These days it isn't easy to be a smoker. Finding paraphernalia like pipes or cigarette rolling papers can be a little like the search for the Holy Grail. Luckily there are shops that specialize in these items and if you find yourself in Indiana, you'll find what you need at an Indianapolis head shop.

A head shop specializes in everything a smoker might need. Here you'll find a wide range of tobacco-related products, from cigarette paper to pipes and even water pipes, as well as machines for rolling your own if you prefer, for instance, flavored tobacco. Often head shops also sell incense, legal drugs and underground publications.

The stores originated during the 1960s with the rise of the counterculture. The first of these shops seems to be one that opened in 1966 in Haight Street, San Francisco, a famous hippie hangout. Shops like these are now making a come-back, especially with the growth of the medical-marijuana industry.

Head shops don't only sell smoking paraphernalia. They often stock items like posters, comic books, clothing, jewelry, candles and novelty items too. In fact, many of these shops started out as candle shops and artists of the counterculture found most of their clients through these outlets, as did publishers of underground newspapers and comic books.

While many people think of head shops as places where you can buy illegal drugs, this is a misconception. The items sold here are for use with legal substances like tobacco only. While they may be useful as drug paraphernalia, even mentioning this might get you expelled from the shop.

Especially in Indiana you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking the local smoke shop will approve of you using their products for illegal drugs. Marijuana laws in the state are still very strict and penalties for possession are severe. Until the state relaxes its laws in this regard, you're better off using the paraphernalia you buy for legal substances like flavored tobacco.

If you're in Indianapolis and you're looking for a unique gift for a smoker or for someone with bohemian sensibilities, you can't go wrong visiting a shop that sells glass pipes, incense, interesting T-shirts and other items. You may even be able to find glow-in-the-dark posters. Buying from one of these stores is a sure way to earn you the admiration of teenage nieces and nephews too.

If you're looking for an Indianapolis head shop near you, the best is to go online to get addresses, details on stock and prices and customer reviews. There are stores in different areas of the city, for instance in Speedway. Most of the stores are located in bohemian Broad Ripple Village, an area north of downtown which is reminiscent of Greenwich Village in New York. This neighborhood is known for its bustling nightlife, ethnic diversity, artists and of course its proximity to Butler University.