Smoking is... good?

[Gonzo]

While I always loved the added aroma of apple, sometimes it can make adjacent tobacco a little mushy/moldy. I found orange peel worked well also.

I believe you can still buy clay humidifiers as well. They are usually a small tin disk with a clay tablet inside. You would soak the disk for a while and then, once it has absorbed some water, add it to your pouch.

Cheers,
Gonzo

 

[brandon]

While I always loved the added aroma of apple, sometimes it can make adjacent tobacco a little mushy/moldy. I found orange peel worked well also.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention I put a bit of baking paper between the apple and the tobacco. Hope it won't go moldy!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I recommend vaporizing as an alternative to smoking. IMO it tastes better and is more healthy. It also doesn't fill the room with a lingering smell of smoke. Check these out: _http://www.blucigs.com/

 

[Vulcan59]

Hi Scarlet,

There was some discussion about "electronic" cigarettes earlier in the thread. Read about it here :)

 

[seek10]

U.S. cigarette brands tops in cancer causing chemicals

_http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/01/u-s-cigarette-brands-tops-in-cancer-causing-chemicals/?hpt=T3
126 smokers in five cities – Waterloo, Ontario; Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); London, England, Buffalo, New York, and Minneapolis, Minnesota – were recruited for this study.

They were between the ages of 18 and 55 and smoked at least 10 cigarettes a day for the past year and had been brand loyal for at least three months. The cigarettes smoked by the study recruits represented some of the more popular brands for each country including: Players light and DuMaurier in Canada; Marlboro, Newport Light, Camel Light in the U.S.; Peter Jackson and Peter Stuyvesant in Australia; and Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut Purple in the United Kingdom.

When researchers compared cigarette brands in the U.S. to those in Canada and Australia, they found three times higher levels of the cancer causing substance in the U.S. smokers’ mouths. The mouth levels are important because they give an indication of what levels if carcinogens are going into the lungs. (Smoking tobacco is a major cause of lung cancer).

They also found twice as much TSNA in the urine samples of U.S. smokers compared to those in Canada and Australia, an indication that cancer-causing substance has traveled throughout the body.

The study acknowledges that there are different types of tobacco depending where the cigarettes are made. But that’s only one factor says Pirkle: “The TSNA levels largely come from the way tobacco is cured.” The heating process, humidity and the type of the ferlizer used to grow the tobacco also contribute to the levels of cancer causing substances, says Pirkle.

 

[Psalehesost]

There's no dedicated thread for snus yet, so I'll post here where there's been previous discussion.

My experiments with snus lead me to agree with you that it is not a complete substitute for smoking. The nicotine is there and it is good to feel it again after a quarter of a century. But the juice does give some stomach upset and the nicotine delivery doesn't have the pop that a smoke does.

It being highly available up here where I live, I've finally tried out some snus. As of now, Ettan; this, General, and several others are basically the same when it comes to the level of nicotine and cleanness, all by Swedish Match. There is an extra strong - in terms of nicotine - version of General, though, which I'll try once done with what I now have. I also use loose as opposed to portion snus - twice the amount for the same price, easy to adjust the amount, and reportedly a little bit stronger in practice.

I have never smoked as of yet, so I cannot compare the two. I do note benefits from snus, however: It allows me to focus more strongly and be more present (also beneficial for POTS and meditation, it seems), and when engaging in a certain kind of heavy abstract thought, my mind tended to fizzle out after a while, which doesn't happen once I apply a decent helping of snus - I can then go on for as long as I need. I also find myself less socially inhibited and anxious, with less activity from negative introject.


Theory: This old article - referenced by "Let's all light up" - notes a big improvement in efficiency of brain connectivity with nicotine. Brain connectivity seems to be the big weakness of the brains of those (which includes me) on the autistic spectrum, so I think nicotine could be particularly beneficial for us.

 

[Rabelais]

While I always loved the added aroma of apple, sometimes it can make adjacent tobacco a little mushy/moldy. I found orange peel worked well also.

I believe you can still buy clay humidifiers as well. They are usually a small tin disk with a clay tablet inside. You would soak the disk for a while and then, once it has absorbed some water, add it to your pouch.

Cheers,
Gonzo

I have been smoking American Spirit for years. I get it in the bulk tins. Sometimes it is perfectly moisturized and other times it is dry. Even if it is fine when I break the tin's seal, it will dry out in a few days after opening.

I take a Kleenex type tissue, fold it over a couple of times into a long strip, wet it and stretch it across the top of the tin, then snap the plastic lid over it to hold it in place. The next morning, when I open it to roll the day's smokes, the tobacco is nicely supple. If I were using the pouch type, I would go to the tobacconist and buy the humidifier buttons that Gonzo suggests.

Tobacco is easy to bring back to the desired state of moistness. I have leaf hanging in the garage from last years crop (awaiting completion of the curing chamber). It dries to a condition of extreme crumbliness if handled roughly, but after a day or two of rain outside it becomes nicely soft and pliable. It will readily absorb atmospheric moisture.

 

[Gonzo]

Hey Rabelais,

What are you using for cutting/shredding you tobacco leaf once you have completed the curing? The last time I grew tobacco, I ended up using a variety of kitchen gadgets, trying to get a decent shred. I really liked the way Drum used to come (did they call it shag?) And was never able to come up with anything close in my results. I even considered buying a document shredder that does crosscuts as it shreds, but they didn't seem to make a fine enough shred.

Also, what curing methods are you using? I did some experiments with lightly sugared water and cinnamon spray on dried leaves(can't recall why cinnamon. It wasn't for the flavour), left them to sun dry and then hung them up in a dark, ventilated area to finish. They came out quite smooth and flavorful - you couldn't taste the cinnamon, just the tobacco.

Thanks,
Gonzo

 

[Thomas Alan]

While I always loved the added aroma of apple, sometimes it can make adjacent tobacco a little mushy/moldy. I found orange peel worked well also.

I believe you can still buy clay humidifiers as well. They are usually a small tin disk with a clay tablet inside. You would soak the disk for a while and then, once it has absorbed some water, add it to your pouch.

Cheers,
Gonzo

I have been smoking American Spirit for years. I get it in the bulk tins. Sometimes it is perfectly moisturized and other times it is dry. Even if it is fine when I break the tin's seal, it will dry out in a few days after opening.

I take a Kleenex type tissue, fold it over a couple of times into a long strip, wet it and stretch it across the top of the tin, then snap the plastic lid over it to hold it in place. The next morning, when I open it to roll the day's smokes, the tobacco is nicely supple. If I were using the pouch type, I would go to the tobacconist and buy the humidifier buttons that Gonzo suggests.

Tobacco is easy to bring back to the desired state of moistness. I have leaf hanging in the garage from last years crop (awaiting completion of the curing chamber). It dries to a condition of extreme crumbliness if handled roughly, but after a day or two of rain outside it becomes nicely soft and pliable. It will readily absorb atmospheric moisture.

Have your every gotten a bad batch of AS tobacco? I just opened a pouch of the light blue. It has an unpleasant taste and I don't feel good after I smoke it. The usual crisp clean taste is not there.

This maybe the 4th pouch since I started smoking in March. The rest have been fine.

Mac

 

[Infiniteness]

Hi all,

I see that filters are a big problem with cigarettes today, and I was wondering if anybody knows that if the 100% Organic American Spirit filter are healthier then the conventional ones? I cant really find any information about it, I guess if they aren't then I will start rolling my own.

Heres the box I smoke:
http://www.smokes-spirits.com/Productdetails.aspx?store=2&product=3283

 

[Thomas Alan]

Have your every gotten a bad batch of AS tobacco? I just opened a pouch of the light blue. It has an unpleasant taste and I don't feel good after I smoke it. The usual crisp clean taste is not there.

This maybe the 4th pouch since I started smoking in March. The rest have been fine.

Mac

Just a follow-up on this. Look for the lot# next to the Indian logo on the front of the package. The one to watch for is the light blue pouch with #0890. A lady at American Spirit said that the growing conditions were too wet when this one was produced and they have had complaints about it.
She said they would send me a refund perhaps by the end of July.

Mac

 

[Juba]

Hi folks,

I'm smoking mixture of organic tobacco (Burley, Bright Oriental and Mild or (light) Virginia) w/o filter, still a bit clumsy when rolling my own cigarette but feeling great. Even thinking to start to grow my own tobacco next year. I'm smoking up to 20 cigarettes per day (when under extreme stress) and feeling much more in sync with daily duties when smoking on regular basis. I'm combing EE breathing and detox and diet and all these methods assisted me to be more energized, calmed and focused.

When I was smoking industrial tobacco, I was feeling calmer but in the morning my lungs felt a bit heavy (probably thanks to all chem mixtures, pesticides, insecticides added in process of planting and finalization), from the time I start to use mild organic tobacco I have no problem with "heavy" lungs early in the morning. I'm doing regular medical exams, due to my profession, and in last 6 months, my health improved. My lungs are clean, heart rate and blood pressure normalized and sugar and cholesterol just perfect. I guess EE and detox did amazing changes in my body (and mind). I noticed I'm smoking less than before the time I start with EE and detox, actually I'm smoking when I need it and especially if I have to do long hours or double shift. It is funny how much more I can do in same amount of time when smoking on regular bases.

So, smoking helps me a lot : )

 

[ocean59]

Just a follow-up on this. Look for the lot# next to the Indian logo on the front of the package. The one to watch for is the light blue pouch with #0890. A lady at American Spirit said that the growing conditions were too wet when this one was produced and they have had complaints about it.
She said they would send me a refund perhaps by the end of July.

Thanks for this info Mac. By any chance did the representative mention if they post this information anywhere online for future reference? The pouch I bought yesterday is Lot 1400, and fwiw, it tastes great. :)

Also - Not sure if it's been mentioned ITT, but yesterday I received two $10 gift certificates for American Spirit products. Anyone (at least in the U.S.) can get these once per year. Just register at their website _www.nascigs.com and you will see a link to click on for the promotion.

 

[ocean59]

I'm smoking mixture of organic tobacco (Burley, Bright Oriental and Mild or (light) Virginia) w/o filter, still a bit clumsy when rolling my own cigarette but feeling great. Even thinking to start to grow my own tobacco next year. I'm smoking up to 20 cigarettes per day (when under extreme stress) and feeling much more in sync with daily duties when smoking on regular basis. I'm combing EE breathing and detox and diet and all these methods assisted me to be more energized, calmed and focused.
[...]
So, smoking helps me a lot : )

It is fun to mix custom blends, yes?

I'm usually pretty short on money, so I am currently mixing American Spirit (at $11/pouch) with Top Menthol ($1.79 a pouch) and Largo 'pipe' tobacco ($2.20 a pouch - and is really not pipe tobacco, but thickly cut cigarette tobacco to land it in a different tax class, as the shop owner explained to me). This combined with Silver Tip papers (they are ultra thin, and cheap, and have 100 to a pack) has been working well for me.

I can definitely relate to the differences you noticed between natural and industrialized tobacco. I finally gave up the chemical laden Marlboro Mediums I'd been re-hooked on for years, and the withdrawal from just those chemicals was amazingly strong. I think it is safe to say I will never go back to them.

Thanks for sharing your experiences! Let us know if you do ever start growing your own, that would be a neat story.

 

[Juba]

Mixing different organic tobacco and finding my own special blend was really long process sometimes even funny (I didn't know much about organic tobacco, the easiest way was to buy it in the store), with couple of total failures, the first organic tobacco I tried was something called "škija", super strong oriental tobacco, growing only in rocky mountains of in land Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Monte Negro, I had to search for 3 years until I find relatively cheap organic tobacco and perfect ratio between different kind of tobaccos in order to made something I really like. The idea of growing my own tobacco is occupying my mind for years, but never had enough time, I'll have to make it for sure because having problem with steady tobacco supply (depending of the season, farmers, market, weather conditions...,...)

I'm using ultra fine rolling paper - 100 leaves in box (I don't like smell of the paper in tobacco or even filters, all these things are influencing on taste of tobacco), for the next year I'll commence with use of home made cigarillos (with same blends of tobacco) in order to eliminate paper smell effect, it's 20% more expensive if buying whole leaves of tobacco for cigarillos rolling but the taste is even more superb.

Agree with you 100%, no more industrial tobacco!!