Re: Free Poppy Seeds

Ah, the opium poppy/illegality issue has once again reared its ugly 
head.

There was a very good article in Harper's about a year ago on the 
subject.

Basically the facts are:

Having the seed is okay.  

Having any other form of the plant is not.

The DEA wants the public to know as little about it as possible.  Making 
arrests for its presence in gardens would do more to let potential 
growers know about it than just letting it alone.

Saying "I wasn't scoring them" isn't really enough if they *do* decide 
to bust, because opium can be extracted from the plant in other ways, 
more effectively anyway.

It's an insane law - all poppies have opiates, and the perfectly legal 
P. orientale is used in the trade when P. somniferum is unavailable.

They are very unlikely to do anything about a poppy plant in a yard, 
unless they are trying to get you for something else anyway.

I still grow mine only in the back yard though.  Not only because I 
don't want trouble with the law but also because big stands of poppies 
in the front yard can attract creeps, and people who will tromp through 
your garden treasures to grab those pods.  :/

Bob


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