Stock Your Tobacco Shop With the Right CBD Inventory

If cannabidiol (CBD) isn’t on your tobacco shop’s shelves, you may be missing a major sales opportunity.

The U.S. CBD market hit nearly $2 billion in 2022, with about 60% of adults having at least tried a product. Many use it for stress relief, better sleep, or pain management — with gummies, oils, capsules, and lotions among the most popular options.

For smoke shop owners, adding CBD to your product lineup can attract new customers and keep your store aligned with demand. 

Before you stock up, here’s what you need to know about managing CBD inventory in 2025.

What You Need To Know About CBD Inventory

CBD is a nonintoxicating, hemp-derived compound that has gained popularity for its potential benefits, including stress relief, improved sleep, and pain management. 

For smoke shop owners, stocking CBD inventory requires understanding both the products themselves and the rules around selling them. 

Here are some common CBD products to consider:

• Gummies and other edibles provide a convenient, beginner-friendly way for customers to consume CBD.
• Oils and tinctures offer versatile options for sublingual use or adding to food and beverages.
• Capsules give customers precise daily dosing and are easy to incorporate into a routine.
• Topicals, like lotions, balms, and salves, allow for localized relief and skin applications.
• Beverages and infused drinks are growing in popularity and often appeal to seasonal or novelty buyers.
• Pet products cater to pet owners who want CBD options for their animals.

All CBD products derived from hemp are legal or conditionally legal in all 50 states, but age restrictions still apply — most states prohibit sales to customers under 18 or 21. Keeping your shop compliant is essential to avoid fines or penalties.

Related Read: How To Get Licensed To Sell CBD Products: A Guide for Smoke Shops

Since CBD products come in so many forms, each with different storage, labeling, and sales considerations, keeping inventory organized and accurate helps meet customer demand and prevents mistakes.

With these basics in mind, let’s take a closer look at five practical steps to help you manage CBD inventory effectively. 

1. Understand the Legal Requirements

One of the most important steps to take before investing in any CBD inventory is to understand all relevant laws and regulations.

While hemp-derived CBD is federally legal, state laws vary, and age restrictions are strictly enforced. Most states require customers to be at least 18 or 21, with some limiting which types of products you can sell. 

But compliance goes beyond just age limits. Proper labeling, packaging, storage, and documentation are also important to avoid fines and product recalls. 

Label each CBD product clearly and include a full ingredient list, and keep Certificates of Analysis (COAs) and lab reports organized and easy to access for inspections.

Here are some best practices to maintain compliance:

• Verify customer age with every CBD sale, using ID checks or age verification tools.
• Keep product documentation and lab reports accessible in case of inspections.
• Track inventory carefully to avoid selling expired or mislabeled items.
• Follow state guidelines when selecting which CBD products to sell.

Understanding your state’s licensing requirements, including any retail or hemp-specific permits, is vital to your business’ success. Keep track of approval timelines, and regularly review expiration dates and labels to make sure all products match your documentation.

2. Set Up Payment Processing for CBD Sales

Since government agencies regulate CBD differently from tobacco, some traditional payment processors may classify it as high-risk. Without the right setup, you could face declined transactions, frozen accounts, or higher processing fees.

Related Read: How To Get Payment Processing for CBD: 5 Considerations

Smoke shop owners should research payment processors that specifically support hemp-derived CBD products. These industry-specific providers can handle transactions reliably while keeping your business compliant with financial regulations. 

Here are some key points to consider when setting up payment processing:

• Confirm the processor supports all CBD product types you plan to sell.
• Understand any additional fees or restrictions that apply to high-risk products.
• Keep thorough records of sales and transactions to maintain transparency and compliance.
• Verify that your POS system integrates with your processor for smooth sales reporting.

Having the right payment setup in place prevents disruptions at checkout and ensures your shop can handle growing customer demand without financial issues.

3. Keep CBD Inventory Organized and Accurate

Managing CBD inventory effectively keeps you from over-ordering, stockouts, and compliance issues. When stocking multiple CBD product types like gummies or tinctures, it’s easy for mistakes to happen if your inventory system isn’t up to date.

Your point of sale (POS) system can help you manage inventory with up-to-the-minute reports on your stock levels, expiration dates, and product movement. This data keeps your shelves consistently stocked with top sellers, plus flags which products aren’t selling and may need a promotion or removal. 

Accurate inventory records also come in handy for inspections and audits, making compliance far easier to maintain.

Here are some practices to help keep your CBD inventory organized:

• Set minimum stock alerts to avoid running out of high-demand items.
• Rotate products by expiration date so older batches sell first.
• Track batch numbers and lot codes to handle recalls quickly.
• Review slow-moving products and bundle or discount them before they expire.
• Compare wholesale vs. retail pricing margins to decide how much of each product to keep on hand.

Monitoring inventory over time reveals patterns in customer demand. Sales data from your POS, for example, can show which CBD products move faster during certain months or holidays, and which items slow down in off-peak periods. 

Using this information, you can plan reorders more accurately, balance stock levels, and avoid both overstocking and running out of popular items. 

4. Monitor Trends and Respond to Customer Demand

With so many new CBD products entering the market, smoke shop owners need to monitor industry trends to understand what customers are shopping for — and how they can best tap into that demand.

These are some practical ways to monitor trends using your POS system:

• Track repeat purchases and loyalty data to see which flavors, potencies, or product types resonate most with customers.
• Compare daily, weekly, and monthly sales to identify seasonal shifts or demand spikes.
• Test new CBD products in small quantities and track performance before expanding stock.
• Use customer notes and purchase histories to anticipate preferences and plan targeted promotions.

Use your POS reports to plan reorders, allocate shelf space according to product performance, and create promotions for slower-selling items. 

Related Read: How To Find a CBD POS System: 3 Top Providers

Combining past sales data with customer purchase habits helps maintain the right inventory levels, minimize waste, and ensure your bestselling products stay in stock.

5. Promote CBD Products and Engage Customers

Marketing CBD isn’t the same as promoting tobacco or other retail products. 

Federal and state laws restrict what you can say about CBD, which platforms will accept your advertising, and how you present your products to customers — any missteps can lead to fines or account bans.

To promote your CBD offerings safely, focus on channels that allow compliant messaging. Email marketing and newsletters let you communicate directly with your interested customers, highlighting new products, bundles, or relevant promotions. 

Creative displays and endcap signage are also great ways to help your products stand out on the store floor.

When creating marketing materials, follow these essential guidelines to stay compliant:

• Market products only to adults 18 or older and avoid channels that prohibit CBD promotion.
• Avoid unverified health claims or medical imagery, and never present CBD as a cure-all.
• Accurately represent potency, quality, and effects, and clearly label all required product information (e.g. batch numbers, ingredients, expiration dates, disclaimers).
• Train staff on product knowledge so they can confidently answer questions about hemp-derived CBD and its uses.

Because rules vary by state, county, and retail channel, check local regulations before running campaigns. If you have any questions, contact your state’s department of agriculture or health, consult legal counsel if needed, and review advertising guidelines for any platform you plan to use. 

Tracking customer feedback and product performance in store will also help you refine displays, promotions, and messaging while staying within the rules. 

Manage Your CBD Inventory With the Right Tools

Stocking CBD products in 2025 requires careful attention to legal requirements, inventory tracking, and product promotions — and an industry-specific POS system can assist with it all.

With a specialized system like Cigars POS, you can track stock levels, monitor sales patterns, manage product details, and generate reports that support both compliance and business decisions. Staff can easily access product information, manage promotions, and maintain accurate inventory records, saving time and reducing errors.

If you want to keep your CBD inventory organized and compliant, schedule a Cigars POS demo today to see how it can support your business.