Over the last two years, since marijuana was legalized for recreational use, Ellensburg has seen an influx of smoke and vape shops. In a small town like Ellensburg, it’s a wonder this many stores are able to thrive under these conditions.

There are five vape shops: One Love Smoke & Vape; Smokeable; Smoke Mania; Smoke Evolution; and Cloud 509.

After I-502 passed in 2012 and marijuana was legal in Washington, two marijuana retail shops join the list in Ellensburg – The Green Shelf and Central Cannabis – to round out to seven shops in the dazed but not confused town of about 18,000.

Ji Yoon, owner of Smoke Mania, formally known as Rich’s Smoke, located on South Canyon Road of the I-90 Interchange, said since weed is now legal in Washington, he thinks it’s good customers have the access to more products.

But Yoon, thinks there are too many smoke shops in Ellensburg.  

“It used to just be Central Smoke Shop and here for a long time…and then Smokeable came and others too,” Yoon said. “It’s good for them [customers], but not good for me…it’s too hard to make money.”

However, Abid Daghlawi disagrees. The owner of One Love Smoke & Vape, located on South Main Street, thinks shops like his coming onto the scene is good for Ellensburg. Especially for those seeking out new glassware and vape products.

“It gives variety to the customers and it gives a different variety in customer service,” Daghlawi said. “There’s a lot of people and everybody is different and everybody likes different service.”

Daghlawi said it isn’t the competition for business he dislikes, but the constant haggling from customers.

“There’s going to be a competition everywhere you go,” Daghlawi said. “What I don’t like is, a lot of people come in and say, ‘oh well down the street it’s this and this much’…it’s an every day occurrence.”

Daghlawi said even though there is an abundance of shops in the area, he’s happy with the store’s current level of business.

“I’m working my way up there,” Daghlawi said. “We’re still new and you have to establish business before you can really be a judge of that [store progression].”

Part of the reason for so many new smoke and vape shops in the area is due to some of these owners having attempted and fallen short of obtaining a retail marijuana business license, so they proceed to open up a smoke or vape shop.

Although Daghlawi recognizes that these have been the original plans for some smoke shop owners, he said he did not obtain a business license for retail marijuana.

“I was thinking about it. But it would have to be in the whole different building than this, it can’t be in the same area,” Daghlawi said. “We’re from Yakima and we just wanted to bring something new to Ellensburg.”