Cloud 9 Smoke Shop, Vape Hookah Co.

Ask anyone in Athens who knows their way around a smoke shop and Cloud 9 Smoke Shop, Vape Hookah Co. comes up fast. It has earned close to a perfect reputation across hundreds of visits, which puts it among the highest-regarded smoke shops around, and the reason is pretty clear once you walk in: the people behind the counter actually know their stuff and take the time to share it.

Anabelle's name comes up again and again. Regulars will tell you she's patient, genuinely enthusiastic about what she sells, and great at walking newcomers through their options without ever talking down to anyone. One woman said it plainly: for once she felt like she had a "girl's girl" helping her out, no pressure, no attitude, just straight answers. Gabe and Austin get the same kind of praise. People come in unsure of what they want and leave feeling like they were talked through the whole thing start to finish. That mix of friendly and knowledgeable is a big part of why folks keep coming back.

The selection covers a lot of ground. You'll find vapes and disposable vapes, e-liquid and vape juice, vaporizers, hookah and shisha, glass pipes and water pipes, rolling papers, CBD and hemp products, detox products, and a solid spread of smoking accessories. The word around town is that the pricing is fair and competitive too. One person walked out with three glass pieces for about half what they expected to spend.

Worth knowing: there's a downtown Athens location as well as this one, and locals say the downtown store carries an even bigger selection, though nobody feels shortchanged at either. If you're hunting for a vape shop in Athens where the staff treat you well and know their products, Cloud 9 is an easy one to recommend.