What should I know about small-scale tobacco farming?

For some reason, I’m kind of interested in growing tobacco for fun and educational purposes on a small scale at some point. I do have a few questions and concerns.

-I know that there are a lot of weird laws out there. Are there any laws against growing tobacco for personal use? Like an excise tax, or something of that nature?

-How do you cure tobacco? How long does it take, and what materials are necessary? Do you know of any resources (books, websites, etc.) that address this?

-How much space is required?

Also, tell me about your tobacco growing experiences (or just farming in general) if you have them.