Icuba livela eMzantsi Merika, apho laqala ukuhlangana nabahlali ababebona abantu balapho beyitshaya kwimibhobho yokutshaya ehlala ixesha elide ingakumbi kwimibhiyozo nakwimicimbi yentlalontle. Abemi bomthonyama baseMelika basebenzise icuba ngokucacileyo kwiminyaka engama-3000 BC.
Igama elithi Nicotina livela kuJean Nicot, unozakuzaku waseFransi eLisbon owazisa izityalo zecuba eFransi. Igama elithi Tabacum livela kwimibhobho ebizwa ngokuba yi "tabago" ngabemi bomthonyama. Isithako sayo esisebenzayo yi-alkaloid ebizwa ngokuba yi-nicotine, eyaziwa ngokuba yi-carcinogenic properties. I-Nicotine nayo i-agent eqinile yokuchasana nokudumba.
Kwezinye iindawo kuMzantsi Merika, icuba ligqalwa njengeyeza. Icuba linxulunyaniswa kakhulu nokusetyenziswa kwesithethe ngokutshaya okanye njengokungeniswa ngabo bobabini abemi basezantsi nabaseMntla Melika, njengomnikelo okanye ukutywina izivumelwano.
Imizekelo yokusetyenziswa kwecuba njengeyeza ibandakanya ukunyanga indlebe kunye nokuqaqamba kwamazinyo. Ukutshaya icuba kukholelwa ukuba kunyanga iimeko ezininzi, kuquka ingqele. Icuba lalixutywa ngokwesithethe nezinye izityalo zamayeza ezifana nesage, iSalvia kunye neengcambu zokhohlokhohlo, ukuphelisa iimpawu zesifuba kunye nesifo sephepha.
