Papaver Somnife

The Papaver somnife is the botanical species, which contains opium, while all poppy plants contain some content of opium in their seed liquids this is the opium plant from which medications are made and the opium that is used in a legal drugs is found. This is one poppy plant that is illegal to be sold in nurseries in most countries, because of the opium that is found in this plant.

The Papaver somniferum contains approximately 92 percent morphine, codeine and thebaine in the latex alkaloids found in this plant, even the seed capsules that are often dried and used for décor in homes contains morphine, codeine and other properties when it comes from this species.

The poppy seeds also contain the alkaloids, which are known to show a false positive for opiates on drug tests after eating items such as muffins, bagels and other foods containing poppy seeds.

Harvesting the papaver somniferum is done when there is no threat of rain, wind or other adverse conditions. The skin on the ripened pod is cut with a sharp blade, in countries where the poppy is grown for the opium properties; a special tool is used that has four blades. This tool is called a nushtar in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Iran. These cuts are shallow and allow a milky substance to seep from them, this is done several times approximately two to three days apart to collect the alkaloids.

In these countries they often have crude labs in the fields for processing the substance taken from the plant. These labs are able to refine the substance into a morphine base, which makes it easier to smuggle the illegal substance.