Opium
COMMON & BRAND NAMES
Joy Plant; Pen Yan; Paregoric
EFFECTS CLASSIFICATION
Euphoric Depressant; Analgesic
CHEMICAL NAME
Mixture
DESCRIPTION
Opium is a naturally occurring analgesic harvested as a latex from ripe Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) pods. It has a long history of use by humans as an oral and smoked psychoactive.
ARTICLES & WRITINGS #
Vintage Opium or Incense?, by RevMeO
wispy smoke twisting rising rising rising, still.
a taste like flowers, like your hair
rolling tongues soften softer than anything
of such sweetness i could only have dreamed
but the dream is real, it happened it is happening
it will happen again, it is real.
-- Justin Sane
HISTORY #
ASK EROWID ANSWERS #
ARTICLES & WRITINGS #
The Pleasures of Opium, by Thomas de Quincey
EXPERIENCES #
Opium in Laos, by Raul
Vivid and Sweet, by Fang
Not Life-Changing, but Cuddly, by Nox
The Hard Ground as Soft as Cotton Wool, by Catherine M
Vintage Opium or Incense?, by Rev. MeO
BOOKS #
The Big Smoke: The Chinese Art & Craft of Opium, by Peter Lee
Confessions of an English Opium Eater, by Thomas De Quincey
Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon, by Barbara Hodgson
Opium, the Poisoned Poppy, by Michael Robson
Opium For the Masses, by Jim Hogshire
OFF-SITE RESOURCES
HISTORY #
Opium Throughout History - PBS Frontline
The White Poppy: A History of Opium, by J.M. Scott
HEALTH #
ARTICLES & WRITINGS #
Brilliant dreams were born of the black stuff, Mar 24 2012, Thomas Dormandy
World Bank Report on Opium Poppy Production in Afghanistan, Nov 28 2006, worldbank.org
Opium Production In India (uwmc via archive.org)
MEDIA COVERAGE #
More than 30 pounds of opium found in luggage at O'Hare - ABC7, Feb 29 2016
Afghan opium fuels 'global chaos' - BBC, Oct 21 2009