territories signed a contractual agreement (the Master Settlement Agreement, or MSA) with the major cigarette companies to settle state lawsuits to recover the costs, borne by Medicaid and other public programs, of treating smoking-related illnesses
Unlike cotton or rice, cultivating tobacco was seen as an art form, and buyers understood that behind every crop of good tobacco was a meticulous planter with exceptional skills
1 2 "Comprehensive chemical characterization of Rap tobacco products: Nicotine, un-ionized nicotine, tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and flavor constituents"
Aoki says that being able to do that kind of tailoring, for your communitys specific health needs, was taken away by state preemption laws