Membership Become a Member

If you are in the business of hookah, making or selling hookah molasses or accessories, you are invited to join the National Hookah Community Association, an alliance of businesses from every corner of the hookah community dedicated to preserving the tradition of hookah across the United States.

Our community has a track record of success when we are united and organized. In California, businesses have worked tirelessly to educate lawmakers about hookah. They have achieved exemptions from legislation which blanketed hookah under the bans intended to target cigarettes and vaping.

That is why we we created a new national association to represent hookah in all of the United States, not just in California.

Join The National Hookah Community Association


The cost of joining is nominal and the benefit is the survival of our culture and your business, whether you are a manufacturer, a distributor, a retailer or hookah lounge owner. If interested in joining, donating, or you have any questions please fill out the contact form below:

Reasons to Join


The National Hookah Community Association (NHCA) is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization that protects and serves its members who are facing threats from new legislation at the local, state, and federal level.

Here are some of the benefits you receive when joining the NHCA:

1

Advocacy and Legislative Representation for our Culture and Businesses

Your membership of NHCA supports the representaton of hookah interests with legislative bodies, lawmakers, and regulators at the federal, state, and local levels. The hookah sector and culture needs a strong unified voice in defending our businesses. Membership not only supports efforts to protect your business but also gives you a voice at the table in shaping our policy priorities for the industry in the future.
2

Tools, Resources, and Education

NHCA will support its members in reaching out to their political representatives. We will be there for your business whenever it is threatened at the federal, state or municipal level.

Members will receive regular updates on pending legislation and regulations affecting hookah and hookah related products through state and federal news updates. Members will also be provided the most relevant news and insights for improving your business and informing the community.

3

Unifying Voice

We need an ever-present organization that unites the segments of our sector to defend our culture and businesses. NHCA is uniting manufacturers, distributors, store owners, and lounges. Bringing together the industry will not only help defend the future of your business, but it will also help to grow it through new insights and connections.

Membership Pledge


Hookah should only be sold to and used by legal adults, 21 years of age and older. The federal law requires this, and the NHCA takes this very seriously. To ensure minors cannot access hookah, NHCA supports the following policies and practices that members pledge to observe when they join our Association:

NHCA members support compliance with tobacco purchase age restrictions at the federal, state, and local levels.

NHCA members support laws and ordinances that impose penalties on retailers or others who sell or provide hookah products to minors.

All NHCA members should implement strict underage policies requiring their employees to properly identify anyone who appears younger than 30 years of age. The NHCA can provide advice and guidance on best practices.

NHCA members should display prominent signage indicating the minimum age to purchase hookah products.

Hookah products should be displayed behind the counter or in some other enclosed display which is not accessible without the assistance of a sales representative.

All online sales of hookah products should restrict sales to adults through the use of age verification technology provided by independent third-party agencies using public record databases.

NHCA members’ packaging and marketing materials should not include content which is directed towards minors and must include the necessary warning labels, such as the nicotine warning.

All members must forbid the sale of hookah products through any vending machine or unattended kiosk.

We as members embrace online ID verification standard.

In addition, NHCA members must not trade in counterfeit or illicit goods.

Founding Members