| Master Settlement Agreement |
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The MSA was originally proposed in the summer of 1997 by the four largest tobacco companies, Philip Morris USA , R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., and Lorillard Tobacco Company . At the time, those four companies were responsible for 98% of cigarette sales in the United States. The agreement was later joined by Liggett Group , Inc., the next largest tobacco company. Every U.S. State signed the agreement except for Florida , Minnesota , Texas , and Mississippi , each of which had already reached individual agreements with the tobacco industry. It has been criticized as being too lenient on the major tobacco companies, exacting too low a price for the tort immunity provided. Another criticism is the favoritism shown to the major tobacco companies over smaller independent tobacco growers and sellers. Certain restrictions on pricing and advertising make it more difficult for small growers to compete with " Big Tobacco ". EXTERNAL LINK NOTES
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