Pipe Tobacco Standards and RYO Notice
September 7th 2010 Posted at Tobacco Politics
4 Comments 
Just ran across this. It was in the Federal Register in July:
STANDARD FOR PIPE TOBACCO AND ROLL-YOUR-OWN TOBACCO NOTICE
On July 23, 2010, TTB published Notice No. 106, Standards for Pipe Tobacco and Roll-Your-Own Tobacco. This advanced notice of proposed rulemaking requests public comments on standards that have been proposed to distinguish between pipe tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco for Federal excise tax purposes based upon certain physical characteristics of the two products. In the notice, we also request comments on any other physical characteristics that may be used for such purposes. Public comments on Notice No. 106 are due to TTB on or before September 20, 2010.
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I am hoping that Craig Tarler, the McClelland folks, and the Altadis bunch all weigh in and are able to resolve this wicked tax issue of RYO versus Pipe Tobacco. Perhaps I am unusual, but I never smoked ciggs. I’ve been smoking only a pipe for 47 years and I have never considered purchasing RYO tobacco to put in my pipe. That being said, it is going to take the effort of the tobacco manufacturers to prove out a distinction between RYO and pipe tobacco. I have hope and confidence that they will. If they do, it will be a great victory. If they fail, it will be a travesty for the pipe smoking community. It will likely result in our favorite blenders ceasing production of many, and perhaps all, of our favorite blends.
How, the heck? I have smoked cigarettes, cigars, and pipes over the years. I love tobacco. The pipe has always been my first and true passion. In my opinion, tobacco can run in any direction. You can roll any tobacco. you can fill a bowl, with any tobacco. Cigarette smokers commonly complain about any pipe tobacco. They just want, “a fix”. Fast, and cheap. Pipe smokers are the ones taken to task with this latest of nonsense. In fact, I just bought Balkan Sisieni, it was like donating blood, to pay for it. I agree, the tobacco manufacturers must step up to the plate, and better know how to swing their bat.
I must suggest that everyone, get over to: meerschaumstore.com, and read the article, “Pipe Smoking and Health”, by Mark Beale, MD. An outstanding piece of writing!
Relevant data of this type is supportive of pipe smoking and pipe smokers, and worthy of inclusion into any Official Record, involving our passion.
Dr.Beale, is an absolute credit to the medical profession and I commend him.
You should commend him, also!
Mr. Brizzi,
Thank you for the suggestion to read Dr Beale’s article. I have smoked the pipe for 47 years and never smoked ciggarettes. I am also a non-inhaler. This is a wonderful and supportive article. The good doctor is our friend! I posted a link to the article in our pipe forum so more of our fellow pipe smoker’s can read what the doctor says.