Family
Papaveraceae
Related genera
Chelidonium, Eschscholzia, Sanguinaria
Opium poppy may have been the Soma plant mentioned in the Rig Veda. Soma is Vedic for the moon. Opium poppies have been cultivated by Sumerians, who called it hul gil, the "joy plant", already over 3000 years ago. The seeds have also been found at neolithic funeral sites, dating back to as far as 4200BC. Apparently it has been used medicinally as an anodyne, sleep aid and aphrodisiac for millenia. In combination with C. maculatum it was also used to put people quickly and painlessly to death. Todays largest Opium exporter is Afghanistan. The seeds are also used in cooking.
Main source for Opium, containing over 50 types of non-narcotic and narcotic alkaloids, such as codeine and morphine. The latter is named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. The derivate diacetylmorphine, named Heroine, was ten times as potent. The illegal drug, sold today as heroine is twice as potent. Both opium and heroine are extremely addictive. An overdose can end fatal.
Sources:
Wikipedia English, Wikipedia German
Christian Rätsch, Enzyklopädie der psychoaktiven Pflanzen
Fotos © Teufelskunst
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