May 1st, 2014
A January 2014 article entitled “Phillip Morris Introduces Marlboro Marijuana Cigarettes” was posted on the website Abril Uno (“April First”), and received a high amount of social media sharing. This official sounding post reads, “Phillip Morris, the world s biggest cigarette producer, announced today that they will join the marijuana legalization bandwagon and start producing marijuana cigarettes. Marketed under the brand Marlboro M , the cigarettes will be made available for sale through marijuana licensed outlets in the state of Colorado, and the state of Washington when it becomes commercially legal there later this year.”
The disclaimer for that website, however, clearly describing itself as “a satire, parody and spoof web publication… All articles contained herein are fiction (“fake”), untrue, and for entertainment only.”
Many readers sharing the article were apparently unaware of its satirical origins.
With the popularity of the fake article above, some readers have also shared a story posted by FictioNews entitled, “Marlboro Making Medical Marijuana” which contains the image above. That article dates to April 20, 2011, and is also a work of fiction.
Note that we no longer link to viral satirical or bogus stories such as this, for this reason.
Speculation Philip Morris USA Statements
After the November 2012 elections, in which Colorado and Washington legalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, CBS News asked Philip Morris USA about the possibility of a marijuana based Marlboro cigarette. Spokesman Bill Phelps, while noting that they don’t comment or speculate “on future business” stated that “tobacco companies are in the business of manufacturing and marketing tobacco products.”
In January 2014, there had been no change in strategy announced by any big tobacco companies, as speculation continued regarding pot related products.
Fake Photos
The Marlboro marijuana photos in circulation have been in existence long before Washington and Colorado voted to legalize marijuana. Back in 2009, this forum discussed “Marlboro Greens” which were rumored to exist in Amsterdam at the time. That turned out to be false. Another popular photo (above) was created as part of a photo editing contest. That photo, however, is often circulated with the Worth1000 logo cropped out, leading some readers to believe it is a real product.
Other photos have depicted “Marlboro Blend No. 420″ or “Marlboro Greens.” These have typically been created as a concept or as a joke.
Video Rebuttal
We posted a short video rebuttal to this rumor, which you can watch below.
Bottom Line
There are no Marlboro marijuana cigarettes. Rumors suggesting such a product have stemmed from satire, speculation, and fake photos.
Rise of the e-cigarette: the marlboro man is going electronic – corporate intelligence – wsj
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Andrew Hinderaker for The Wall S
Marlboro maker Altria Group is diving fully into electronic cigarettes, which pose a small but growing competitive threat to traditional smokes.
The U.S. tobacco giant said Wednesday it plans to launch its MarkTen e cigarette nationally starting in the second quarter, after testing the product in Indiana and Arizona in recent months.
Altria controls roughly half of the $100 billion U.S. tobacco industry but is playing catch up in the estimated $1 billion market for e cigarettes, battery powered devices that turn nicotine laced liquid into vapor.
Some smokers are switching to e cigarettes amid growing scientific consensus that they re less harmful than regular cigarettes, which release toxins through combustion. But many public health groups warn not enough is known about the health effects of e cigarettes and authorities are debating how to regulate them. Annual U.S. consumption of regular cigarettes, the leading cause of preventable death, has been dropping 3% to 4% in recent years.
Newport cigarette maker Lorillard, the third largest U.S. tobacco company, is the market leader after acquiring the maker of Blu e cigarettes in 2012. Camel cigarette maker Reynolds American Inc., the No. 2 tobacco company, announced last year it would take its Vuse e cigarette national by mid 2014 after testing it in Colorado and Utah.
Blu and the namesake brands of Njoy Inc. and Logic Technology Development LLC boast a combined market share of about 75% in U.S. stores for e cigarettes, although there is broader competition in online sales.
Altria estimates 90% of adult smokers are aware of e cigarettes and about two thirds have tried them, but that only a small number use them daily.
“Many adult smokers and vapers are still looking for a product that meets their requirements and desires,” Marty Barrington, Altria s chief executive, told an analyst conference Wednesday in Florida, where he announced the broader launch.
Mr. Barrington said MarkTen built up a 48% e cigarette market share in Arizona stores in just seven weeks after leveraging its considerable distribution clout.
Altria also announced earlier this month that it would pay $110 million to acquire Green Smoke Inc., which sells its namesake e cigarettes mostly over the Internet. That deal is expected to close during the second quarter, widening its e cigarette portfolio.
See also
What Do Smokers Really Want E Cigarettes, or Safer Tobacco? Corporate Intelligence
E Cigarettes Encounter Rising Heat WSJ
Tobacco s Gateway Drug? New York Says E Cigarettes are Not OK Corporate Intelligence
