The modernization of the historical tobacco plant has been a subject of debate in western society for decades. The west took a plant that was used for centuries as medicine, added chemicals and addictive properties to create cigarettes. The question we ask is "the tobacco plant" friend or foe? Let me say upfront, that I share your disdain for the Tobacco companies and their history of deception upon the world. They clearly cared only of profit and none of health. Such a shame.
If you asked for peoples first impression with the word tobacco, they probably answer with one word.... "cancer".
This has been the modern experience of most people in today's society. Tobacco is well known as a carcinogen and it's smoke has over 4000 chemicals in it. This is clearly an issue along with all other chemicals in our society.
But, has tobacco always been known this way in all of history? The answer is clearly "no". There are centuries of data that document the use of the Tobacco Plant for medicinal uses. The leaves themselves were used very often to help with cuts or wounds. Between 1537 and 1559 there were books published in Europe and Mexico discussing all the medicinal uses of the tobacco leaves and tobacco leaves that were dried and smoked.
How can a grandfather in Central Thailand smoke tobacco from leaves he dried himself and live to age 96? How is this possible? Clearly this is a complex question which involves the change of natures drug into a "chemical / nicotine delivery system" called cigarettes. The financial incentive to monetize tobacco overtook the medicinal uses that people were using for "free" for generations....sound familiar?
The benefit is in the Tobacco leaves and there are well over 70 species known today. The tobacco plant is indigenous to the Americas, South Pacific, Australia, India, Vietnam and more. Certain species grow better in some locations than other, but basically they require 100-130 days frost free days from transplanting to maturity.
Each plant has so many leaves that can be harvested. They require spacing, sun and fertile soil for growth. The leaves are harvested and then dried or cured. In the earlier periods, this curing stage can take anywhere from one to two months time. Today, manufactures use many ways to quicken this process so they can speedily supply tobacco for cigars and cigarettes.
In the fields of Thailand, it was done by farmers the old way. It was used for medicine and for smoking. It was used naturally, no chemicals added. Today, much of this knowledge is lost on the younger generations. Eating healthy in general from your crops does not make companies money, so you get the picture.
Back to our question, is tobacco friend or foe? The answer is clearly "YES" to both. It was a friend to those in need for many centuries and it seems to be a plague upon man in the common era. Does more than tobacco contribute to cancer today...of course. How did people with lesser access to health systems live longer than people in Western Society today? That is a whole new blog that would make you think twice. And that is the purpose of this blog, to make you think twice about tobacco's history and uses. I guess you can say the same of many natural medicines throughout history, they are changed, compromised or sometimes forgotten as cures.
Thank you for reading.