Poppy tea

Last updated
Dried poppy seed pods and stems (plate), and seeds (bowl). Poppies-seeds-dry.png
Dried poppy seed pods and stems (plate), and seeds (bowl).

Poppy tea is an herbal tea infusion brewed from poppy straw or seeds of several species of poppy. The species most commonly used for this purpose is Papaver somniferum , which produces opium as a natural defense against predators. In the live flower, opium is released when the surface of the bulb, called the seed pod, is pierced or scraped. For the purpose of the tea, dried pods are more commonly used than the pods of the live flower. The walls of the dried pods contain opiate alkaloids, primarily consisting of morphine.

Contents

The tea is consumed for its narcotic effect, and in small amounts for analgesic, anti-diarrheal, and sedative effects. [1] [ failed verification ] It has also been known to be used as a method of relieving withdrawal symptoms.[ medical citation needed ] Use of such preparations originated in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the Levant and Near East, and Central and South Central Asia millennia ago.

This tea is depicted both in Asian literature, Western literature, and is depicted as being available in opium dens. [2] [3]

Legality

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, all parts of Papaver somniferum after harvesting (except for the seeds) are illegal by law, as they are Listed as drugs in the Opium Law. Because of use for decorative purposes, the trade in, and possession of dried Papaver somniferum is not actively prosecuted.[ citation needed ] Trade in, or possession of dried Papaver somniferum with the intention of drug use can be prosecuted. The dried seed pod of Papaver somniferum is easily obtainable as it is commonly available for decorative use. Many varieties, strains, and cultivars of Papaver somniferum are in existence, and the alkaloid content can vary significantly. [4]

United States

In the United States it is legal to purchase poppy seeds, but all other parts of the plant are considered Schedule II controlled substances under the federal Controlled Substance Act of 1970. Unwashed poppy seeds used to make poppy tea may contain lethal concentrations of morphine and codeine. [5] The Opium Poppy Exclusion Act of 1942 bans growing the poppy in many cases but is generally not a problem for gardeners as the plant is widely grown for the flowers and for seeds for replanting and cooking. For much of US history poppies were a significant cash crop, and the government encouraged farmers to grow more poppies for medicinal use during wars up to World War I. It is, however, manufacture of a schedule II substance to create a drink for the opium content, and the possession of it is illegal as well. [6]

Canada

The import and sale of opium poppy seeds is legal in Canada, [7] but possession of other parts of the plant may be prosecuted. Canadian authorities have noted the presence of dode or doda in the South Asian community, a traditional form of poppy tea. Crackdowns on this traditional preparation in the late 2000s led to a number of arrests in Canada. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Chemical composition

Poppy tea contains two groups of alkaloids: phenanthrenes (including morphine and codeine) and benzylisoquinolines (including papaverine). Of these, morphine is the most prevalent comprising 8%-14% of the total. Its effects derive from the fact that it binds to and activates mu opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord, stomach and intestine.

Dried Papaver somniferum capsules and stems will, if harvested and dried by the usual protocol, contain significantly lower quantities of thebaine than opium made from latex as well as somewhat more codeine. When ingested, thebaine causes nausea, vomiting, and myoclonus. Thebaine is an important precursor for manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and is more concentrated in the roots of Papaver somniferum than elsewhere. Other species of poppies, numbering in the hundreds, do not contain morphine or codeine in useful amounts, but may contain non-narcotic alkaloids like protopine, sanguinarine or berberine.

Side effects and tolerance

Side effects increase with dosage and include drowsiness, mild stomach ache, lethargy, urinary retention, bradypnea, constipation, nausea, respiratory depression and death.[ medical citation needed ] Nausea can be attributed to the presence of noscapine and is more common in first-time or inexperienced users. At high doses, the side effects are dangerous and can cause death through respiratory arrest or inhalation of vomit. Constipation often results from use, as with any opiate.

Poppy tea is highly variable in potency; this accounts for almost all deaths related to the substance. Assume the tea is a saturated morphine solution when choosing the appropriate dose. Morphine's solubility in water is around 60mgs/ml.

Additionally, frequent use results in high tolerance and dependence. Chemical dependency builds in relation to the frequency of use, dosage, age, sex, weight and medical condition. Once chemical dependency has developed, abrupt cessation of use will cause withdrawal; symptoms include leg and abdominal cramps, mydriasis, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, insomnia, cravings, lethargy and anxiety. Symptoms of withdrawal usually fade after 4–10 days but cravings and psychological dependence may continue for longer, in some cases up to a year. Treatment methods for addiction are generally the same for any opioid.

Deaths

In the United States, in 2003, a 17 year old who, according to his parents, was self-treating his anxiety with home-brewed poppy seed tea, died of pulmonary edema caused by acute morphine and codeine intoxication. [13] A Drug Alert posted by the DOJ in 2010 pointed to five deaths possibly resulting from drinking of poppy tea. [14] Since 2010, not less than 10 deaths presumably related to poppy tea consumption were reported by the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS). [15]

In Canada, on 19 May 2012, a 19-year-old from Nova Scotia died after drinking the tea from a poppy seed pod he purchased on the Internet. [16]

In November 2012, a Tasmanian youth died after drinking tea brewed from seed heads, and a 50-year-old Tasmanian man died in similar circumstances in February 2011. [17]

Some instances of death or injury associated with the consumption of poppy seed tea have involved users who combined the beverage with other nervous system depressants (i.e. alcohol, tranquillizers, benzodiazepines) [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morphine</span> Pain medication of the opiate family

Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin produced by drying the latex of opium poppies. It is mainly used as an analgesic. There are numerous methods used to administer morphine: oral; sublingual; via inhalation; injection into a muscle, injection under the skin, or injection into the spinal cord area; transdermal; or via rectal suppository. It acts directly on the central nervous system (CNS) to induce analgesia and alter perception and emotional response to pain. Physical and psychological dependence and tolerance may develop with repeated administration. It can be taken for both acute pain and chronic pain and is frequently used for pain from myocardial infarction, kidney stones, and during labor. Its maximum effect is reached after about 20 minutes when administered intravenously and 60 minutes when administered by mouth, while the duration of its effect is 3–7 hours. Long-acting formulations of morphine are available as MS-Contin, Kadian, and other brand names as well as generically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opium</span> Dried latex obtained from the opium poppy

Opium is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which is processed chemically to produce heroin and other synthetic opioids for medicinal use and for the illegal drug trade. The latex also contains the closely related opiates codeine and thebaine, and non-analgesic alkaloids such as papaverine and noscapine. The traditional, labor-intensive method of obtaining the latex is to scratch ("score") the immature seed pods (fruits) by hand; the latex leaks out and dries to a sticky yellowish residue that is later scraped off and dehydrated. The word meconium historically referred to related, weaker preparations made from other parts of the opium poppy or different species of poppies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thebaine</span> Opiate alkaloid constituent of opium

Thebaine (paramorphine), also known as codeine methyl enol ether, is an opiate alkaloid, its name coming from the Greek Θῆβαι, Thēbai (Thebes), an ancient city in Upper Egypt. A minor constituent of opium, thebaine is chemically similar to both morphine and codeine, but has stimulatory rather than depressant effects. At high doses, it causes convulsions similar to strychnine poisoning. The synthetic enantiomer (+)-thebaine does show analgesic effects apparently mediated through opioid receptors, unlike the inactive natural enantiomer (−)-thebaine. While thebaine is not used therapeutically, it is the main alkaloid extracted from Papaver bracteatum and can be converted industrially into a variety of compounds, including hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, nalbuphine, naloxone, naltrexone, buprenorphine, butorphanol and etorphine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laudanum</span> Tincture of opium

Laudanum is a tincture of opium containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight. Laudanum is prepared by dissolving extracts from the opium poppy in alcohol (ethanol).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy</span> Species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae

A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the source of the narcotic drug mixture opium which contains powerful medicinal alkaloids such as morphine and has been used since ancient times as an analgesic and narcotic medicinal and recreational drug. It also produces edible seeds. Following the trench warfare in the poppy fields of Flanders, Belgium during World War I, poppies have become a symbol of remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime, especially in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms.

<i>Papaver</i> Genus of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

Papaver is a genus of 70–100 species of frost-tolerant annuals, biennials, and perennials native to temperate and cold regions of Eurasia, Africa and North America. It is the type genus of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papaveraceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Papaveraceae are an economically important family of about 42 genera and approximately 775 known species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales, informally known as the poppy family. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates, but almost unknown in the tropics. Most are herbaceous plants, but a few are shrubs and small trees. The family currently includes two groups that have been considered to be separate families: Fumariaceae and Pteridophyllaceae.

<i>Papaver somniferum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae

Papaver somniferum, commonly known as the opium poppy or breadseed poppy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae. It is the species of plant from which both opium and poppy seeds are derived and is also a valuable ornamental plant grown in gardens. Its native range was east of the Mediterranean Sea, but now is obscured by ancient introductions and cultivation, being naturalized across much of Europe and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codeinone</span> Chemical compound

Codeinone is an isoquinolone alkaloid found in the opium poppy. As an analgesic, it is one-third the potency of codeine. It is an important intermediate in the production of hydrocodone–a painkiller about three-quarters the potency of morphine–as well as of oxycodone, though the latter can also be synthesized from thebaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy seed</span> Edible oilseed obtained from poppy

Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy. The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countries, especially in Central Europe and South Asia, where it is legally grown and sold in shops. The seeds are used whole or ground into meal as an ingredient in many foods – especially in pastry and bread – and they are pressed to yield poppyseed oil.

"Polish" heroin is a crude preparation of heroin made from poppy straw. It is an opiate, used recreationally as a psychoactive drug. Poppy straw, like opium, is harvested from the opium poppy. Polish heroin was used mainly in Central and Eastern Europe prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of communist control of the countries of the Warsaw Pact or Eastern Bloc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codeine</span> Opiate and prodrug of morphine used to treat pain

Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough suppression in children or adults. In Europe, it is not recommended as a cough medicine in those under 12 years of age. It is generally taken by mouth. It typically starts working after half an hour, with maximum effect at two hours. Its effects last for about four to six hours. Codeine exhibits abuse potential similar to other opioid medications, including a risk of habituation and overdose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narcotoline</span> Chemical compound

Narcotoline is an opiate alkaloid chemically related to noscapine. It binds to the same receptors in the brain as noscapine to act as an antitussive, and has also been used in tissue culture media.

The Opium Law is the section of the Dutch law which covers nearly all psychotropic drugs.

<i>Papaver bracteatum</i> Species of flowering plant

Papaver bracteatum, also known as the Iranian poppy or Persian poppy and the great scarlet poppy is a sturdy hardy perennial poppy with large deep red flowers up to 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter on stiff stalks up to 4 feet high with a prominent black spot near the base of the petals. It is closely related to the commonly cultivated oriental poppy, Papaver orientale and is sometimes recorded as the varietal form Papaver orientale var. bracteatum.

Legal cultivation of opium for medicinal purposes is carried out in India, only in selected areas, under free licensing conditions. India is the world's largest manufacturer of legal opium for the pharmaceutical industry according to the CIA World Factbook. India is one among 12 countries in world where legal cultivation for medical use is permissible within the ambit of United Nations, Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961. In India legal cultivation is done primarily in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Despite producing poppy for opium production India depends heavily on imports to meet need of Poppy seed for edible purposes and domestic Codeine demand for medical purposes . Opium is heavily imported from its top producing nations like Afghanistan. There is also an account of Opium black marketing in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy straw</span> Portion of opium poppy

Poppy straw is derived from opium poppies that are harvested when fully mature and dried by mechanical means. Opium poppy straw is what remains after the seed pods have been harvested - that is, the dried stalks, stem and leaves of poppies grown for their seeds. The field-dried leaves, stalk, and seed pod are then used in commercial manufacture of morphine or other poppy-alkaloid derived drugs, by first processing the material, separating the seeds, and then making concentrate of poppy straw where no extraction using the traditional methods of latex extraction has been made. The straw was originally considered an agricultural by-product of the mechanised poppy seed harvest, which was primarily grown for its edible and oil-producing seed. This changed in 1927 when János Kabay developed a chemical process to extract morphine from the crushed capsule. Concentrated poppy straw, consisting mainly of the crushed capsule without the seeds, soon became a valuable source of morphine. Today, concentrate of poppy straw is a major source of many opiates and other alkaloids. It is the source of 90% of the world supply of legal morphine and in some countries it also is a source of illegal morphine, which could be processed into illegal heroin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opiate</span> Substance derived from opium

An opiate is an alkaloid substance derived from opium It has a different meaning from the similar term opioid, used to designate all substances, both natural and synthetic, that bind to opioid receptors in the brain. Opiates are alkaloid compounds naturally found in the opium poppy plant Papaver somniferum. The psychoactive compounds found in the opium plant include morphine, codeine, and thebaine. Opiates have long been used for a variety of medical conditions, with evidence of opiate trade and use for pain relief as early as the eighth century AD. Most opiates are considered drugs with moderate to high abuse potential and are listed on various "Substance-Control Schedules" under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act of the United States of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salutaridinol</span> Chemical compound

Salutaridinol is a modified benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid with the formula C19H23NO4. It is produced in the secondary metabolism of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum (Papaveraceae) as an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway that generates morphine. As an isoquinoline alkaloid, it is fundamentally derived from tyrosine as part of the shikimate pathway of secondary metabolism. Salutaridinol is a product of the enzyme salutaridine: NADPH 7-oxidoreductase and the substrate for the enzyme salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase, which are two of the four enzymes in the morphine biosynthesis pathway that generates morphine from (R)-reticuline. Salutaridinol's unique position adjacent to two of the four enzymes in the morphine biosynthesis pathway gives it an important role in enzymatic, genetic, and synthetic biology studies of morphine biosynthesis. Salutaridinol levels are indicative of the flux through the morphine biosynthesis pathway and the efficacy of both salutaridine: NADPH 7-oxidoreductase and salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isoquinoline alkaloids</span>

Isoquinoline alkaloids are natural products of the group of alkaloids, which are chemically derived from isoquinoline. They form the largest group among the alkaloids.

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-19. Retrieved 2012-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ↑ "Restyling the Secret of the Opium Den". Archived from the original on 2012-10-11.
  3. ↑ "Photo Gallery". Opium Museum. Archived from the original on 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  4. ↑ "Bureau voor Medicinale Cannabis | Pagina niet gevonden" (PDF). Cannabisbureau.nl. 2013-03-19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  5. ↑ Powers, Deborah; Erickson, Stephen; Swortwood, Madeleine J. (3 October 2017). "Quantification of Morphine, Codeine, and Thebaine in Home-Brewed Poppy Seed Tea by LC-MS/MS". Journal of Forensic Sciences. 63 (4): 1229–1235. doi:10.1111/1556-4029.13664. ISSN   0022-1198. PMID   28973785. S2CID   206919379.
  6. ↑ "Controlled Substances Act". FDA. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Controlled Drugs and Substances Act(S.C. 1996, c.19)". Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2013-11-22. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  8. ↑ "Ontario man arrested for 'doda' poppy preparation". Dosenation.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  9. ↑ "Police warn about street drug called Doda | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 2009-01-08. Archived from the original on 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  10. ↑ "Popular opium-like drug seized in B.C." Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "Error Redirect". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 30 April 2018– via www.winnipegfreepress.com.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ Doda drug bust in Peel Region Archived 2012-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Homebrewed High -- Can Poppy Tea Kill?". ABC News. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Poppy letter - Center for Science in the Public Interest Archived
  15. ↑ CSPI Urges FDA, DEA to Crack Down on Sale of Contaminated Poppy Seeds: At Least 12 U.S. Deaths Are Associated with ‘Tea’ Made with Poppy Seeds or Pods, April 3, 2019, Center for Science in the Public Interest Archived
  16. ↑ "CBC News - Nova Scotia family warns of poppy seed tea dangers". Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  17. ↑ unknown (29 November 2012). "Teen dies after drinking poppy tea". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  18. ↑ McKenna, K. (2014, Dec. 5). Poppy seed tea fatality prompts drug alert from coroner. The Courier Mail. Retrieved from https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/poppy-seed-tea-fatality-prompts-drug-alert-from-coroner/news-story/d8c34033bd0804e4e40e835eda755074
  19. ↑ Bailey, K., Clay, D., Kraner, J., et al. (2010, Oct.). Fatality Involving the Ingestion of Phenazepam and Poppy Seed Tea. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 34 (8), 527-573.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.