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Open at 67 Franklin St. as of last week is the Auburn Smoke Shop, owned and operated by Mohamed Algamal. He told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV he opened the shop, his first, because he felt the area could use one. It sells cigarettes, cigars, vapes, CBD products, hookahs, pipes and more. Algamal said he aims to offer every type of tobacco product his customers want, and at affordable prices.

Also open, in the former Infinite Auto Sports at 104 Grant Ave., is Auburn Express Smoke Shop. Owned by friends Adam Albadeh and Najmeddin Ghaleb, of Syracuse, the shop opened April 13, Albadeh told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. Both owners have worked in smoke shops for years, and felt motivated to open their first in Auburn. It sells vapes, bongs, hookahs, e-cigarettes, grinders, kratom and more. 

The shops open as vaping continues to spark  in the tobacco market. Between the diversity of products available and the perception that vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, the technology has remained popular despite legislative efforts to limit it. In New York state, flavored nicotine vape products were beginning in May 2020.

Now, both Algamal and Albadeh hope a state law will lead to them expanding their list of products. The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, signed March 31 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, permits use and possession of the drug, and will allow retail sales at dispensaries beginning April 1, 2022. Municipalities can opt out of that part of the law, however, by passing local legislation.

Algamal and Albadeh just hope Auburn isn't one of them.

"I think it’s a great idea to make it legal," Algamal said. "And if it’s going to be legal to be sold in my business I will definitely be happy to sell it."

Albadeh, meanwhile, said he and Ghaleb would also be happy to sell marijuana, though they might open their dispensary in a new location.

"It will help us a lot," he said.