DIY cigarettes? Some smokers start growing tobacco

DIY cigarettes? Some smokers start growing tobacco

By STEVE SZKOTAK (AP) – 5 hours ago

RICHMOND, Va. — Something unusual is cropping up alongside the tomatoes, eggplant and okra in Scott Byars' vegetable garden — the elephantine leaves of 30 tobacco plants.

Driven largely by ever-rising tobacco prices, he's among a growing number of smokers who have turned to their green thumbs to cultivate tobacco plants to blend their own cigarettes, cigars and chew. Byars normally pays $5 for a five-pack of cigars and $3 for a tin of snuff; the seed cost him $9.

"I want to get to where I don't have to go to the store and buy tobacco, but I'll just be able to supply my own from one year to the next," Byars said.

In urban lots and on rural acres, smokers and smokeless tobacco users are planting Virginia Gold, Goose Creek Red, Yellow Twist Bud and dozens of other tobacco varieties.

Although most people still buy from big tobacco, the movement took off in April when the tax on cigarettes went up 62 cents to $1.01 a pack. Large tax increases were also imposed on other tobacco products, and tobacco companies upped prices even more to compensate for lost sales.

Some seed suppliers have reported a tenfold increase in sales as some of the country's 43.3 million smokers look for a cheaper way to get their nicotine fix in a down economy. Cigarettes cost an average of $4.35 a pack, home growers can make that amount for about 30 cents.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-HeyonB1THgmmOAWPzqNWBexMxwD9A679003

but forgive me if I'm skeptical. Most smokers strongly prefer a particular brand of cigarettes, and I'm not sure the homegrown and hand-rolled variety would satisfy most of us. Still, I think it's pretty cool that people are trying this.

Like potential death from high nicotine content. Be careful.

I would have guessed that the nicotine content would have been lower than the stuff processed by the tobacco companies. I thought they specifically processed them to increase nicotine content per cigarette. Then again, I haven't done any research on the subject.

I just know that I like Marlboro Lights.

when I am hiking in the mountains now. It's a wonderful trade-off!

But if you have to smoke you should grow your own. If for no other reason than to boycott big tobacco.

so you can roll it? Too bad you can't just suck on the leaves. lol

There is no need. There are injectors for home use to pack your own cigarette tubes, complete with filters etc., which easily rival anything store bought. It isn't as hard as you'd imagine to closely match just about any favorite brand, but after about 6 months or so most of the DIY'ers stop trying as they realize there are far superior tobaccos out there that they simply like better.

As to growing one's own tobacco I would imagine the novice would have a bit more difficulty, but it certainly is feasible. It isn't really necessary though as tobaccos of superior quality can be purchased for $20.00 per lb. or less if you know where to look. FYI 1 lb. of tobacco = around 25 packs of cigarettes, so you can see there is very substantial savings for anyone willing to take the leap.

There are several communities out there on the 'nets devoted to the topic. http://forum.ryorevolution.com/index.php is pretty good, especially if you are new to the idea and seek information.

Having said all of that, don't smoke tobacco. The stuff will kill you.

I have a cousin who still hand-rolls his cigarettes. Maybe he should try this.

housed and stripped.

Cutting tobacco in August is not my idea of fun.

Noting like a pure Virginia tobacco, maybe mixed with a bit of Turkish. You know how every once in awhile you'll get a drag that has a nice sweet taste to it? That's how every drag should taste.

I hear the price has skyrocketed since I quit though. The SCHIP bill included a tax increase on bulk tobacco of somewhere in the 5000% range (if memory serves). Rumor I heard was it was put in at the request of Phillip Morris/RJR. Because of that my favorite grower (D&R Tobacco) now only sells pipe tobacco, which somehow didn't get it's taxes massively inflated. Same delicious blends as the cigarette tobacco, but now only pipe cut.

I noticed that most of the workers (guys and gals) on the ship from Norway and Scotland rolled their own. It's not the cost of regular cigs, so much as it's what they have always been doing.

I did after almost 30 years.

are probably from the additives that Big Tobacco puts in the cigarettes to make them especially addicting.

So Bravo.

I applaud anyone who reverts to a "grow your own" mentality in any aspect of consumption. Hard for the corporations to insert themselves between me and my land.

pretty much anything you grow (or build) yourself will be healthier than what the corporatocracy delivers.

packaged cig.