Castro steps down

[nhcigarfan]

nothing is going to change.

[ashauler]

nothing is going to change.

I have to agree, not in the near term anyway.

[JFellows]

It would be a nightmare for CC smokers if the embargo was lifted. There would be a catastrophic legal battle between CC manufacturers and their counterparts in General Cigar, quality would go down the shitter, Cuban tobacco would be used in non-puro cigars, etc.

[hex1848]

Unfortunately, the Cuban Government has done a pretty good job with the transition process. This has been in the works since Fidel got sick in 2006. I don’t think change is eminent at all. This is all part of the master plan to keep the people in Cuba at peace. The good news is that Raul is 75 and he won’t be around for ever. The big question is how Raul is going to handle things from this point forward. He has extensively studied the Chinese economy and I would expect him to transition Cuba towards a more open system.

JFellows, you would be surprised as to how much Cuban tobacco is used in the cigars we smoke today. While Habanos S.A. won’t let a lot of wrapper leafs off the island, filler Cuban tobacco is used in many “blends” that secretly make it into the Country today. I for one love a blend of Cuban filers, a Dominican binder, and a nice shade Connecticut wrapper J

[JFellows]

I should clarify...I mean that if Cuban tobacco became readily and openly available for non-Puros, or even if Cuban puros became readily and openly available to anyone, it seems like the overall quality (and availability) of Cuban cigars would plummet.