Tobacco

Tobacco is a widely tested plant substance made using leaves from plants in the genus Nicotiana. Its earliest use recreationally is thought to have been in Europe; however, before that time it was put to use as an entheogen by Native American tribespeople. Today it is produced legally en mass by many large corporations.

The main active compound in tobacco is Nicotine (which is also the cause of its addictive nature), although it also contains other alkaloids. It may be used via several different routes of administration, although by far the most popular method is smoking in the form of cigarettes or cigars.

The immediate effects of smoking tobacco have been reported as light-headedness, stimulation (mental and physical), increased blood pressure and sometimes increased confidence. Most of these effects may possibly be attributed to the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine which accompanies the act of smoking.

Sample 1

Supplier: Lambert & Butler
Amount Tested: One cigarette
Stated contents: Tobacco, Tar etc
Marquis Test Result: None (not performed because substance is not a pure chemical compound)
R.O.A: Inhalation (smoking)
Other notes: Allergy test not completed because The Tester been in contact with tobacco before and no reaction was noted. Also,The Tester is not following the usual method of gradual dose increase because this is a very well known compound and the risk of overdose is so low as to be negligible.

Report:
The Tester conducts testing from a chair in the garden to the rear of their house. The Tester takes one cigarette from the pack of ten that The Tester purchased from my local supplier (Lambert and Butler cigarettes should be identical wherever they are purchased). The Tester places the filtered end into their mouth and holds a naked flame to the other end whilst inhaling slightly. Immediately the cigarette lights and The Tester's mouth begins to fill with an acrid-tasting smoke which they inhale before beginning to cough with reckless abandon- this was to be expected as The Tester has never been a smoker before now. They repeat this process a couple of times, and then begins to feel slightly dizzy. The Tester is experiencing some light-headedness, but as yet is unsure if this is because of the cigarette or because they've been hacking my lungs up for the past five minutes now (?).


After one more inhalation The Tester decides that this is a mostly unpleasant experience and that there is nothing to be gained from continuing- presumably the effects of tobacco become more pleasant with repeated use, although it is a mystery to The Tester why anyone would begin this process in the first place.The Tester is left with a furry feeling on the inside of my mouth and theycan taste something that can only be tar residue. On top of that, there is a minor amount of nausea involved.



In summary, whilst The Tester is quite sure the substance The Tester inhaled was tobacco rather than simply labelled as such, The Tester will be in no hurry to repeat this experiment. If forced to give it a score out of ten, The Tester would give it a zero.