Susan Carmack wrote:
> The chemicals contained in chew or snuff are what make you high.
> Tobacco picked from a plant would probably taste like any green leafy
> vegetable. (not that great)
>
>> I bet that eating it
>> can make you really sick.
>
> Probably no sicker than brussels sprouts or broccoli.
Um, no. It's not the chemicals added to the tobacco; it's the tobacco.
When tobacco is prepared for smoking or chewing, it is first aged and
dried, so in that form it is much more concentrated. But the raw stuff
will still make you sick. Like potatoes, tobacco is a member of the
Solanaceae (nightshade) family. Nicotine is an alkalloid poison that is
lethal to humans and other animals in sufficient quantities, and it is
present in the raw plant.
Todd Moody
[log in to unmask]