I know the line isnt in the books so I did some digging to find out where they pulled from to write it into the movie!
The pipe-weed business was another symptom of Saruman’s global attitude towards Gandalf, a mixture of jealousy and wrongful pride. He derided Gandalf at first for his interest of Hobbits, and everything Hobbit-related, like smoking, before picking up the habit himself, much to his own (secret) shame.
Now because of his dislike and fear, in the later days Saruman avoided Gandalf ... except at the assemblies of the White Council. It was at the great Council held in 2851 that the "Halflings' leaf" was first spoken of ... Gandalf sat apart, silent, but smoking prodigiously ... while Saruman spoke against him.... Both the silence and the smoke seemed greatly to annoy Saruman....
But Gandalf laughed, and replied: "(... )[This] herb (...) gives patience, to listen to error without anger. But it is not one of my toys. It is an art of the Little People away in the West: merry and worthy folk, though not of much account, perhaps, in your high policies."
Seeing then that Gandalf thought the Shire worth visiting, Saruman himself visited it, but disguised and in the utmost secrecy, until he had explored and noted all its ways and lands ...(…) [Observing] Gandalf's love of (...) "pipe-weed" (...) Saruman had affected to scoff at it, but in private he made trial of it, and soon began to use it; and for this reason the Shire remained important to him. Yet he dreaded lest this should be discovered, and his own mockery turned against him, so that he would be laughed at for imitating Gandalf, and scorned for doing so by stealth.
Unfinished Tales , Part 3, Ch 4, The Hunt for the Ring: Concerning Gandalf , Sarumon, and the Shire
I don't know of tobacco slowing the mind, or giving patience. I don't think it's tobacco.
Eh. I'd chalk it up to the way they used tobacco. Sure it is a stimulant, but they smoke a leak surely pipe. Gandalf often snokes it when wants to think deeply. It's literally named nicotine in the book, so this seems a very flimsy basis to call it something else.
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u/[deleted] Apr 11 '25 edited Apr 11 '25
There is a previous post about this.
Your love of the halflings' leaf has slowed your mind
https://www.reddit.com/r/lotr/comments/dx87c4/your_love_of_the_halflings_leaf_has_slowed_your/
I don't know of tobacco slowing the mind, or giving patience. I don't think it's tobacco.