CULTIVATION:

Opium FAQ v1.0

EXCERPT:
The legalities of Papaver sp. cultivation depends entirely on the law in the
state AND region where you live. If you live in a city, you might want to
check with your local council, who will usually have a list of banned and/or
noxious weeds on file. You could try requesting a list, saying, for example,
that you intend to set up a herb garden and want to grow St John's wort
(which is a noxious weed in many places) and would they mind sending you a
list? 

EXCERPT:
Propagated from seed. Seeds germinate best at 15 degrees C and are less sensitive
to temperature than most poppy species. Seed sown in shallow furrows, at
rate of 4-6 kg/ha. In some areas poppy seed, mixed with sand, is often
broadcast over tilled fields in early autumn at rate of about 0.5 kg/ha, as
in Asia Minor. Then fields are weeded in the spring when the poppy has grown
to about 15 cm tall, and plants are thinned then to stand about 60 cm apart.
They flower in April and May and the capsules are ripe in June to July. 

EXCERPT:
Papaver somniferum is quite an easy plant to grow. Ideally it should be
planted in a fertalised garden bed with good drainage, but it will also grow
in pots if given enough room for its roots. Seeds can be sown any time
between September and April. If Winter frosts are the norm in your area,
don't sow them until the very end of Winter, or the beginning of Spring, as
seedlings from Autumn or Winter plantings may be killed by subsequent
frosts. Scatter the seeds and cover with a very fine layer if earth. Water
well until germination, keeping the earth moist. The seeds will germinate in
about a week. Water very sparingly at first to prevent rot. 

Scientists Crack Opium Poppy's Genetic Code

EXCERPT: 
In a breakthrough discovery, researchers at the University of Calgary have
found the unique genes that allow the opium poppy to make codeine and
morphine.

She succeeded using leading-edge genomics techniques that helped her sort
through up to 23,000 different genes and ultimately find a gene called
codeine O-dementhylase (CODM) that produces the plant enzyme converting
codeine into morphine.

EXCERPT:
"The enzymes encoded by these two genes have eluded plant biochemists for a
half-century," says Peter Facchini, professor in the Department of
Biological Sciences, who has dedicated his career to studying the unique
properties of the opium poppy. "In finding not only the enzymes but also the
genes, we've made a major step forward. It's equivalent in finding a gene
involved in cancer or other genetic disorders."

EXCERPT:
The opium poppy has been grown and exploited for thousands of years for both
its medicinal and mind-altering properties.

Morphine was isolated in the early 19th century, while codeine was first
identified in 1832 by French chemist Pierre Robiquet.