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Opium refers to dried latex obtained from the mature seed capsules of the opium poppy—Papaver somniferum. The sap contains at least 25 different alkaloids, including morphine and codeine, which are common pharmaceuticals and opiates. Other alkaloids found in the latex are thebaine, papaverine, noscapine, narcotine, and narceine, among others. Opium can be anywhere from 9-18% morphine by weight.
Traditionally, opium is harvested by making a shallow cut in the mature seed pods of opium poppies (scoring), and allowing the latex to flow out and dry. After it dries, farmers collect this latex and either use it raw (as opium) or refine it to make opiates.
The word “opiate”, refers to any one of the 25+ alkaloids naturally found in opium, while an opioid is any compound that has morphine like properties (hits the mu-opioid receptor).
The opium poppy, and poppies in general, are very common ornamental plants. Not all poppies contain morphine type compounds. The most common “opium poppy”, Papaver somniferum, contains morphine in every part of the plant, though it’s most concentrated in the seed pods. Some poppies contain more morphine and codeine, while some have much larger seed pods, which allows for more scores, and thus, more opium. Technically, you could extract the opium from dried plant material using water or other solvents, to create a sort of “opium tea”, but opium content in different parts of the plant can very widely, which can and has led to overdoses when used as a tea. It’s for this reason that it’s recommended to only use the dried sap, which is much easier to dose.
Alkaloid content
Most of the alkaloids present in opium, apart from morphine and codeine, don’t fit into mu-opioid receptors. One of these alkaloids, thebaine, can in high doses, have biological effects comparable to the well known poison, strychnine. These effects, however, are unlikely to cause major harm or fatality from a single dose, and are more of a concern in chronic use. They can, however, lead to various uncomfortable side effects usually not associated with morphine or codiene.
Subjective effects
Disclaimer: The effects listed below cite the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal user reports and the personal analyses of PsychonautWikicontributors. As a result, they should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism.
It is also worth noting that these effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become increasingly likely with higher doses and may include addiction, severe injury, or death ☠.
Euphoria - In comparison to other opioids, this substance is considered similar in its physical euphoria to morphine or oxycodone. The sensation itself can be described as extreme feelings of intense physical comfort, warmth, love and bliss.
Respiratory depression - At low to moderate doses, this effect results in the sensation that breath is slowed mildly, but may not cause noticeable impairment. At high doses and overdoses, opioid-induced respiratory depression can result in a shortness of breath, abnormal breathing patterns, semi-consciousness, or unconsciousness. Severe overdoses can result in a coma or death without immediate medical attention. Respiratory depression caused by opium may be slightly more pronounced than with pure morphine due to the presence of other trace compounds.
Sedation or Stimulation - Users can experience both stimulation and sedation. The stimulation may come from several different alkaloids, including thebaine
Depending on method of ingestion, nausea may more pronounced than with an equivalent dose of pure morphine, simply due to terpenoids, sapanoids, and other phytochemicals present in the sap.
Euphoria - In comparison to other opioids, this particular substance can be considered similar in its cognitive euphoria when compared with that of morphine or diacetylmorphine (heroin) and more intense when compared to kratom and hydrocodone. The sensation itself can be described as powerful and overwhelming feelings of emotional bliss, contentment, and happiness.
Dysphoria - This effect is mainly caused at very high doses due to thebaine intoxication which can be similar in symptoms to strychnine.
Irritability - While opioids are well known for their ability to improve mood, they can also have the paradoxical effect of increasing the user's sensitivity to irritable stimuli. This can manifest as aloofness and sudden outbursts of anger and aggression (colloquially known as "opiate rage"). It appears to occur more frequently during the comedown of the experience and/or with heavy use.
Internal hallucination - One may experience a state of semi-consciousness and hypnagogia during heavy dosage nodding which results in dream-like states and up to level 3 imagery and mild geometry.
Dosing
Opium can be anywhere from 9-18% morphine by weight, with only a small amount (1-3%) of codeine. Opium can be dosed in many different ways, either by smoking, taking orally, or sublingually. Due to its sticky nature, it’s impossible to crush into a fine powder. For smoking, It’s usually broken up into small chunks, and either put into a joint or spliff, or in a special pipe specially made for vaporizing opium. It can also simply be put under the tongue or swallowed for oral dosing. To calculate a dose, figure out how many milligrams of morphine you want to shoot for, and assume 20% concentration. As an example:
If you wanted the equivalent of a 10mg dose of morphine, you would take 50mg of dried sap, and assess how you feel. It’s incredibly important to stress that overdoses can and have happened with opium, and it’s not something you should aim to be taking a lot of.
