The Nic Runtz St. Louis: Unpacking The Legend Of St. Louis’s Most Notorious Smoke Shop And The Cannabis Grey Market

As of December 17, 2025, the phrase "The Nic Runtz St. Louis" represents more than just a store or a product; it is a cultural shorthand for the complex, often controversial, intersection of St. Louis's historic grey market and the booming, newly legalized cannabis industry in Missouri. The term encapsulates the spirit of the Delmar Loop's counter-culture commerce, centered around a specific smoke shop known simply as "The Nic," and its association with the hyper-popular, high-demand Runtz cannabis brand.

This deep dive will explore the origins of this St. Louis legend, profiling the physical location that became a local institution, detailing the history of the Runtz strain that gave the shop its notorious nickname, and—most importantly—uncovering the current legal battle surrounding intoxicating hemp-derived products that now defines the store's place in the post-legalization landscape of the Show-Me State.

The Delmar Loop Legend: Profiling 'The Nic' Store

The entity known as "The Nic Runtz St. Louis" is fundamentally rooted in a physical location: The Nic, a premier tobacco and smoke shop situated at 5892 Delmar Blvd in Saint Louis, Missouri. Located in the vibrant, eclectic Delmar Loop neighborhood, the store has long been a fixture, serving a diverse clientele from students to local residents.

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The Nic’s Business Profile and Offerings

While traditionally a tobacco store offering a wide selection of cigars, pipe tobacco, and accessories, The Nic has adapted to the changing market, particularly the national trend toward alternative cannabinoids and smoking accessories.

• Location: 5892 Delmar Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63112.
• Primary Business: Premier tobacco and smoke shop.
• Extended Inventory: The shop is known to carry a broad range of products beyond traditional tobacco, including CBD, Kratom, Shrooms, and Nicotine products. Crucially, it has been a known source for products like Kush CBD Lemonades and other intoxicating cannabinoids, such as Delta-8 THC.
• Cultural Significance: Its location on the Delmar Loop, a major cultural and entertainment district, cemented its status as an accessible, non-dispensary source for various alternative products, earning it the nickname "The Nic 'Runtz of St. Louis'" and a place on lists of "Black Market Stores" by groups urging consumers to use licensed dispensaries [cite: 3 in step 1].

The store’s reputation, therefore, is built on its ability to serve as a hub for both legal smoking accessories and, historically, a gateway to the grey market, making its name synonymous with high-demand, non-traditional products.

The Runtz Phenomenon: From Black Market Hype to Legal Dispensary Staple

To understand the "Runtz" part of the St. Louis phenomenon, one must look at the history of one of the world's most recognizable cannabis strains. Runtz, also known as "Runtz OG," is a true hybrid strain created by the Cookies Fam, a cross between the famous Zkittlez and Gelato strains.

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Key Characteristics of the Runtz Strain

Runtz became an instant sensation due to its unique profile, which perfectly captured the attention of both the underground and legal markets:

• Genetics: Zkittlez x Gelato (True Hybrid).
• Flavor Profile: Loved for its incredibly fruity, candy-like flavor profile, which often includes notes of sweet tropical citrus and sour berries.
• Cultural Impact: The strain's popularity transcended the cannabis community, becoming a streetwear brand and a cultural icon, leading to widespread counterfeiting and knock-offs in the illicit market globally.

In St. Louis, the Runtz strain is now a staple product at licensed recreational dispensaries like High Profile and Nature Med, available in various forms, including pre-packed flower, vape cartridges, and edibles. This legal availability is a direct result of Missouri's successful transition to a recreational market, which has surpassed $1.3 billion in sales. However, the legal availability of the *actual* Runtz strain contrasts sharply with the intoxicating products sold at non-licensed shops like The Nic.

The Legal Battleground: Where 'The Nic Runtz' Stands in Post-Legalization Missouri

The most current and critical development surrounding The Nic and similar smoke shops is the regulatory crackdown on unregulated intoxicating cannabinoid products. This is the fresh, unique angle that defines the story of "The Nic Runtz St. Louis" today. Missouri's successful recreational cannabis launch has led to a fierce regulatory focus on the grey market that previously thrived in the absence of legal options.

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The Crackdown on Hemp-Derived THC

The core of the controversy involves products derived from hemp, specifically Delta-8 THC and other hemp-infused beverages, which contain intoxicating levels of THC but are often sold at convenience stores, gas stations, and smoke shops like The Nic.

• Regulatory Pushback: The Missouri Attorney General's office has launched statewide investigations into retail smoke shops selling intoxicating cannabinoids, arguing that most products sold as hemp are actually marijuana and should be restricted to licensed dispensaries.
• Local Legislation: St. Louis County has been a focal point for this debate. In recent months, the County Council has weighed bills to ban or heavily regulate the sale of these unregulated intoxicating products, such as Delta-8 gummies and THC beverages, outside of licensed marijuana facilities.
• The Nic's Position: As a prominent, non-licensed shop known for selling these types of products—a fact highlighted by its inclusion on "fake dispensary" lists and its association with the "Runtz" name—The Nic is squarely in the crosshairs of this regulatory shift. Its future inventory of high-THC products is directly tied to the outcome of these ongoing legal and legislative battles.

The Economic and Cultural Impact

The fight over intoxicating hemp products is not just legal; it's economic. The grey market for THC beverages alone in Missouri is estimated to have an annual potential of $75.4 million, representing a significant revenue stream that licensed dispensaries are eager to capture.

For the St. Louis cannabis culture, the saga of "The Nic Runtz St. Louis" serves as a powerful symbol of the transition. It marks the end of an era where a smoke shop on the Delmar Loop could be the primary source for high-demand, intoxicating products, and the beginning of a strictly regulated market where consumers are directed to licensed, state-approved dispensaries for strains like the authentic Runtz. The Nic’s journey from a grey market icon to a traditional tobacco and accessory store reflects the maturation of Missouri’s cannabis industry.