Quote Originally Posted by FightingFish View Post
Welcome.
On the topic of growing your own: I would be interested in how average rainfall affects tobacco growth. I'll have to spends some time on the ole' Google.
In addition to what mrtr33 said, low rainfall and stress to the plant (extreme heat, etc...) tend to increase the nicotine content of the harvested tobacco. Overly wet conditions, especially at the time of harvest, will increase the curing time and the susceptibility of the plant to various molds and diseases. You want the plant to have as little moisture in the leaves as possible when harvested.