Blunt Debate

One of the most recent and grotesque legislative threats to cigar smokers, our freedoms, and common sense is the Washington DC City Council’s efforts to ban the sale of single cigars; because they are considered ‘drug paraphanalia’.  This is a legislative trend we have seen in other places and despite its stupidity, I’m sure we will see it again.  So, we must address the problem with facts before it gets more ridiculous.

First, we must explain what a ‘blunt’ is, since most cigar smokers probably have no idea.   The Urban Dictionary defines a blunt as a “cigar hollowed out and filled with marijuana.”  The term derives from the short-filler Phillie Blunt brand which was originally used to create blunts.  The term blunt originated in the 1980s and continued to be a popular inner-city technique for smoking marijuana throughout the 1990s.   Our research indicates it has faded in popularity over the last ten years.

It is important to note that blunts are made from short-filler, cheap cigars, which are available at convenience stores.  Blunts are not made from premium cigars nor do they use natural tobacco leaves; they use homogenized tobacco leaf.  A long-filler premium cigar cannot be emptied in the same way a short-filler cigar can and it would be prohibitively expensive to purchase a premium cigar to smoke marijuana.  So, even if you think the government should prohibit products which can potentially have illicit uses, you must understand that premium cigars do not fit into that category.  Furthermore, if you follow the logic of prohibiting products that can be used to smoke marijuana, then you will have to ban all paper, all plastic bottles, apples, and a myriad of other benign objects.

Ultimately, the idea of banning a product that has potentially illicit uses is absurd; by that logic you could ban almost everything in the world*.  Even worse, it shows how intellectually bankrupt our legislators are and does nothing to protect citizens or our freedoms.

*This legislative mentality is brought to you by the same nanny state that believes it makes sense to ban products that are “attractive to children.”…..  Remember that our current legislators can take away ever pleasure and freedom you enjoy in the name of your “health and welfare”.

Delusional Lawmakers: "Attractive To Children"

  
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin

Yet another ridiculous law has been passed outlawing the existence of products which are “particularly attractive to children”. The AP reports that the Gov. John Baldacci of Maine signed legislation that outlaws the sale of lighters that are “Particularly Attractive To Children”. Sadly, the Governor seemed delighted to pass this ‘first of its kind’ law.

  

As I have said before, our legislators can make everything illegal under the guise of protecting children: fire, water, air, wind, etc…. Ultimately, the world is not safe for children, but that is what parents are for.

  

This legislation was prompted by a child who picked up a lighter and singed their facial hairs and/or face. If I had done this as a child, my parents would have told me, “that’s what you get for playing with fire” and then we would have moved on with our lives. The parents in this case thought otherwise: instead of teaching their child not to play with fire, they lobbied to make the fire illegal – we are living in interesting times!

  

This notion of “PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE TO CHILDREN” seems to be the latest legislative fad in the ‘Post-Smoking-Ban’ era of nanny governance. It is a smokescreen for legislators and politicians to revoke freedoms while pretending to protect the public. But I am arguing that the COST is too high.

  

“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” – Benjamin Franklin

  

” I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.” – Thomas Jefferson

  

While the times we live in call for BIG IDEAS & PRINCIPLED ACTION, we are bombarded with small thoughts, selfish acts, and short-term thinking by our legislators. We are surrounded by functionaries instead of visionaries. I will take personal comfort in the John Adams series on HBO this week and remember what heroic and honorable leadership was actually like.

  

*My Retail Tobacconist stores do not sell novelty lighters, since we are not novelty stores. But I do believe in that every American has the right to own, sell, or manufacture them if they choose to.

 

Jorge Armenteros, CMT