The Truth About Tobacco

Many people in the world are having adverse health effects because of tobacco use. This is very unfortunate because in actuality tobacco is a medicinal plant that has been misused and this causes misconceptions about it. When studies are done about tobacco by health professionals who wish to discourage its use, they tip the scales in their direction. They say things such as “second hand smoke kills”, when in actuality they are testing second hand smoke in ways that would never kill, because you would have to be inhaling it in an extreme manner that would in fact be worse than smoking, but anyone, smoker or non, would just never do. They give statistics about the thousands of chemicals produced when you smoke, but the fact is that all but a few of them occur in miniscule amounts that really have no effect. On the other hand, when a tobacco company wants to give its own statistics, they tip the scale in their own direction, or at the very least, they use lobbying with conceptual manipulation. The truth, of course, is found in the middle.

Tobacco, like any medicine, must be used and dosed appropriately. If it is not used appropriately of course it would have adverse effects. It is up for the user to take responsibility for the manner in which they use it. Many people are familiar with tobaccos use being rooted in peace pipe ceremonies, a spiritual rite among native Americans. However tobacco has been used as physiological medicine as well. Many cultures that have employ natural holistic healing methods since archaic times have used tobacco as a treatment for oral conditions such as mouth ulcers. Additionally even today western scientists are discovering that nicotine can be used as a medicine for mental health conditions. In fact the reason tobacco use is so wide spread, and always has been, is because it is the most powerful general medicinal plant in the world, physically, mentally and spiritually. Tobacco should not kill people or make them ill, and when used properly it does the opposite. Shamen in many cultures use it as their primary healing herb, whether their practices are primarily spiritual or as physiological healers. And many of the oldest living people were in fact smokers. But were these people smoking industrially produced cigarettes? No. The tobacco they used was all natural.

Industrially produced cigarettes, unless otherwise specified, are made with what is called “reconstituted sheet tobacco”. A brief summary of how this is generally made is as follows: The tobacco leaves are cured with ammonia to chemically alter the nicotine and make it have a more powerful effect on the nervous system. The tobacco leaves are then broken down and pulverized into a mash. This mash is then treated with the addition of many chemicals to cause a more intoxicating effect. This intoxication is due to the fact that these chemicals toxins, and I do will not bother listing any because there are too many to list and the worst ones are common knowledge. Once all the chemical additions have been made to the tobacco the mash is rolled out into sheets. To preserve the tobacco, the sheets are coated with wax, another unnatural element that one should absolutely not be inhaling as a smoke, and this is then shredded and made into cigarettes. Do these cigarettes have the same medicinal effect as all natural tobacco? No. Furthermore these cigarettes are more addictive and so then they are usually smoked consistently throughout ones day. Is this the proper dose for helpful, rather than harmful, tobacco use? No. Furthermore, are these people using tobacco in the proper healing method to ensure the greatest benefit (rather than the greatest harm)? No.

Tobacco does however have great benefits, WHEN USED PROPERLY. This starts with using all natural, real tobacco. When using real tobacco one will still have the same “buzz”, and it is sometimes stronger because the smoke is stronger. The smoke will taste far better and there are a variety of flavors to choose from, from a sweet smooth dark tobacco to a earthy, leathery, spicey tobacco. There are also an infinite variety of tobaccos that have been cured with various things for flavors, such as fruits, maple syrup, rum, etc. When smoking this type of tobacco without the additives for higher addiction, and an unadulterated nicotine and higher quality smoke, one will feel satisfied from using less. Most pipe smokers only smoke a small amount of pipes per day, rather than doing so every chance they get. After procuring a natural product, one must develop a relationship with it. If possible, roll your own cigarettes, or use a pipe. This way one can use this with purpose. Native Americans teach to communicate with the spirit of tobacco and make your intention for using it known so that it can help to effectuate this purpose with its power. This may be too far out for most westerners today, however the truth is, if you are rolling a cigarette with certain purpose, even if it is not the spirit of tobacco that is reacting, your mind will. Your body and brain will receive the smoke and nicotine with that purpose in mind, in the manner of self hypnosis. Keep in mind that the brain can do anything with the body that it wants, it owns it. So if you are intending for the tobacco to not have a harmful effect, your mind will not use it. If you are asking for it to have a more specific effect, such as stress relief, or for it to help you with a certain situation or invoke a certain feeling, it will. This is similar to the method that spiritual masters used tobacco in prayer, except the spiritual aspects are made solely mental and physical. This self hypnotic method of tobacco use is equally effective however. The smoking of tobacco can help one in a solely psychological way, as well as some physical ways. Or the chewing of leaves or infusing them into teas can also help in physical ways. Another way it can help physically is by infusing it into a bath. This has many great effects, as the medicinal elements are absorbed through the skin which is the least harmful way for them to be absorbed, and also the oils in the tobacco will nourish the skin (one should get a darker more oily tobacco for this), and the aroma will provide an aromatherapy aspect, and there are innumerable other holistic benefits, such as the cleansing of ones spirit (if one is practicing spirituality). Tobacco can also be used in gardening, layering the tobacco into the soil, as potpourri, in smudging in the same manner as sage or incense, and has many other practical purposes! Just remember that if you are going to smoke cigarettes you must get the all natural ones, or better yet roll your own! Rolling your own cigarettes turns tobacco use into an art, hobby and past time and gives it the purpose it needs for it to be helpful rather than harmful, as a crutch for negative aspects of ones life that only adds more negative aspects.

But of course as I stated in the last paragraph it all comes down to your intention for its use. If you do not care about your health and just want something to indulge in on a moment to moment basis, then industrial cigarettes perhaps are for you. Just know that the chances of you dying a very slow, horrible, gruesome death are extremely high. One can however use tobacco and have it bring an opposite effect, one of healing and prosperity.