All we sell are legal products. We pay the taxes and we do everything by the law, whatever that permits. We are providing services to the community.
For legal tobacco, especially legal tobacco, because we are doing such a good job, and we are trying to be responsible retailers, we are educating our members to not sell to minors. If anybody looks under 25, we ask questions first. That's what we publish and we tell them.
They're doing such a good job that minors are turning around and going into the illegal market where nobody asks any questions. We sell regulated products, which means they are under the scrutiny of government regulations and health regulations. Illegal tobaccos are not. Somebody was asking if something was feasible, was possible, was right. We do not know. We don't have an answer. It could pose a much bigger health threat and it costs much more money to the government as well.
That being said, because we are selling legal products we make a profit from them and that's how we float our business. It's just like any other business: if you do not have a cash flow the business goes under. That's why we try to diversify and sell flowers in the summer to make ends meet.
When the customer comes in with illegal products in their purse and we see that we start getting mad. Why are they doing this? We are selling legal products. Why are my regular customers coming into the store with illegal products in their pockets? I feel sorry because they are not buying the products anymore because they are buying cheaper.
We have a newsletter going out twice a month. We send out a pricing comparison for smoke shops. They start at $9 and go up to $32 maximum. The government tax is over $45 right there.