Not everything that looks like the opiate-containing opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) at first glance is actually one. Although the plant - which can only be cultivated in Germany with permission - grows sporadically in some gardens and sometimes also in the wild, it can easily be confused with other poppy species and varieties. Harvesting for the production of drugs is forbidden in Germany and is severely punished according to the provisions of the Narcotics Act.

The cultivation and harvesting of opium poppies are prohibited in Germany

Cultivation and harvest of opium poppies illegal in Germany

The opium poppy in particular - but also other types of poppy - contain strong opiates, which is why the plant has long been used to produce opiates such as morphine, opium or heroin. While the harvesting of poppy seeds for medical purposes (morphine) or to obtain the seeds as a baking ingredient, which requires a permit, is permitted for certain companies and institutions, the same is prohibited for private individuals. Only private individuals who want to grow opium poppy as an ornamental plant are allowed to do so - but only with a permit from the Federal Opium Agency. Statements that keep circulating, such as “the cultivation of 10 square meters is always permitted” belong to the realm of fairy tales, because anyone who wants to sow opium poppies always has to have permission to do so.

extraction of raw opium

Opium played an important role in Chinese history in particular and was a commonly used drug for a long time. Even today, the substance is extracted from the milky sap of the opium poppy and serves as the starting point for medically used opiates, but also for opium and heroin. The extraction of raw opium is a very complex affair, in which the still unripe seed capsule is scratched several times two to three weeks after flowering. The milky juice that emerges is scraped off the capsule the next morning and is slightly dried and then processed further. The content of opiates varies greatly and is primarily dependent on the intensity of solar radiation, but also on other weather influences and the quality of the soil.

Extraction of poppy seeds

Opium poppy seeds sold legally in supermarkets etc. as blue or baking poppies, on the other hand, contain little or no opiates at all, since the seeds are thoroughly cleaned before they are packed and sold. The production of an intoxicating tea from the opium poppy seeds is no longer possible.

tips

If you want to cultivate poppies in your garden, you only need to leave a few plants in autumn - poppies usually self-seed very reliably.

Category:

Herbs