing
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Post “New Product Lines” content online
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Add signage inside your store
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Start educating customers BEFORE hemp disappears
Do this now — and you won’t feel the hemp crash at all.
7. Why You Need a Coach During This Transition — And Why ChadWadeTV.com Exists
This is not a normal market shift.
This isn’t a slow change.
This is a industry-wide revenue collapse for the owners who don’t pivot.
This isn’t a slow change.
This is a industry-wide revenue collapse for the owners who don’t pivot.
You need a strategy partner.
You need accountability.
You need someone who has been through dozens of these cycles.
You need accountability.
You need someone who has been through dozens of these cycles.
That’s why I built my consulting at ChadWadeTV.com.
✔ What You Get
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A personalized pivot plan
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A complete product-mix redesign
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Weekly or monthly accountability
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Survival mindset coaching
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Staff training guidance
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Pricing optimization
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Marketing strategy
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A real blueprint tailored to YOUR store
✔ Where to Book
ChadWadeTV.com → Contact / Coaching
URL: https://chadwadetv.com/pages/contact
Clean Link: Book Coaching
URL: https://chadwadetv.com/
Clean Link: Book Coaching
If you’re serious about surviving — you don’t do it alone.
8. Final Word: You Don’t Need the Hemp Era — You Need the Next Era
Hemp didn’t make you. Hemp didn’t build your drive. Hemp didn’t build your grit. Hemp didn’t build your customer service. Hemp didn’t build your business instincts. YOU built that. Hemp was just a chapter — Now it’s time for the sequel. The owners who diversify will outlive every ban, every law, every market collapse. The owners who wait will lose everything. Do not wait. Do not freeze. Do not hope. Act. Adapt. Diversify. Dominate. You’ve got UNS supplying you. You’ve got ChadWadeTV guiding you. You’ve got everything you need to win. Let’s get to work.
Your future depends on what you do next — not what you sold last year.
👉 Start diversifying today at UNSWholesale.com (https://unswholesale.com )
👉 Get your custom survival plan at ChadWadeTV.com/Contact (https://chadwadetv.com/pages/contact )
👉 Get your custom survival plan at ChadWadeTV.com/Contact (https:
Move now. Before the ban does.