Modified on: 21/09/2022
Shedding light on one of the biggest cannabis hoaxes
If you have a great curiosity about cannabis, it’s not so strange that you’re researching marijuana cigarettes. Nor is it surprising that, among the various results displayed by Google, you found images depicting green and white Marlboro packs with a stylised marijuana leaf in the centre. Yet, you have never seen such a packet at your local tobacconist. So, you must be wondering whether these cigarettes exist.
In this article, we will tell you about one of the most sensational hoaxes involving the American tobacco company and the world of hemp.
Marijuana Marlboros: Hemp Cigarettes Never Existed
Even though marijuana-flavoured Marlboro cigarettes have never even seen the shadow of a hypothetical production, even today, many people are still unaware of the many hoaxes that have affected the well-known tobacco brand. Eight years have passed since this fake news spread, according which the US manufacturer was about to launch a new line of cannabis cigarettes onto the market.
The news went around the world within a few hours, and marijuana enthusiasts were already anticipating legalisation scenarios in the face of such a clear stance by a tobacco giant. Without Altria, the group that owns the Marlboro brand, ever having made any statement about the possibility of entering the cannabis sector, rumours began to circulate about the types of products that the brand planned to market, from classic hemp-flavoured cigarettes to real packaged ‘canes’ (cigarettes made entirely of marijuana).
Indeed, among the various rumours that accompanied the shockwave of this hoax was the news that the official launch of the new line of Marlboro cannabis products would take place during the most important and popular sporting event in America (and the world), the Superbowl the following year. But, these phantom hemp cigarettes never saw the light of day either at the 2015 football championship final or in the years that followed.
Read also: Synthetic cannabinoids: what they are and what effects they have on humans
But if the company never put the production of such a product on the agenda, why did such an absurd rumour start to circulate? Well, there is an explanation, and we will give it to you in the next paragraph.
What links Marlboro to the world of cannabis
Suppose some evil genius dropped the Marlboro cannabis bomb in the now distant 2014. In that case, the reason is to be found if it could indeed suggest a wink to the cannabis world by the American multinational. Altria Group had to contend with a significant decline in tobacco sales in 2014. Figures for the four years 2010-2014 recorded a 15% drop. However, if one considers the numbers of this company, one could speak of a collapse rather than a decline.
In the same year, the impressive company made a historic decision that probably influenced the leakage of false information related to cannabis cigarettes. Altria acquired a 45% stake in a Canadian company specialising in the production of medical marijuana, Toronto-based Cronos. This decision must have made some journalists think that, in the face of such a significant drop in tobacco consumption, Altria was intent on diversifying its business and launching itself into a promising sector such as hemp. Perhaps among the fantasies of those who spread the news of the launch of hemp cigarettes was the idea that, under the impetus of a brand like Marlboro, the legalisation of marijuana for recreational purposes might have taken a nosedive.
Read also: The human endocannabinoid system: what it is and how it works (explained)
History tells us that the world’s most famous cigarette brand has never actually introduced a product packaged in green packets with a beautiful maria leaf in the middle (at least until now). So, for now, Altria’s colossal investment (reportedly $1.8 billion) does not indicate any desire to produce marijuana cigarettes; however, it cannot be ruled out that a similar scenario may one day occur, also because several American states (including California) have legalised the consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes.
In conclusion
We have been accustomed to fake news for years, but in 2014 the people on the web were still naive compared to now. It should come as no surprise, then, that news such as Altria Group’s acquisition of Cronos gave rise to an unfounded conjecture such as the birth of cannabis Marlboros and that people believed it.
As things stand, the only way to smoke marijuana cigarettes is to make your own, although we would like to point out that recreational consumption is illegal in Italy. Furthermore, the cultivation of cannabis seeds is also prohibited by law.
However, at Sensoryseeds, you can freely buy feminized, autoflowering and fast flowering seeds for collecting purposes.
We are waiting for you on SensorySeeds.com!
