Not everything that at first glance looks like the opiate opium poppy (Papaver Somniferum) is actually one. Although the plant - which can only be grown with permission in Germany - grows sporadically in some gardens and sometimes grows wild in the wild, it can easily be confused with other poppy species and varieties. Harvesting for the production of drugs is prohibited in Germany and is strictly punished in accordance with the provisions of the Narcotics Act.
Is harvesting opium poppies allowed in Germany?
Harvesting opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) for the production of drugs is prohibited in Germany and can lead to pen alties under the Narcotics Act. A permit from the Federal Opium Office is required for cultivation as an ornamental plant.
Cultivation and harvesting of opium poppies illegal in Germany
The opium poppy in particular - but also other poppy species - contain strong opiates, which is why the plant has long been used to produce opiates such as morphine, opium or heroin. While the harvesting of poppy seeds for medical purposes (morphines) or for obtaining the seeds as a baking ingredient is permitted for certain companies and institutions, it is prohibited for private individuals. Only private individuals who want to grow opium poppies as an ornamental plant are allowed to do so - but only with appropriate permission from the Federal Opium Office. Information that keeps circulating like “cultivation of 10 square meters is always permitted” belongs in the realm of fairy tales, because anyone who wants to sow opium poppies must always have this approved.
Extraction of raw opium
Opium played an important role in Chinese history and was a widely used drug for a long time. Even today, the substance is still obtained from the milky sap of the opium poppy and serves as a starting point for medically used opiates, but also opium and heroin. The extraction of raw opium is a very complex process in which the immature seed capsule is scratched several times two to three weeks after flowering. The milky juice that emerges is scraped off the capsule the next morning and is slightly dried and then processed further. The opiate content varies greatly and depends primarily on the intensity of sunlight, but also on other weather influences and the quality of the soil.
Extraction of poppy seeds
The opium poppy seeds that are legally sold as blue or baked poppy seeds in supermarkets etc., on the other hand, contain little or no opiates anymore, as the seeds are thoroughly cleaned before being packaged and sold. Making an intoxicating tea from opium poppy seeds is no longer possible.
Tip
If you want to cultivate poppy plants in your garden, all you need to do is leave a few plants standing in the fall - poppies usually self-sow very reliably.
