A New Pink Cloud on 4th Street

VINTON — A new store opened this month in downtown Vinton. Pink Cloud Smoke Shop, opened by Aftab Afridi, is one of the first of many stores Afridi said he intends to open across Iowa. “Within 3-5 years, I plan to have as many as 50 stores open statewide.” A wholesaler in Chicago, which provides many of Pink Cloud’s products is helping make this expansion possible. “I have been successful so far, so the wholesaler trusts me, and so far, it’s going very well,” Afridi said.

Before COVID, Afridi was in the restaurant business. The pandemic, along with some health issues sent him searching for another type of business less physically demanding. His research led him to the smoke shop idea, and he opened his first shop in 2022. He currently has five Pink Cloud Smoke Shops in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Ottumwa, and now Vinton.

Customer demand is the motivation behind Afridi’s expansion idea. “I noticed how many of my customers drove from the small towns for their smoking accessories. I considered the gas and time that cost them, so my mission is to bring the products to them locally,” said Afridi.

Not a smoker himself, Afridi says he is unfamiliar, personally, with many of his products, but relies on his product distributors for advice on what to stock.

So, what is in stock at Pink Cloud? One entire wall is full of various forms of tobacco including common brands of cigarettes, disposable cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and vape batteries and cartridges. Bagged tobacco is also available, along with rolling papers and lighters.

Other smoking accessories include ashtrays, a variety of pipes, some glass blown and some “Sherlock” types, as well as bongs, grinders, and kits including many of these items together. Other items include incense, jewelry, and some apparel items such as hats, shirts and sweatshirts.

Pink Cloud also has several varieties of CBD (cannabidiol), including Delta 9 THC gummies. Various forms of Kratom are also available.

According to iowa.gov website, “Kratom is currently legal in Iowa.” The website describes the herbal substance as one “that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects,” and explains that although, “there are no uses for kratom approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, people report using kratom to manage drug withdrawal symptoms and cravings (especially related to opioid use), pain, fatigue and mental health problem.” The iowa.gov website includes this warning, “Rare but serious effects have been reported in people who use kratom, including psychiatric, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.”

Afridi confirms that as far as he knows, all products sold in his store are legal in Iowa. “Since I am new at this business, I am open to customer suggestions. If someone sees something they think should not be in our store, please reach out and we will look into removing it,” Afridi said.

Hours of operation at Pink Cloud are currently 9AM to 9PM.

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