Quotesweatsock - 1/23/2020 1:28 PM I believe that the FDA should play a role in what people consume, but the criteria should be very restrictive. Price is a bad criteria. Additives is a good criteria. I remember that something was added or talked about adding to cigarettes to make them less of a fire hazard. The main issue with 100% tobacco cigars would be organic/non organic and pesticides. There would be no grandfathering with this criteria. With global warming, botany and technological improvements, China could start producing cigars and I remember the issues with Chinese drywall. It is only a matter of time when Cannabis is added to cigars. I don't use and don't inhale anyhting and assume that a high could still be obtained my non inhaling cigar smokers. New cigar blends are about flavor and nicotine content. Cigars that would be grandfathered can have a high nicotine content so I don't see a difference regarding blending grandfathered and non grandfathered cigars. As written, the proposed regulations don't make a lot of sense to the consumer.
Wow, this goes all over the place
If you look at it the $12 marker to ID premium cigars is actually a win. Never before had anyone from the other side been willing to put any stake in the ground to identify what a premium cigars is. Now hopefully that is just the starting point. Yes, I agree that price is not a good marker and we all would like to see "hand rolled" used to designate what a premium cigar is.
The FDA will not in the near future make a ruling on cigars (IMHO), at least what might be considered premium cigars. I follow this issue very closely. Each Congress, for the past number of years, has introduced bills to try and regulate cigars, lumping it in with cigarettes, snuff, and chewing tobacco, now vaping. All based on a flawed survey of adolescents No bill has made it out of committee. Some not even out of subcommittee. The same for bills that supported the cigar industry like S.9 and HR.1854. There are some very powerful Congressional leaders, like Marco Rubio, along with Senators Toomey, Menendez, Graham and others who support the industry. This also has bipartisan support.
If it is 100% tobacco there should be no non-organic components. If you are worried about pesticides in cigars do you worry also about similar pesticides on your fruits and vegetables?
Yes, like mentioned above Cannabis (the umbrella term for marijuana or hemp) has made it way into cigars in the form of CBD. I can't see THC being introduced into cigars (as a marketable product) but hell, who knows.
China has been producing cigars since 1918, Great Wall Cigars produces over 2 million per year. But if you have not tried a Chinese cigar or cigarette, don't put it on your bucket list. Beside when in China you can get Cubans
I don't believe blenders are creating new blends focused on nicotine as a component, Flavors, complexity, strength. Yes a cigar's strength can be directly related to the amount of nicotine. But blenders are creating stronger cigars based on the tobacco leaf, the type, where it is taken from the plant (priming), sun vs shade, and how it is aged. I believe that if you are smoking a cigar just for the nicotine you are missing the best parts.