Where there used to be smoke, there’s vape

Smokes, cigs, chew, wad, snuff. We’ve all heard of these. Maybe you ‘ve never tried them, maybe you use them regularly, or maybe you experimented with them when you were younger. Regardless, they’re household terms and have been a major part of popular culture for hundreds of years — until now.

That’s because people are starting to gravitate toward vape. Vape is primarily used for electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs. It contains nicotine but doesn’t have all the toxic chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. Many people use it to stop smoking old-fashioned cigs.

According to Wells Fargo, the vaping industry is expected to reach a record value of $3.5 billion dollars this year, which is more than twice its value in 2013.

In an industry worth this much, it’s no surprise there’s been an increase in e-cigarette and vaping specialty stores popping up around the country. However, not everyone was smart enough to franchise their concept. But Palm Beach Vapors, a 14-location franchise that specializes in vape juice, isn’t run by just anyone. The brand offers its customers thousands of customizable, juice-concentrate based flavors.

"Through our juice system, franchisees can create thousands of different e-cig flavors from a suite of juice concentrates," said Chip Paul, co-founder of Palm Beach Vapors, in an interview with Main Street. "If a smoker wants a blueberry-strawberry cheesecake flavor, a local Palm Beach Vapor representative can create that specific flavor in seconds."

Palm Beach Vapors doesn’t just make fruity vape; it’s also in the market for plant vape. And by plant, I mean cannabis. Marijuana legalization is a hot issue these days. As you read this, several state governments are probably debating its legality for medicinal or recreational use. Twenty-three have already given it the okay, and their decisions are garnering public support.

In short, the already large market for vape retailers is only getting bigger.

Palm Beach Vapors is on to something with their focus on marijuana. They’re getting in on the ground floor of a new market that is likely to explode.

In fact, Main Street reported that while 50 percent of current vape juice sales are for the e-cig market, Palm Beach Vapors data shows cannabis-infused juice will account for as much as 15 percent of juice sales by 2016.

They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and it’s getting harder to ignore all the smoke surrounding the budding marijuana vape market. Chances are savvy franchisees are feeling the same.