Are Tobacco Companies Trying to Take Over the Cannabis Industry?

Big tobacco companies have been some of the most prominent voices that are fighting back against the legalization of marijuana across the country. In the United States, the fight for legalization of marijuana has been a long slog, bogged down by numerous government, political, and corporate entities that have slowed the process in getting weed legalized. However, those who have rallied from legal cannabis in the United States are finally being able to reap the buds of their labor. However, now that things are looking up for the marijuana industry, it seems that big tobacco companies are wanting to get involved with cannabis. How can this be? Don’t tobacco companies have any integrity? The answer is no.

You don’t make a business out of poisoning the American people by sticking to a strict moral code, and big tobacco companies aren’t going to come to their ethical sense anytime soon. So why did big tobacco companies oppose the legalization of weed? Mainly, it came down to money. It’s no secret that the marijuana industry is a serious threat to the big tobacco companies that are already trying to find their way back into the lives of consumers who have long since determined smoking as a perfect way to develop lung cancer in their fifties. Now that marijuana is becoming more and more legalized in over 30 states, tobacco companies are making a play to hop on the cannabis train before it’s too late. It’s a smart move as far as money goes, but I think we can all agree that we are sick of big tobacco companies and the nonsense that they come up with.

Like I said earlier, pretty much everyone in the American consumer market knows the health risks associated with smoking tobacco. Tobacco sales have steadily been declining in the United States, and we have decades of clinical research and studies that show the awful health effects associated with smoking tobacco. Plus, smoking used to be seen as cool and normal; now, smoking in public is seen as rude and everyone knows the health risks involved. Personally, I cannot stand the smell of cigarette smoke and I hate when people smoke around me in public. With all that being said, cannabis is a much safer form of smoking in the eyes and minds of the American people, and is generally accepted as more natural and better for you. Just as cannabis is becoming more legalized in the United States, big tobacco companies are ready to come out in support and start adding to their line up of products. According to the CDC, tobacco sales have decreased by 3% to 5% annually. Interestingly, as more is dug up about various tobacco companies, it seems that they have been making a play for the cannabis industry for quite some time. After all, they can see that the world is turning from tobacco in pursuit of bigger and better things (in this case, marijuana!). 

To people who have supported the legalization of the cannabis industry for decades, including the grassroots cannabis industry, this play by big tobacco companies have left a bitter taste in their mouths. Afterall, tobacco companies are notorious in the American market for their unethical marketing practices and attempts to get younger generations addicted to smoking to ensure a larger market in the future. When it comes to the cannabis industry, big tobacco should just stay away. They will find a way to make it dirty and addictive and I think that this will create a lot of credibility problems for the legalization of cannabis that has been fought so hard for.