The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) also known as bread seed poppy is a flowering plant. The plant can reach 3-16 feet tall with lobed silver-green foliage and blue-purple flowers that are approximately 5 inches wide. Seeds are held in a spherical capsule topped by a disk with the stigmas of the flower, and seeds escape from the pores when shaken. The opium poppy is best known for its unripe seeds which are processed to obtain a milky latex that contains analgesic alkaloid morphine that is chemically modified to produce opium, used in both synthetic opioids for medical use as well as heroin in the illegal drug trade (Petruzzello).
The opium poppy is referenced in history as early as 3,400 B.C. where it was cultivated in lower Mesopotamia. Sumerians called it the “joy plant”, and it was passed to the Assyrians, and eventually the Egyptians. The plant and properties of opium were widespread as more countries began to grow it, making it widely available and less costly. It was cultivated along the Silk Road and is known to have played a major role in history in China’s Opium Wars of the mid-1800s.
Opium was known in Ancient Greek and Roman cultures as a powerful reliever and a method of inducing sleep. In 1803, the principal ingredient in opium seeds, the opium resin, was extracted and used to create morphine, one of the most effective drugs to the modern day in relieving severe pain. In the modern-day, one other component of opium, thebaine, is used to create synthetic pain killers such as oxycodone (“Opium Poppy”).
Opium is also known for its role in the illegal drug trade as the key component in heroin. It is grown in countries of the Middle East, Asia, and Latin/South America by small farmers and exported, primarily for illegal drug use. In some regions, it is one of the leading economic industries supporting the local populations. However, it is also grown on a large scale as an agricultural crop, for the pharmaceutical industry as well as for its regular ripe poppy seeds.
The legal growing of the opium poppy occurs in India, Turkey, and Australia, while illegal farms are prevalent in Afghanistan, Burma, and Columbia. Ripe poppy seeds which are kidney-shaped and graying-blue in color can be used for food, seasoning, oil, and birdseed in some cultures. Furthermore, sometimes the opium poppy is considered to be an ornamental plant, grown in gardens due to its natural beauty and variety of colors.
As evident, opium poppy cultivation is an ancient historic practice that has become a tremendous industry in the modern-day for both legal and illegal uses. The role of the flower in heroin processing and the further illegal drug trade is horrible, with many consequences. International organizations and the NATO military coalition in Afghanistan have dedicated significant resources in identifying the makeshift opium poppy farms and laboratories, destroying them, and offering local populations other economic opportunities, which is the primary reason why these practices continue. Meanwhile, the critical role of opium in the production of pain management medication such as morphine or oxycodone is indisputable.
While that industry also has negative impacts with the recent opioids epidemic in the United States, it also helps millions of people and these medications are instrumental in the healthcare industry. Until better alternatives are found, the legal growth of the opium poppy is a necessity.
Works Cited
“Opium Poppy.” DEA Museum. Web.
Petruzzello, Melissa. “Opium poppy.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Web.