Now that marijuana is legal in 11 states, cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar industry in America. In Downtown San Jose, you can’t walk around without smelling weed smoke whether it’s from a pipe, a joint or a blunt.
When I want to get loaded, I prefer to smoke my cannabis wrapped in Backwoods Wild ’n Mild Cigars.
My New Year’s resolution for 2020 was to stop smoking tobacco entirely. I lasted about two weeks.
Unlike most cigarillos, Backwoods are made from hand-rolled natural tobacco leaves. It gives them a distinct taste and texture when rolling and smoking, complementing the taste of cannabis.
Honey Berry and Russian Cream are still my go-to flavors and are some of the most popular flavor among young people looking to try out smoking.
Tobacco companies engineer alluring flavors as a tactic to encourage young consumers who will inevitably smoke for years.
The prominence of these products has become so severe that several Bay Area counties have passed local ordinances that have banned the sale of Backwoods and other flavored tobacco.
Many of these ordinances state that 90% of adults started smoking tobacco before their 18th birthday, therefore justifying the bans as public health protections.
In 2016, California changed the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21, anticipating the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Their objective was to make tobacco less accessible for kids, and the policy succeeded.
Until my 21st birthday, I encountered a lot of trouble getting my hands on tobacco after the law was passed.
Backwoods’ tobacco content is considered harsher than the average cigarette, prompting some to call it more addictive. This is evident in the palpable and instantaneous head rush a user can feel.
Tobacco has been a major part of the U.S. economy since Jamestown, Virginia was established in the 1600s, according to the historic Jamestown website.
Over four centuries, Americans have made the substance stronger.
The amount of nicotine has been increasing in American cigarette products such as Newports and American Spirits, with an average increase of 1.78% per year from 1998 to 2005, according to a Tobacco Control report.
I was only a high school freshman when I lit my first Backwood.
My health from smoking tobacco is something I always keep in mind, but it never stopped me from going to the store and getting a five-pack. What was holding me back was the amount of money I was spending.
I am aware of how much I am smoking. With the high I get from Backwoods, it was always my first choice when rolling up some weed.
Traditional flavors such as Sweet Aromatic are the highest sellers, sold in five-packs for about $8 at convenient stores like 7-Eleven. But there is a market for more exotic flavors, such as vanilla and grape, which can go for $40 a pack.
A heavy smoker like myself can easily smoke five blunts in one day. If I bought a five-pack of Backwoods every day for a whole year, it would be about $3,200. It can add up, especially since some days I go through two or three packs.
Backwoods are just different. Mac Dre said, “If it ain’t a Backwood, it ain’t all that good.”
Regardless of the negative effects, ‘Woods are the choice for a lot of stoners. We see them being smoked in all the rap music videos and in Instagram posts.
Money spent on Backwoods could be used for something else, like buying
more cannabis.
Going broke over cigars is not something I intend to do, but smoking a joint just isn’t the same.
