Why are Cuban cigars illegal?

Question

...in the US...

or is it just a myth?

Answer 1

Trade with the "communist devil" Cuba is illegal.  No cigars, no travel to Cuba, nothing.

That embargo goes way back.

Answer 2

Embargo against Cuba.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_embar...

Answer 3

They are not illegal.  It is illegal to import or sell them.  You can own one.  We embargoed goods back when Castro, who we helped finance into power, declared he was a communist.  That in 1959.  The embargo followed.  

I have had one, and it was a great smoke.  It was a cheap one.  $15.

Answer 4

It's not a myth. It is very true. The U.S. still has an embargo against Cuba, and they will not allow U.S. citizens to purchase anything from, or travel to Cuba without permission from the State Department.

Why are their cigars so popular? Because they are very good cigars (some of the best in the world). There are others that are legal that are just as good, but it's the aspect of them being banned that make people want them even more.

And yes, I have smoked one. I was in Montreal, and they sold them in the hotel gift shop. Canada doesn't have an embargo against Cuba.

Answer 5

Here are the facts:

1.  Pres. Kennedy signed the trade embargo after he had his press secretary obtained 1,000 H. Upmann petite coronas.  (Urban Legend says he said "That should last me a life time.")  

2.  People took liberty with the embargo and acquired Cuban Cigars and other goods overseas.  Americans also could receive them as gifts if a foreign visitor would be bring into the United States.

3.  Several years ago the Office of Foreign Asset Contral (OFAC) stated that it was illegal for any US Citizen to be in POSSESSION of any Cuban product, in or outside of the US, regardless how it was obtained.  i.e.  the law states no Cuban Cigars for any US Citizen.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

4.  People are still breaking the law, just read Cigar Afficianodo and how these celebs say which cubans they are smoking.

5.  BTW true cigar afficianados, not some label w***e, will tell you the Dominican and central america are producing cigars just as good if not better than Cuba.

Answer 6

because it is illegal to trade with cuba  there has been a trade embargo against them for 40 years  

Answer 7

This legislation goes back almost 50 years. It was one of the measures to punish Fidel for not letting us invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs back in the 60s. It has proven to be a succesfull measure...for Castro of course. Nothing has changed in Cuba for all these years. He has used this as a pretext with his own people to justify all scarcitiesand stern nationalism on the fact of an imposed embargo from the USA. Meanwhille he sells everything he wants, including the cigars, everywhere else. It has kept him well entrenched in power until now. And also, Americans continue to buy as many Cuban cigars as they can manage but they have to pay for them dearly.

Answer 8

All exports from Cuba are illegal.  Haven't you heard that we have an embargo against them.

The popular because they are good....or so cigar smokers have told me.