What is it about tobacco that causes its smoke to seep into walls and linger when other burnt plant material does not (at least not nearly to the same degree)?

Question

Marijuana, smudging sage or cedar, paper, incense, etc have a pretty strong smell but they dissipate much faster than tobacco smoke especially cigar smoke

In: 652

Answer 1

One detail being left out of the explanations is the degree of smoke production. Most non tobacco smoke production occurs for a few hours at most. No one has a smudge going 24/7/365 in their house. Even heavy marijuana smokers take breaks for food.

*Tobacco smokers are lighting up as often as possible*. Several packs of cigarettes a day inside their houses and cars. This is true even with the roll your own crowd. When there’s smoke being produced in a house 24/7/365, with brief breaks for sleep and to smoke in one’s car, the smoke seeps into walls and clothing, and lingers in the air.

Technically it doesn’t have to be tobacco making the smoke, it just happens to be tobacco usually making the 24/7/365 smoke. Crude houses with fire pits have wood smoke seeping into walls and clothing, and lingering in the air.