What Is The Process For Opium

Process for obtaining opium is not like the manufacture of other types of drugs, because opium is found naturally in Papaver somnifeum or the opium poppy. This alkaloid is found in the pod of the opium poppy and is extracted through a process in the fields while the plant is still in the ground.

In countries where the opium poppy is grown such as Afghanistan when the fields of poppies are ready a tool is used called a nutshar that has four sharp blades and is used to make shallow slices on the pod of the poppy. The slices are made so shallow that they do not pierce the membrane that protects the seeds. After the slices are made there is a milky substance that will seep from the pod, this substance is left on the pod to dry. Once it has dried it is then collected, the substance is a brownish glue like substance. This procedure of making slices on the pods is done several times to ensure that all of the alkaloids are extracted from the pods.

When the poppy farmers know that the pods are ready to be sliced and make sure that the weather conditions are proper, this means that there is no wind and there will be no rain for several days. This is because wind could blow a milky substance of the pod and rain could wash even the dried alkaloids of the pods in the opium content from these poppies would be lost.