Poppies - A Controversial Flower
Can you supply your own pain medicine in a time of need? Well, until recent history it was commonplace to do just that! Before pharmaceuticals took over, growing and using opium poppies was as normal as popping a couple ibuprofen is today. So why has this knowledge been largely lost in the western world?
Medicinal History:
Let's start with some background… Opium poppies have played a crucial role in folk medicine for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, all utilized poppies for their potent Pain Relieving (analgesic) and Sedative properties. The whole pods and latex sap were used to treat not only severe pain but also respiratory and digestive issues. Poppies ability to numb both physical and psychological pain, as well as induce sleep made it a valuable remedy in traditional medicine. Opium poppies remained a cornerstone of medicinal treatments until pretty recently…
Fun fact- President Thomas Jefferson cultivated these poppies in his Monticello garden for his own medicinal use.
Legalities:
The legality of this herb now varies widely around the globe. The US government launched its war on poppies with the Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942, which made it unlawful to produce opium poppies without a license. This act was supposedly part of broader efforts to control substances derived from opium. However I find it interesting that the first synthetic and semi synthetic opioids arrived on the market around the same time as this campaign against the humble poppy plant took off… Later, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified opium poppies as a Schedule II substance. Maybe it really was in a noble pursuit to keep people from becoming addicted to the more nefarious products that can come from the poppy… but let's be honest, the vast majority people who were cultivating and using poppies on a home scale were not making heroin, they were making simple folk remedies like poppy pod tea and tincture for personal use of their families.
Tho technically illegal, the papaver somniferum thrives in the USA, seeds are often sold as “bread seed” type poppies, used in many delicious baked goods. These poppies, and their private use as medicine, are far from eradicated, they just fly under the radar now…
If you want to read a great book that dives deep into the history and use of the opium poppy, i recommend opium for the masses, it’s a great starting point if you really want to begin researching this for yourself.
“The idea of an individual having control over one’s own life, especially regarding pain relief, is far too democratic to be embraced by tyrants.” - opium for the masses
Addiction and Dependence:
Addiction and physical dependency are valid concerns, and you should certainly do more research on these issues and do some deep personal evaluation before using any substance. Contrary to popular belief however, physical dependance on whole poppy medicines like this are not formed too quickly. Depending on doses and the person, it usually takes at least a month up to two months of regular use for your body to become dependent on the alkaloids from the poppy and to stop producing its own. This is easily avoided by simply only using poppy remedies regularly for up to 2 weeks at a time, and then taking a break. For most injuries and ailments this two week window is plenty of time and if you still experience pain after that point you could use a different remedy such as wild lettuce, California poppy, or willow bark for a week to give your body a break and then resume use of the stronger poppy remedy if necessary.
Variety and harvest:
The variety of poppy used for these traditional preparations is known as papaver somniferum ; many of the poppies marketed as bread seed poppies today are in this family. To harvest This medicine you would simply enjoy the show of blooms in the summer and then collect the seed pods once they are sufficiently dry. Collect the seeds so you can replant and enjoy some delicious lemon poppy seed muffins, and save the pods for tea and tincture making. Some sources suggest going a bit further than this to increase the medicinal content by making the poppies cry… This is achieved by making shallow incisions along the pod to extract the potent latex sap, this sap is sometimes collected for use by itself, but in the more folksy remedies it's just left to dry on the pod and is used with the whole pod. This extra step is optional.
Recipes:
Poppy Pod tea is a time-honored preparation, the effects of which are usually described as gentle and sedate feeling, both energizing and calming with clarity of mind. On the occasions I have used this tea to treat pain I have had good experiences, great relief, a clear mind, peacefulness, not sure about energizing for me personally but I do love that I don’t get any kind of fuzzy dulled senses with this preparation.
Poppy Pod Tea:
Collect dried seed pods, remove seeds.
Crush or grind the pods and store in a clean glass jar with a good lid.
Prepare tea by adding 1-3 tbsp of crushed pods per cup of boiling water (about 3-5 pods usually or up to 10 grams according to opium for the masses book), steep for at least 10-20 minutes, sweeten with honey if desired. (bonus tip, the flavor isn't great so try adding other herbs in for added benefits and better flavor!)
Optionally you can add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to the tea while it steeps to help extract the alkaloids, same way vinegar helps extract the goodness from bones when making a good bone broth.
Sip slowly as needed, paying attention to how it affects you and monitoring for reactions.
Effects should be felt within 15 minutes.
You can brew a second cup of tea with the same pods, just add 1 cup of boiling water to the poppy pulp, cover and let steep. It will not be as strong as the first batch but still has plenty to offer!
Poppy Pod Tincture:
Now this one I have not personally used, I have had great results with the tea and am content to stick to that for now, but I have seen this recipe recommended by other herbalists that I admire.
Remove seeds from dry or slightly green pods, crush the dried pods slightly and add them to a clean glass jar, cover with 80-100 proof alcohol and a tight-fitting lid.
Let sit in a cool, dark location for a minimum of 6 weeks up to 1 year.
Strain, bottle, and use as low a dose as is effective (5-20 drops) as needed for up to 2 weeks. Start off with only a few drops and wait for a few hours before taking more to see how you are affected. The strength of your tincture can vary slightly batch to batch so always use caution and start small.
The leaves can also be smoked, this apparently results in faster results, but they do not last as long as the tea and tincture options. Still, if you are a smoker…
Conclusion:
I'm curious what you think about the war on poppies. Was the US government right to step in and try to take this folk medicine out of the hands of its citizens? Is this time honored medicine truly dangerous or a hidden gem that should be commonplace again?
DISCLAIMER
This video/blog is only intended for educational/entertainment purposes. I am not a doctor or clinical herbalist and nothing in this content should be considered medical advice! Remember, this is technically illegal in many places! God bless my friends, be well.
