Legislation and the Future of Tobacco

[olkofri]

The WHO sux.

 

[Chasing Embers]

the people who make the rules

Are the voters.

Not for a very long time.

 

[mikethompson]

Interesting topic, and I will throw my 5 cents in (we don't use pennies here anymore). I've always viewed the US pipe tobacco market as very loose and untaxed from a Canadian perspective. You are spoiled for variety and price. I will agree with the above poster who mentioned that at any of the shops where you can buy pipe tobacco around me there are MAX 4 or 5 tins TOTAL. That's why I started with Dunhill Nightcap - its all the shop had.
If in the future the US tobacconists turn into something like that, well it will be an adjustment for sure.
It should be noted that you get pipe tobacco here from cigar shops, not from drugstores.

 

[brian64]

Theere is no mob rule in scientific analysis.

No, but there sure is a lot of rule by grant money.
I think it's a phenomenon known in quantum physics as "spooky action at a distance".

 

[perdurabo]

Mike revealed something we need to pay attention to "You are spoiled" from lack of government intervention.
Mike this isn't an attack.
Any comment I make will be added to the "Fringe" Poster Column. I'll keep it to myself.

 

[brian64]

The "fringe" doesn't look so bad once you fully realize how completely bat-shit crazy the "mainstream" has become.

 

[woodsroad]

Mike, we aren't spoiled, we planned it this way. Unfortunately, it's been sliding away from us at an ever increasing pace.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Woodsroads,just a quick note as added information on dark Fired Kentuckies,its a very important leaf in the production of traditional Dutch type of cigarette tobacco, both the half zwaar and zwaar tobacco blends.These type of tobaccoes are widely sold in the EU,to mention only a few popular brands, Drum, Samson,Van Nelle.Yet another question if these companies are supplied by U.S growers but I do assume those who produce the best quality tobacco they are importing The dark fired leaf right from the states of Kentcuky /Tennessee.

 

[warren]

Tobacco is indeed pretty benign ... until you put a match to it. Much like piles of tires, charcoal briquettes, gun powder, etc.
chasingembers: Neither you nor I can avoid our complicity in all of this "tobacco good-tobacco bad" discussion. It is indeed the voters (educated or not) and the voters who fail to exercise their franchise. The main consideration is, the vast majority of voters have no interest in tobacco issues. The economy, gun rights, abortion, etc. are the issues politicians have to be on the "right" side of (the "right" side being predominately determined by where one lives.). No one queries a candidate with regard to their stance on tobacco. It's a great big non-issue.

 

[woodsroad]

Paulie, my information is anecdotal at best, coming from one young farmer in Kentucky. So I don't know where those brands source their Dark Fired. I do know that Africa produces a lot of Dark Fired. It's noticeably different than Kentucky Dark Fired, having been grown in different climes and fired with different wood. I find it to be a bit harsher and stronger, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

 

[mikethompson]

To clarify I mean spoiled in the sense that perduabo reiterated - that compared to Canada and indeed Europe as Paulie suggests, the US government seems to have had a light hand in taxation and availability.
If you have increasing pressure on farmers not to grow tobacco and increasing taxation/public opinion away from tobacco in any form, that is a perfect storm of trouble that a US pipe smoker doesn't want to be in. Perhaps for pipe smokers in other countries if us-sourced leaf is unavailable to blenders.

 

[woodsroad]

I know, Mike. It's just that those of us who cherish Freedom and champion individual rights and responsibilities are feeling a bit disenfranchised these days.

 

[brian64]

those of us who cherish Freedom and champion individual rights and responsibilities

Almost as large a % of the population as pipe smokers.

 

[woodsroad]

Well...yes.

 

[olkofri]

Yes.. the Canadian population, that is.

 

[brian64]

^ Seems to be generally true globally at this point.
As a certain Skull & Bones member once said, "It's a big idea...a new world order".

 

[brightleaf]

If we want to know what candidates would be taking a pro or anti tobacco stance, we need to consider how federal rules in the future would directly aid or oppose tobacco use. One example would be health insurance. Health insurance considers tobacco use a risk factor and wants to charge more for monthly premiums to users. Therefore a candidates stance towards socialized health insurance would be a way to vote for or against the future of tobacco availability. Not to mention freedom and responsibility.

 

[daveinlax]

Tobacco use, like many things in life is a trade off between one thing and another. In the case of moderate tobacco use you have the trade off of a 40% reduction in Alzheimer's and a 75% reduction in Parkinson's Disease vs a possible increase in cancer.

I thought you could avoid the trade off by getting the benefits of nicotine with a patch or gum?
The future looks bright for cigarettes and chew based on all the kids I see smoking outside the high school near my house and the young guys I work with. I don't see many people vaping these days.
I'm surprised mail order and internet sales are still around. You have to jump through hoops to by a bottle of wine online but the only time I was carded for mail order tobacco was when I was buying the Dunhill hand blended tobacco from the London shop. I had to fax them my ID.
IMO traditional pipe tobacco is fucked because of RYO. I just can't believe big tobacco will not be asking for tax parity with packaged nails soon or later.
I have a good feeling premium hand rolled cigars are going to get a FDA exemption thanks to the CRA. I'm a member and I encourage everyone to join. They are doing great work! 8O