I was wondering if perhaps anyone would know any information on where to find out if cultivating poppies of the papaver somniferum species is legal based on state. I live in Kentucky though I think it would greatly be of some help to anyone that may want to know this, so a link to a place that shows the laws by state would be greatly appreciated.
Word has it that its legal to grow everywhere in America except California ... can anyone confirm this?
Of course you must only grow it for its beautiful flowers or to use the dry pods as decorations in a dried flower arrangement. One can also paint them up for the xmas tree.
:twisted:
Greetings,
I am fairly certain that they're technically illegal everywhere in the usa to grow but are largely overlooked as long as they aren't scored. Kind of a grey area, although there have been a few grannies who got popped for their pretty flower garden. :/
Peace
ObOdAoUr
I read a VERY long article that made this whole thing very wish washy. It seems it is most certaintly illegal but like you said obo, overlooked. They sell the pods freely on ebay and I do not understand how if it is in fact illegal. I also read in the same article (wish I could find it again) that giganteums are considered legal where as P. Somniferum(sp?) isn't. Being giganteums are of the same strain as somnis it does not make any sense. Why must the law be so crazy and just be clear for once.
Here's what Erowid has to say...
Opium poppies are specifically scheduled under U.S. Law. The Controlled Substances Act, Schedule II, lists "Opium poppy and poppy straw" as well as .The law Poppies are specifically scheduled (under 'Mescaline' in the Federal Listing) as "Concentrate of poppy straw (the crude extract of poppy straw in either liquid, solid or powder form which contains the phenanthrene alkaloids of the opium poppy)".
There is some confusion in the law, however, because opium-producing poppies are widely grown around the US and Canada and the opium poppy seeds are omnipresent in cooking, breads, and deserts. The grey-blue poppy seeds sold in virtually every grocery store in the US contain low levels of opiates (not psychoactive levels). Poppy pods are widely used in dry flower arrangements.
Law enforcement in the US is somewhat schizophrenic about these plants, although there are continual attempts to try to stop them from being sold or grown. If poppies are grown as sources for opiates, there is no question that it violates the CSA. If poppies are purely grown for ornamental purposes, their legal position is somewhat less clear cut, since they are so widely grown and available.
Opium for legal commercial pharmaceutical use is grown with special government licenses around the world, although very little of it is grown inside the US. Large scale underground opium poppy growing is reported to take place in Mexico, Afghanistan, and many other countries in Asia. Much of the produced opium is converted into heroin because it is easier to ship and commands a higher price than raw opium.
The U.S. DEA recently re-affirmed in 2006 that Afghanistan is not a legal source for poppy products. See http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422 ... -16325.htm (http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-16325.htm):
(f) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section,
the Administrator shall permit, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 952(a)(1) or
(a)(2)(A), the importation of approved narcotic raw material (opium,
poppy straw and concentrate of poppy straw) having as its source:
(1) Turkey,
(2) India,
(3) Spain,
(4) France,
(5) Poland,
(6) Hungary, and
(7) Australia.
(g) At least eighty (80) percent of the narcotic raw material
imported into the United States shall have as its original source
Turkey and India. Except under conditions of insufficient supplies of
narcotic raw materials, not more than twenty (20) percent of the
narcotic raw material imported into the United States annually shall
have as its source Spain, France, Poland, Hungary and Australia.
Peace
ObOdAoUr
Yes, illegal but overlooked due to its nature as a popular garden plant! In places where it is legal, gardeners get success by scattering seeds and letting nature take its course :D
Boooshpig
I don't believe any grannies got popped for growing poppies. The only arrests I've ever heard of, and they are very rare, was for extracting or processing the pods. Scoring, collecting latex, making tea or selling the extract could get you into trouble. Growing them will not even though there is an unenforced law on the books.
There are lots of old laws on the books that are never enforced. Many states have laws against cohabitation that haven't been enforced since the 50's or 60's. If they tried to dust off one of those laws it would be tossed out of court. You can't pick and choose who you prosecute, either the law goes after everyone or no one. Otherwise, they could just prosecute negros or people they didn't like the looks of.
That is why the drug laws were 1st established, though.
its technically illegal in canada to i believe. but i always wondered, what about Flanders Field?????
Quote from: "Kada"its technically illegal in canada to i believe. but i always wondered, what about Flanders Field?????
LOL!
Poppy vendors have been getting raided!
Got references?
The only thing I could find was a couple of busts on Ebay vendors from 2003.
Quote from: "Kada"its technically illegal in Canada to i believe. but i always wondered, what about Flanders Field?????
Red poppies like those of Flanders field are of a different species, Papaver rhoeas. Those do not have morphine in them.
See Wiki links here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaver_rhoeas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaver_rhoeas) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy)
(//http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Koeh-101.jpg/250px-Koeh-101.jpg)
Papaver rhoeas
Kemp,
You can find it with google
Search, the plant, EBAY and the name of the Drug Agency acronym (3 letters)....
;)
Neonfyr, I did search with Google (I always do), when I made my previous post and again just now. I even searched with the terms I am guessing you are referring to (not really sure why the cryptic hint)
and again I only found some recent talk about a bust on Ebay back in 2003.
You said that "vendors have been getting raided!" and a few have, in the past. Are you saying there are recent busts? Your post seems to imply this.
I was just asking that you give us a link... you made the effort to post, twice now, if there have been recent busts, please give us some details.
Far as I know they have never busted anyone for just cultivating poppies. As I recall, the law refers to "mown poppy straw" which implies that it was harvested, lanced or something. Old ladies all over the country grow poppies. Even when they busted people for other things and found poppies being grown they have declined to prosecute for that.