Letter Re: Growing Poppies for a Long Term Societal Collapse

James Wesley;
Long-Term Preparedness and the Eight Mechanical Arts by J.D. was an excellent article. I just wanted to point out that there are very effective herbal painkillers. [Papaver somniferum] poppies are the source for morphine. (See: Poppies.org.) It is not currently legal to process poppy sap at home, but it is legal to grow poppies. Poppy seeds can be used to make a pain-killing tea. Yes, poppy tea, morphine and heroin are dangerous addictive drugs, but they have a legitimate place in a long term/multi-generational scenario. I think it is worthwhile to grow the best quality [opium] poppies you can in your herb garden and keep the information on growing and harvesting poppies handy for making the best use possible of the plant. Dosing a patient with home brewed morphine would be risky but in the hands of a skilled herbalist or doctor I think the benefits outweigh the risks. Regards, – B.A.