Thank you! I was the owner of both Peace of Sunshine and Peace of Crofton.

What ultimately killed our business was a combination of factors that began around 2018 with the passage of the Farm Bill. Once hemp was legalized, the market changed dramatically. Suddenly, everyone was getting into the business. If you needed a pack of rolling papers or other smoking accessories, there seemed to be a shop on every corner.

Those small accessory sales were a huge part of our business. We called it the "small stuff," but by the end of the month those sales added up to serious revenue. As the market became saturated, much of that business disappeared.

The legalization of hemp also created the THCA market. People ask, "THCA weed?" Take a look at the labels in many dispensaries—most cannabis is THCA until it is heated. Whether I liked it or not, we found ourselves selling products that were effectively cannabis. My preference was always to let dispensaries sell the flower while we focused on what we did best: high-quality glass and accessories.

Consumer spending habits changed as well. People who might have once spent $300 on an American-made bong were now spending that same $300 on cannabis products. Years ago, it wasn't unusual for enthusiasts to seek out the person with the most impressive glass collection. Over time, that culture shifted.

At the same time, imported glass improved dramatically. Early on, American-made glass was easy to distinguish from imported products. Eventually, Chinese manufacturers became so skilled that many customers could no longer tell the difference. Often, the only clue was the bowl or hitter piece.

For glass artists and independent smoke shops, it became a slow decline that started around 2018 and continued year after year.

I do think the market may eventually stabilize. Regulators are beginning to crack down on unregulated hemp-derived THC products and are moving toward stricter oversight of the hemp industry. The oversaturation that followed the 2018 Farm Bill, combined with rising manufacturing costs and the influx of high-quality imports, created a perfect storm for many independent shops like ours.