Smoker decides to grow his own tobacco

cleveland.com ^ | 6/28/09 | Jim Carney

[Nachum]

(AP) — AKRON, Ohio - Standing on brown earth on a flat field hundreds of yards from the nearest road, Don Carey is surrounded by tiny plants.

He walks along a three-quarter-acre plot in a desolate spot in this rural township in northeastern Portage County and looks at the thousands of tobacco plants he is growing.

Carey, 49, decided in April, when federal taxes on tobacco skyrocketed, to grow his own.

[Joe Boucher]

“if ya walk too much they’ll tax your feet”

[Gay State Conservative]

Five bucks says that 27 different Federal agencies...including the IRS...will be all over his a$$ by the end of this week.

[Principled]

THe feds are on the way. FDA feds.

If you’re gonna do this, do it quietly.

[TurtleUp]

I wonder how they would respond to a “pick your own” farm.

[TurtleUp]

I wonder how they would respond to a “pick your own” farm.

[coydog]

I think you can grow up to a quarter-acre of tobacco for personal use. Any more than that, and it would be... problematic.

Just the same, I could see a massive black market springing up. If TPTB decide to force us into a cashless economy, tobacco, pot and liquor could easily become an illicit sort of currency.

[JSDude1]

hmmm..interesting idea.

[50cal Smokepole]

Under the new tobacco law, Carey is allowed to grow tobacco for his own use, said Siobhan DeLancey, a spokeswoman for the FDA.

Hmmm.... Wonder what the feds have to say about the taxes? I'd be surprised if the 'law' lets home growers skate on the taxes.

[atomic_dog]

I wonder how long it will be before we see the Pot farms in the National Forests replaced by tobacco.

[netmilsmom]

Although this man is a smoker, I bet that he will be healthier too.

No additives.

[Califreak]

I wish I knew his secret.

I’ve tried three times to raise up tobacco plants.

[parsifal]

I was just thinking that. A tobacco coop like they have organic food coops. Also wonder about the nicotine content of this.

parsy, who smokes a pipe once in a while.

[ridesthemiles]

Good for him.

[tet68]

There’s just nothing like picking tobacco worms on a hot summer day.

[Califreak]

Home grown tobacco ping

[Califreak]

My plants always die when they are about the size of a teardrop.

[MaxMax]

The law allows you to grow up to 1/3 of an acre for personal use.
I'm growing my own and the plants are already over 2ft.

Three plants of over 30

No room? Bad soil? Try bags

[Principled]

Sweet MaxMax!

How will the new FDA ruling [putting tobacco under the thumb of the FDA] change things - if at all?

[thecabal]

This guy is toast now. The precedent has already been set to drop the hammer on him: Wickard v. Filburn.