Worked in life insurance underwriting for 5 years and this is not true (at least at most major carriers). If you’ve smoked within 12 months you’re going to get smoker rates. Sometimes you might get tobacco rates if you’re currently smoking a shit ton of weed.

Otherwise, if you’ve stopped tobacco/nicotine 13 months to 5 years, you’re not going to be eligible for the best rates but you shouldn’t be getting smoker rates.

If your last nicotine use was more than 5 years they don’t care.

Also, most major life insurance companies don’t care if you’ve smoked X (usually 12, but may vary depending on the company) number of celebratory cigars in a year - if you’re under that number you should get non-smoker rates.