The Marlboro M Hoax was a false rumor originating from satire news website Abril Uno in January 2014 and republished in March 2015. [1] [2] It was an April Fools prank.
The Marlboro M Hoax was a false rumor originating from satire news website Abril Uno in January 2014 and republished in March 2015. [1] [2] It was an April Fools prank.
The article claimed that Philip Morris USA, owner of the Marlboro tobacco company, was introducing a new line of marijuana cigarettes called Marlboro M in Colorado and the state of Washington. While fake, tobacco companies have shown interest in marijuana since the 1970's. [3] Even though the article was satire, the clickbait title was able to make it around the internet quickly. [1] [4] Some users, upon discovering that there were no 'Marlboro M' cigarettes at their local dispensary, claimed that they would be in stock by the end of 2017. [5]
While the article was proven fake, its claims were able gain widespread belief because of past and current events in cannabis culture. For example, it is true that tobacco companies, including Phillip Morris, were interested in marijuana as a competing product and potentially investing in the cannabis industry, long before rapid legalization came about. [3] [6] Some tobacco companies have begun investing in medical marijuana research, as well as joining with marijuana seed investment firms. [7] Legalization of cannabis in the United States and shifts in societal views on marijuana are also likely contributing factors to the wide acceptance these claims received. [8] When the hoax appeared, it would have been illegal at the US federal level for a large company, such as Philip Morris, to introduce cannabis cigarettes across the country.
Altria Group, Inc. is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products. It operates worldwide and is headquartered in Henrico County, Virginia, just outside the city of Richmond.
Marlboro is an American brand of cigarettes owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA within the United States and by Philip Morris International outside the US except Canada where the brand is owned and manufactured by Imperial Tobacco Canada. Marlboro's largest cigarette manufacturing plant is located in Richmond, Virginia.
Philip Morris USA is the American tobacco division of the American tobacco corporation Altria Group. It has been the leading cigarette manufacturer in the U.S. since the late 20th century. Its major brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson & Hedges, Merit, and Parliament.
The Marlboro Man is a figure that was used in tobacco advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used from 1954 to 1999. The Marlboro Man was first conceived by Leo Burnett in 1954. The images initially featured rugged men portrayed in a variety of roles but later primarily featured a rugged cowboy or cowboys in picturesque wild terrain. The ads were originally conceived as a way to popularize filtered cigarettes, which at the time were considered feminine.
Cannabis, also known as marijuana or weed among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract.
Newport is an American brand of menthol cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The brand was originally named for the seaport of Newport, Rhode Island.
L&M is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Altria and Philip Morris International. The name comes from the tobacco company founded in 1873 called Liggett & Myers, predecessor of today's Liggett Group, in which L&M was originally produced.
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is an American multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. The most recognized and best selling product of the company is Marlboro. Philip Morris International is often referred to as one of the companies comprising Big Tobacco.
Operation Berkshire is the name of a program initiated in 1976 by seven of the world's major tobacco companies aimed at promoting "controversy" over smoking and disease.
In the United States, the non-medical use of cannabis is legalized in 24 states and decriminalized in 7 states, as of November 2023. Decriminalization refers to a policy of reduced penalties for cannabis offenses, typically involving a civil penalty for possessing small amounts, instead of criminal prosecution or the threat of arrest. In jurisdictions without penalty the policy is referred to as legalization, although the term decriminalization is sometimes used for this purpose as well.
Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. (GPI) is a tobacco manufacturer headquartered in India. It is now a part of Modi Enterprises. The company is a major player in the domestic cigarette industry. In 2013-2014 it reported an annual turnover of Rs 4,220 crores. It has expanded from tobacco to include tea, pan masala, and confectioner. Its operations are primarily located in the northern and western parts of India, but it has recently expanded into West Bengal and the southern part of the country. It sells some of the most popular cigarette brands, such as Four Square, Red and White, Cavanders, Tipper, and North Pole.
Tobacco politics refers to the politics surrounding the use and distribution of tobacco.
Pax Labs is an American electronic vaporizer company founded in 2007 that markets the Pax vaporizers. The company developed the Juul e-cigarette. Juul Labs was spun out as a separate company in 2017.
Mighty Corporation is a Filipino corporation and was the second largest cigarette manufacturer in the Philippines from 2010 to 2017. On September 8, 2017, Japan Tobacco acquired Mighty Corporation's cigarette business in the amount of ₱46.8 billion, paving the way for the full payment of ₱30 billion to the Philippine government as part of the agreement for Mighty Corporation to settle its unpaid tax liabilities.
"Tobacco" is a segment of the HBO news satire television series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about the tobacco industry. It first aired on February 15, 2015, as part of the second episode of the series' second season. During the eighteen-minute segment, comedian John Oliver discusses tobacco industry trends and practices.
A heated tobacco product (HTP) is a tobacco product that heats the tobacco at a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes. These products contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive chemical. The heat generates an aerosol or smoke to be inhaled from the tobacco, which contains nicotine and other chemicals. HTPs may also contain additives not found in tobacco, including flavoring chemicals. HTPs generally heat tobacco to temperatures under 600 °C (1100 °F), a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes.
The cannabis industry is composed of legal cultivators and producers, consumers, independent industrial standards bodies, ancillary products and services, regulators and researchers concerning cannabis and its industrial derivative, hemp. The cannabis industry has been inhibited by regulatory restrictions for most of recent history, but the legal market has emerged rapidly as more governments legalize medical and adult use. Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana through legislation in December, 2013. Canada became the first country to legalize private sales of recreational marijuana with Bill C-45 in 2018.
Cannabis advertising is the advertising of cannabis products to consumers by the cannabis industry through a variety of media. It is regulated by U.S. states. Some or all forms of cannabis advertising are banned in many countries.
Iqos is a line of heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes manufactured by Philip Morris International (PMI). It was first introduced in November 2014 in Japan and Italy. Most of the IQOS products are devices that heat tobacco without burning it.
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