Roll your own Conspiracy

My first thread.

For the millions of hopelessly addicted cigarette smokers out there (I included) this subject may be the most important conspiracy in your "current" life. Big claim...I know.

First let me clear up a few things.

1- Quitting smoking is the only REAL solution to tobacco related illness.
2- I am no doctor. I am not certified to give medical advice. I am not an advertiser for ANY smoking products and I benefit nothing financially or politically in sharing this.
3- I am in no way "positive" in my analysis here and only speak from my personal experience and accounts from multiple friends.
4- It is important to know that for a long time I felt horrible. My lungs had become heavy, painful and prone to long coughing sprees in the morning for over two years now. Like many heavy smokers, I couldn't run, breath deep without trouble, and my voice was deteriorating slowly.

With that said...here goes.

Like many Americans who smoke popular brand cigarettes, I have been worried about the price of them in today's economy. It was getting hard to support a habit with packs now costing 8 dollars where I live. But suffering from total addiction to tobacco, there was no choice but to buckle and buy...or so I thought.

Over two months ago, a friend suggested that me and my friends all go 100% "roll your own" tobacco. The settlers did it, why couldn't we? At first I was against the idea. There was NO WAY I was taking the time to "roll" anything, or even consider smoking anything that looked like a "do-it-yourself-hippy-thing" (no offence to hippies. I was raised by one). But my friend was quick to point out the newer technology in "rolling your own" cigarettes.

He showed me a machine that sits on your desk (50 bucks) and empty cigarette paper/filters that looked just like a store-purchased cigarette (imagine a carton of cigarettes but each one is empty of tobacco, a hollow paper tube with a filter at the end). He showed me that with a pull of a lever, this machine put the tobacco into the paper and WALLAH...one finished cigarette.

Amazed, I asked was "how much money would this save us in the long run?'

The money it saves is incredible. But little did I know that the money side of it was not to be the biggest shock here.

So...me and eight friends (9 including my mother, who was quick to join in our little money saving quest) all began to smoke 100% tobacco from a bag. We all purchased our little machines (the 50 dollar one makes about a pack in under 10 minutes. A smaller machine for about 10 bucks can make one cigarette per minute)

The first 7 days were horrible! ALL of us suffered from stomach pains. It felt like rocks in our intestines. During the first week I coughed up so much mucus (sorry, its not pretty) that I felt this 100% tobacco was killing me faster then normal cigarettes. They also did NOTHING to satisfy my cravings for a cigarette and I ended up smoking three times MORE then normal.

After two weeks the pains were gone. They vanished instantly after the first 7-10 days. Also by now I was very happy with smoking 100% tobacco. It tasted awesome, felt fine and lets not forget how cheap it was. But this is where the most important part comes in. By this time-

"I was no longer coughing in the morning".

That's not just all. I am now breathing deep and fine. I never feel disgusting in the morning and I can run without collapsing into a gasping fit. I have this crazy level of energy that has driven me to hiking, weightlifting, long walks, and when I wake up there is no dragging feet. I just pop out of bed and go!

The important part is this. I am smoking more now (still cheap) but I feel as if a magic spell was cast on my body and I've been healed or some crazy jazz. And its not just me. All of us feel better smoking these. A few of us were pretty bad with our lungs...all of us report no longer feeling like we had "bad lungs"

I'm not saying this is healthy.

But damn!

Anyone else figure this out?


[ed

[edit on 16-8-2009 by Mr Mask]

OH!

I'd like to also point out a few things we all noticed.

Now name brand cigarettes cause us to get nauseous and dizzy. Just one puff and it stirs your head and stomach. Not cool.

Also...They now give me a headache instantly if I happen to smoke one. (only two others in our control group report the same here.)

I just find it weird that whatever is in name brand smokes, actually makes me sick now.

Strange to me.

First off Good for you for letting go of the major corps.
I have quit smoking all together for the last 2 weeks...yea me. anyway.
I think that when you switched your smokes, your now smoking tabaco that has less ingrediants in it than the major corps add. the filters are probably cleaner, and there less pesticides in what your smoking. I also think that what you were experiancing for the fisrt week was your body cleansing itself of the major corps posions.
I smoked for 17 yrs, and for the last 2 weeks, ive had tons more energy, more focused,better sex, can breath better, and did i say better sex? but anyway, thats my theory.

i noticed the exact same thing - and it goes further than that. i dont know if you've ever tried to engage in any 'mind work' - meditation, focus or even a simple 'quieting' for instance. i do, and any time i went to smoke a major brand cig it was sort of like "well i hope my work is done for now, because this will bring me back"

now i smoke bali shag (i recommend it 4 flavor, cheaper rolling tobacco is poopoo) and that phenomenon never occurs. i can remain focused for much longer periods of time - keep in mind i mean meditative focus - not lets sit down and pay all the bills focus. unfortunately i will have to start ordering online soon as the new tax has supposedly forced that company to stop exporting here

Yeh, I do notice many things that are new. Including a clearer mind, I can also smell stuff again, my voice is working better again (still a lil rough) and I am overly more so productive then I've been in years.

I also have had a huge rush of creative energy, and as a self-proclaimed artist that is very welcomed.

I am glad you report some of the same. I am very interested in other people stepping up with their analysis on the subject.

As I said, there is only a handful of us in my control group. I'd like to see what a larger group of people have to say on their experience.

THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING!

I started rolling my own just about a year ago - regular smokes taste like crap now. My lungs feel much better too after the change and I know I'm saving a buttload of money. At least until they upped the tax about 2,000%.

I dont smoke cigs but a lot of people I know roll their own nowadays. I live in a workng class city and they have long been popular with older people from the days when our docks were the jewel in Englands fishing crown. Popular because of their value for money. Only now though are young people rolling their own. And like you guys, I like to think they are a little more pure and taste way better.

I used to smoke a cig and think, mmmm, smooth. Now I smoke a cig and think, gross, this sh*t seems designed to kill me and is made out of arsnic and old Chinese newspapers. What are they putting in them now?

I spent some months overseas where the cigarettes tasted pretty much like they were made with camel dung. I had to smoke those because I didn't have any money for American cigarettes.

Thing is, I could walk into a room where an American cigarette had been smoked hours before, and tell that it was American. Our cigarettes have perfume in them, among many other ingredients. There is some saltpeter in them to keep them burning even when you're not puffing. Regular tobacco tends to go out if you don't keep puffing to stoke the fire.

For a while I used to roll my own, here in the US. It was very cheap, but had the disadvantage of looking like I was smoking marijuana. I didn't have those cigarette tubes, just the papers. I even got charged with possession once, though that was immediately dropped when they took a closer look at what was in there.

You'll save plenty of money by rolling your own, and it might even be somewhat healthier. Still, the only real solution is to stop altogether. That is *very* difficult, but not impossible. I eventually managed to quit a 3-pack-a-day habit. It was one of the most difficult things I ever did, but it probably saved my life. It certainly saved me a pile of money.

I started rolling my own about three years ago but did not notice the things you have described. I'm wondering what kind (name) of tobacco you are using?

I think I made a similar thread a while back when I started rolling my own, but this needs to be said again, and again, and again! S&F!

I have been rolling my own for a while now and I have felt better, craved less cigarettes (down from almost 2 packs a day to just over 1), and the taste is A_W_E_S_O_M_E_! The old Marlboros that I used to swear by are now considered junk smokes.

My next step is to actually grow my own tobacco. If anyone has any information on what kind I need in order to blend something akin to Marlboro (without the toxins), full flavor, please post it!

One complaint: this year the illustrious Mr. Obama decided that I wasn't paying enough to smoke a butt during my day, so the price for tobacco has risen from $60 to $150 for a 6-week supply. I guess I make over $250,000 a year according to the government. Isn't that who they said would be the only ones to see a tax increase? I just wish I knew where it was going, because it certainly isn't landing in my bank account!

TheRedneck

i am a long time smoker i started Back in freshmen year of high school and now am in my mid thirties, ive tried many diffeRant named brand cigerettes in the past and had settled on one particular brand for several years when i started noticIng the shortness of breath and other side effects mentioned by the op catching up with me. including the sizAble dent it put in my wallet compared to when i switched to 100% tobacco that i roll myself, i dont use the fancy machine or the tubes i just roll them by haNd ( yes i use a filter).

Just because i can not attest to having undergone the severe withdrawel from the prepackaged name brand cig's that the op underwent, In no way detracts from the point that ive noticed i smoke less , maybe because i have to stop and roll each one by hand before i smOke,but i breath better and, i feel better in the morning just like the op mentioned,
sorry to dig up an old post but im new here and was poking around when i found this thread and thought i would confirm the op's experiancE.






.

yeah, it is a good idea to roll your own cigs, but cops will frequently ask you is that marijuana? BTw I don't believe in 2nd hand smoke. I have been around smokers a long time and even was a smoker. I occacionally smoke cigars.

[edit on 26-5-2010 by dragnet53]

reply to post by Mr Mask


Mate... you think you feel better now. That's nothing compared to how amazing you will feel if you quit altogether!

A friend of mine had a similar experience to you. He used to smoke tailored ciggies and moved over to rollies. From there he cut down even further by smoking just a pinch of tobacco through a water pipe. He got the same effect from smoking just a minute amount in a cone as what he got from smoking an entire rollie - and only did it a few times a day. He reckons a regular pouch of tobacco lasts him about 6-8 weeks.

Still... I think it's not even worth him smoking now given he actually smokes so little. Hopefully he kicks it all together. No amount of smoking can be good for you mate! It may not have as many chems as tailored ciggies but it's still carcinogenic!

IRM