Originally posted by beoram
so by 'native' you do mean 'non-cultivated', right?
And, as bad as it is, I would like to know more about the different varieties, &c.
As I said to Yvsa, at least in theory I would like to quit sometime, but I don't really WANT to quit.
I didn't know about the increased chance of bladder
cancer.
The one (?) unpleasant thing I know about smoking is that it tends to impair blood flow
(I don't know enough biology to comprehend the details), which is
why
I suppose it can increase chance of heart attacks--but it also can cause a form of impotence by the same token, namely that it impairs blood flow 
on that note...
cheers, B.
Maybe I can shed some light as well.
Ben, by "native" Walosi means just that I'm assuming(?).
Tobacco originated in the America's and indeed there are several varities that grow in different locations. And as Walosi said, "Rough smokes."
Some of the Southwestern Tobaccos are pretty high in hallucinogens as well, pretty high indeed!!!!
Actually in some instances alone and especially when combined with other ingredients enough to make an uninitiate sit and slobber for a few days while having unimaginable dreams (visions?).
Most ndn men cultivated tobacco in / to different extents.
Some was cultivated in a garden type atmosphere while other tribes cultivated a small parcel of land, planted the seeds and then left it to its own care, harvesting it when the band returned back to the area later in the year.
Tobacco to just be smoked was also generally mixed with other plant substances such as bark and leaves.
(Just finished a book not too long ago about another search for Atlantis that's based on some good info and the author seems to think that perhaps tobacco originated in Africa and was traded to the American Indin.
)
As to the blood flow smoking a cigarette lowers the blood flow significately for up to 15 minutes.
I learned that when I was mis-diagnosed with Burger's Disease ( a vasculitis caused by inflamed blood vessels ) in 1984 and given 5 years to live if I didn't quit smoking. I eventually did, but it was forced and not a bit easy and I reached for smokes five years later when I did start smoking again.
My old man was operated on for bladder cancer and eventually died from it.
He had quit smoking and was bemoaning the fact to me when he just turned 70 I think it was.
I asked him why he quit if he enjoyed it so much. Shortly after that he started smoking his little beloved cigar's again. The small ones that look like and sorta smell like big cigars.:barf:
If I didn't have that much longer in years and had a medical outlok as dim as his was I wouldn't quit.
The older one gets it seems like the more and more pleasures are lost.
A man can decide for himself whether he wants to give them all up.
This time I just personally got tired of smoking and was bemoaning to myself the amount of time I wasted on it along with several other, good to me, reasons.
Try smoking only outside and you will soon see just how time consuming it is.
"And, as bad as it is, I would like to know more about the different varieties, &c."
Ben if you would like I can send you the address of Native Seed Search who has several varities of old native tobacco seeds for sale.
I doubt they sell tobacco, but not for certain, as who would be buying it would be questionable.
Barb and me, well Barb actually, raised some native tobacco one year. We shared what little we had with some friends of ours who also use tobacco ceremonially.
It was quite strong.
An interesting aside is that us ndns rolled cigarettes with corn husks many years before the European influx.
Native Seed Search also has many divers of original native and very early imported seeds such IIRC the ,black eyed pea or bean that originally came from Africa, corn in several colors, beans, tomatoes, squash and etc.
There were something like 80 some different varities of food suffs, mostly plants that were sent back to Europe from the America's.
The foods native here really improved the variety of all peoples everywhere!!!!!
