This book is soldfor informational purposes only. Neither the author nor the publisherwill be held accountable for the useor misuse of the inforrnation contained in this book Hydroponiclleroin: IIow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil O 1998by"Robert Neil Bunch Ail rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced or storedin anyform whatsoever without the prior writtenconsent of the publisher. Reviews rnayquote brief passages without the written consent of thepublisher aslong aspropercreditis given. Publlshed by: FS BookCompany P.O. Box 417457 Sacramento, CA95841 1-916,771-4203 Email : fs@fsbookco.com Web Site:www.fsbookco.com CONTENTS Introduction............. .....................1 Chapter One... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 History Of The Poppy,Opium And Heroin Usage Chapter Two.......... ......................11 WamingTo Would-BeGrowers Chapter Three ...........2t The OpiumPoppy Chapter Four......... .....................29 OverviewOf Hydroponics Chapter Five.......... .....................55 FromSeed To Weed Chapter Six..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1 OptimalHarvestParameters ChapterSeven ...........67 CreationOf Medicinal And Recreational hoducts From Exudedl,atex Chapter Ei9ht........ .....................77 Dosages, Addiction,Potential Dangers Chapter Nine......... .....................85 Glossary Introduction 1 l INTRODUCTION Heroin (her'o-in) n. 1, rccreationalnarcotic that is sp- thesized from morphine extracted from the opium poppy; highly addictive;cortrnon street nanps include: chinawhite, H, horse,junk, skag,srnackand suicide.2, King of drugs. Casual heroinuseis not only on th upswingagaituit is now chic and quasi-socially acceptable to sport the lithe body, dark sunkeneyes and withdrawn posture of the corunon streetaddict. Supernndels stnrt the catwalk with gauntfranps and heavilyshadowed eyes,afrernative rock music giants axen't giants unlesstbey have been in tbe Betty Ford Clinic at leastonce,andevenhigh-fashion rno- gul Calvin Klein bombards the generalpopulacewith teb- vision advertisenpnts which boast sickly teenagerswho look like theyhavebeenon a week-longbender. With the influx of the cbarest smackthe Unitd States has ever seenflowing into a haff-dozen na]x port ciths, anyonewho is'coof is t"Hng a rfoleon the whe huse. The drug war has donc litth, if any damage to tb 600,00Gpoud worHwid,e heroindemand. The demandin Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil the United Statesalonerangesfrom 20,000 to 30,000 pure pounds (average 454,000,000 initial uncut doses at 25 mg!), and showsno sign of decline. The reasonwhy smackhasbecomeAmerica's next drug "epidemic" is clear: potent, unadulteratedproduct is hit- ting the street, and the outdated necessityof intravenous injection hasbeeneliminated.Heroin in the '70s contained 7-l5%opure product, and it took some regular usageto become addicted. Now that supply greatly exceeds de- mand, streei-leveljunk can register up to 97Vopure! This level of purity allows more aestheticdly correct methods of ingestion such as smoking and snorting. Numerous us- ers have reverted to snorting, for a dose as small as half a grirm can be lethal to a non-tolerantindividual. With the increased purity conrcs the increasedpotential for addiction,and no one is exempt from the psychological dependenceheroin creates. Even though estimates state that only 25-40Vo of usersare physicallydependent, if you know someone who has ever gotten a good dose, you know it is clear that a profound psychological addiction can occur within secondsafter the line is gone or the tourniquet is removed.If the tolerant user attemptsto quit, he can be assuredof a prolonged (at least four months) withdrawal which will be more rnentally debilitating and painful than any form of tortue rnankind might draw from the darkestrecesses of its collective mind. With all of this said, one might wonder why anyone would even attempt to try heroin. The reason is quite simple: in the correct atmosphere,dosage and frequency, a heroin buzz is one of life's great rewards. The intense surge in creativity, euphoria, and relaxation can make the Introduction 3 occasional weekend user soar to heightsneverbeforeex- perienced. Because of the tolerance factor,theffiequent'thipper" will get ashigh, if not higher,thanthe most needle-tracked crusty wanderingthe back alleysof the Big Apple. If the unbelievershould debatethe massivecreativity factor of heroin, sonp notableaddictsfor the rebuttal include:en- thony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers),Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), I-ayne Staley (Alice in Chains), Brad Nowell (Sublfurrc), Jimi Hendrix, JanisJoplin, John Belushi and Robert Downey Jr., all creative geniuses in their own right. To digestall of the government and nrediapropaganda, one would think that all usersdie minutesafter their first dose.This is, as usual tafty far from the truth. Hospital recordsshow that the majority of junkies die from bogus horse, impurities used to cut the srmck, infections and malnutrition,rather than hot loads (a street term used to describe sudden,unforeseenincreasesin purity of the heroininjectedby inravenoususers). For someone who would like to achieve this statewith- out the fear of overdosing,inrpurities,or coming down, there is anothereasily attained drug that is much more pleasant (puking can be circumvented) and saferthan her- oin - its grandparent, opium. This book is geared toward the opiate-dependent as well asthe inexperienced recreational drug userwho would like to havehis own stashof l$OVo pure opiumlatex,nnrphine hydrochloride,or, in the caseof the chemicallyinclined, srnack.The text following the introductionwill guide the reader through all of the steps necessary to maintain a year-roundcrop of hydroponicopium poppies,therebl of..iog the grower the exclusiverights to the free and pureopiate of his choice. Readthe text asif your life depended on it (it does),es- peciallythe chapteron dosages and ingestion.When your fittt ctop hasbeenharvested andyou are experiencing the warm opiaterush,know that you havejoined an elite club' Membersinclude: Inrd Byron, Coleridge,CharlesDick- ens,BelaLugosi,EdgarAllen Poe,Mary Shelly,Thomas de Quinceyand Mao 7*Jrong.You are in excellentcom- pany for creativity, astral-planeexploring, and higher- consciousness brain reformattingvia nreditation'Keep in mind, however,that you are riding the most majesticand unbreakable horseon theplanet.Make swe that your reins arekept tight; otherwise, it will ride you. J-r S^t qROW HydroPonic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil Clupter One History Of fhc PopW, OpiwnAnd Heroin Usage ChapterOne HfSTORY OF THEPOPPY, oPlut-t frA/D HERofN USAqE No plant in history has causedas much adversity,lry and grief as the opium poppy (Greek opos =juice). First cultivated on the shores of the Mediterranean by prehistoricman, texts regardingthis plant did not appear until the Greels praisedthe poppy 500 yearsbefore the birth of Christ. Hip'pocrates wasthe first physician to exploreits haling abilities,and Hornersangpraisesof the poppy in his epic, the Odyssey. tThe dnrg willl 'lull all pain and anger,and bring forgetfulness of every sorrow." Obviously,Horner chokeddown a doseor two! The opium poppy next reachedChinesernanuscripts in 700 AD. Chineseand East Indian doctors regardedthe plant as a generalcure-all For the following 700 yearsin the east, rnan and poppy lived in relative harmony.The plant was picked for its 'lniraculous" s@ds and rarely abuseduntil a slick Chineseman in the 15th century discovered that if the capsulewas slicedwithin a ten-day period following the fall of the petals, a wonderful thing Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil happened - opium! This is where the easy balance between man and poppy dissolves. Arrpd with a powerful drug and having little access to addiction treatment information, Eastern man had unknowingly siarted the opium ball rolling towards the remaining civilized world. Two hundred years after this rnornentousoccasion, most of the East, including India and Persia, abused the opiate in the form of a recreational drink, or by sinply eating it. The stage was now set for Western man to swoop down and make a large scale comrnercial venture from the ever- increasing demand. The Portuguese were the first to transport and market Indian opium to the Chinese. It was the Dutch seafarers, however, that hooked the Asians and SoutheastAsians by introducing them to smoking the raw latex. Until this point, the bad taste and slow absorption of opium into the stomach prevented profound addiction. Now that the opium could be snpked and the effects could be felt immediately, demand for the pungent black product skyrocketed. By the mid-l7th century, over 50 tons of opium were flowing into Asia by boat. Eventually, the fazz (the Ernperor Yung Chen) became concerned about the addictioq death and "shriveling of the facial features," and laid down the law on opium - total prohibition on the product, sales, and srnoking dens. This lasted about two minutes, as the Asian people had already developed a sophisticated taste for ttre sweet poppy-resin snpke. The Emperor countered this by placing tariffs on imported opiurn, hoping this would drive up the price, but to no avail; the Chinesehad to get their smoke on at any price. Chapter One History Of The Poppy, Opium And Heroin Usage InL773, the opium trade was madeglobal by the British East India Company.The British traded the Patna opium from India to the other Asians for their porcelains,silks, and spices.They used theseproducts to make a fortune in Europe and the Americas. The Chinese Emperor once again enforced the banning of opium by forbidding exportationof Chinesesilver, and the British responded by waging two all-out wars. These two famous altercations were known as the Opium Wars. By the end of the second war (1860), therewer€ at least 10,000,000 opium addicts in China, consuming80Voof.the world's opium supply. In the Western world, opium had madb itself known through numerous "snake oils" and legitimate medical remedies.Since the public self-medicated at that tirne, the opiate strangleholdtook Europe by storm. The "Big M," or morphine, was first extractedfrom the opium latex in the early 19th century. After some"clinicall' ingestions, the chemist soon named the addictive white powder morphine, after the god of dreams, Morpheus. Morphine has always played a role in armed conflict, due to its immediate analgesic properties. During the Civil War, both the North and South grew opium poppies to treat wounded soldiers, as morphine shortages were conrmon. Seeking a non-addictive alternative to morphine, C.R. Wright first synthesizedheroin in 1874. He tested the heroin on stray dogs in his laboratory, and much to his amazenrcnt,it worked better than morphine and in much smaller doses. After killing several dogs, and s[saning up copious amounts of dog vomit, Wright stopped his research. I I l I Hydroponic Heroin Horv To Grow Opium PoppiesVYithout Soil Not daunted by Wright's outcomes, Tbe Bayer Corryany (yes, like the children's aspirin) turned out tbe new pain killer in bulk, advertisingit as a cure for all that ails. It cured many people (of sobriety), and imitators rusbed to meet the awesonp demand of the 'hon- addictive"' reliever.The harshlifestylesalmng the lower classes who worked in agriculturalfields accounted for tbe rnailrity of users, as their gueling labor bd to chronic pains and rheumatoid artbritis. The redications were cheaperthan beer (and rnore powerful), and one could purcha$e a dozenor sodark bottlesfor a dime. This heydaycam to a grinding halt in the 1890s,as Arerican and European doctors' offices became increasingly ovenun by sufrering addicts and dytng children More children were dying of lethal doses of opiatesin their nostrums than all other tlpes of poisonings cornbined! In response to tbe incrcased public awareness, tbe Unitd States passed an act requiring medicine coryanies to cite ingredientsand their amountson tbe labels of tbeh products. This causedthe coryanies to reducethe amountsof opiatesin their remedies by up to 75%. In 1914, Congresspassed the Harrison Act, which banned the sale of narcotics without a doctor's prescription"So many doctors were dealing for profit, however,rhat the governrcnt had to stop it coryletely. So in 1923, after 400 years of hardcoreabuse,the US banned all nucotics. This efrectivelymade all Pharmacists pushers,started tbe war on drugsandpavedthe way for the DEA The ban also created a market for underworld dntg dealers, Chapter One History Of The Poppy, OpiumAnd Heroin Usage smugglers and of courss, the Italian Mafia. Such seedy characters took advantage of the high demandto make fortunesby smugglingheroininto the US. After the Second World War, the crinp familieswere so scatteredthat the imports into the US fell to new lows. Add to this the fact that antidrug propagandawas rampant,and it is easyto seewhy Arneric4 at that point, had its lowest opiate addiction percentageever. The numbers had droppedfrom arounda quarter of a million before 1923,to only 20,000after the war. A few yearsafter the war, a syntheticheroin substitute was createdfor recovery.In 1964, Doctors Dole and Nyswander discovered the chemical forrnula that was supposed to cure the addict. It boasteda lower intensity high that had a longer plateau,and was not detrinrental to the user's well-being. This drug, unfortunately,hooked everyonewho cane acrossit, and many now had two addictions: heroinAND methadone! Never fear, the pandemiclove for opiates is never- endingand thereis little chancefor a cornpletecure, save for abstinence. This is backedby the fact that in the '70s, heroin addiction had surpassed its all-tfure high and the numberof addicts numbered nearlyhalf a million. The numberof addictsin the US now is estimated to be between 500-700,000, with 95,000 in retbadone treatmenL Obviously, this plant and its by-productscan make a penon feel pretty good. If the profound addictioncreated by opiatescan survive, die and regenemte over a 1,000' year period, it would seemthat humansare genetically IlydroPonic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil 10 predisposedto be hooked. Can it be that man evolved with the poppy, never to be seParated? Examples of hybridization in an open garden. Notice shade and patterning differences. ChapterTwo Warning To Would-BeGrowers 1t ChapterTwo wARNfNq To wouLD-BE qROWERS The opium poppy is in a legal class by itself when it conrcsto propagation.In sonreareasof the United States, it is treated as a normally occurring noxious weed, and no trouble would result if it appearedto be growing wild in a backyard garden. In sonp areas,however, all steps must be taken to eradicatethe poppy, lest the hapless,unknow- ing landowner fall under the heel of local and state gov- erffnent. The smart ihing to do would be to write your local council or agriculture agency and ask for a list of banned plants and weeds, and take it from there. If you live in a rural area with plenty of farmers and rednecks, you could probably plant the poppies in your front yard amidst similarly sized weeds and no one would never even suspectthat they were a psychotropicspecies.Poppiesare legal to grow in most of Europe, including England, but Canada's government does not tolerate it at all - yet. Speciesof poppy that are semilegal to grow in the US: Papaverargemone,bracteaturn, dubiunL hybridiurL orien- tale, pilosun, radicaturn, rhoeas, spicatum and walpolei. These are known as field poppies and are much smaller and yield considerably less potent gum (if any) than the Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil more famous Indochinese, Persian, Turkish and Yugo- slavic somniferumvarieties. The best way to get around this legal snafu is to grow the little devils insidewhere pryrng eyescan't see,but with this tactic comes a much more serious offense and pun- ishment:conspiracyto manufacturemorphine,a Schedule II narcotic. If you are foolish enough to get caught with a basenrent-fu[ be prepared to do a life sentencewithout parole, as the fuzz will more than likely slap a narcotics trafficking charge on you. For this reasorL it is best to grow a small"year-roundcrop than take the chanceon one hugehaul. If the goverilnent createsa stink in your nose, and you are pro-anarchy,growing poppies is probably not the best way to give Uncle Sam the bird. Growing marijuana or mush,rooms would be a better deal should you get caught. To give you an idea of how serious the punishnrentsare for Papaver somniferum propagation, take a look at some of the punishmentswhen caught in North America. This is what the Canadian Pharmacy I-egislation has to say about getting caught with the "dreaded poppy" (this applies only to the somniferum species): R.S.,c. N-1, s. 5. 6.(1) Cultivation of opium poppy or marihuana.- No person shall cultivate opium poppy or nurihuana ex- cept under the authority of, and in accordancewith, a license issued to the person under the regulations. ClnpterTwo Warning To Would-Be Growers (2) Offense and punishnrcnt.- Every person who contravenes subsection (l) is guilty of an indictableof- fenseandliableto inprisonmentfor a term not exceed- ing seven years. (3) Destructionof plant.- The Minister may causeto be destroyedany growing plant of opium poppy or marihuana cultivatedotherwisethan under authorityof and in accordance with a licenseissuedunderthe rego- lations. Uprooted plants and sevenyears in a Canadian prison may soundbad, but it's nothing conpared to the punish- rrcnt rEted out for growing enough plants to prove a 'qtrafficking" charge. Traffickinglegallynreans to rnanufac- ture, se[ give, administer, transport,send deliver or dis- tribute Papaver somnifemm or its constituent phenan- threne(activenarcotics)alkaloids. R.S.,1985, c. 27 (1stSupp.), s. 197. a. (1) Tratrcking. - No personshall traffic in a narcotic or any substance represented or held out by the person to be a narcotic. (2) Possession for purposeof trafficking. - No per- son shall have in his possession any narcotic for the purpose of traffrcking. t 2 13 Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil (3) Offenseand punishment. - Every personwho contravenes subsection (l) or (2) is guiltyof an indict- ableoffence andliableto be imprisoned for life. P+"t-vl'tt^z*A fu q*ruL"e Olp;u,rr- PotDlp;,ll lt" Tk U4^;fu4fiafa, The United States lawmaking bodies have, of course, handeddown their versionof the opium poppy law (note: poppy seeds,unlike marijuanaseeds,are legal). This con- voluted and multi-faceted passage is the FederalInclusion list for Schedule II drugs as it pertains to the Papaver somniferum: Schedule II. (a) The drugs and other substances listed in this section, by whatever official name, common or usualname,chemicalname,or brand namedesignated, are included in ScheduleII. (b) Substances. (Vegetable origin or chemical synthe- sis.) Unless specificallyexcepted,any of the following substances,except those listed in other schedules, whether produced directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of vegetableorigin, or independently by meansof chemical synthesis,or by combination of extractionand chemical synthesis: (1) Opium and opiate, and any salt, compound, de- rivative, or preparation of opium or opiate, excluding apormorphine, dextrorphan, nalbuphine, nalmefene, 1 5 T4 Chapter Two Warning To Would-BeGrowers naloxone,and naltrexone,and their respectivesalts, but including thefollowing: (i) Raw opium;(ii) opiumextracts; (iii) opiumfluid; (iv) powderedopium; (v) granulatedopium; (vi) tinctureof opium;(vii) codeine; (viii) ethylrnorphine; (ix) etorphinehydrochloride;(x) hydrocodone;(xi) hydromorphone;(xii) rnetopon; (xiii) morphine; (xiv) oxycodone; (xv) oxynnrphone;and (xvi) the- baine. (2) Any salt,isorner,derivative,or preparation thereof that is chemicallyequivalentor identical with any of the substances referred to in subsection (b) (1) of this section,but not includingthe isoquinoline alkaloidsof opium. (3) Opiumpoppyandpoppystraw. (4-5)Concerning cocaine. (6) Concentrate ofpoppy strawCfhecrudeextractof poppy straw in either liquid, solid, or powder form which contains the phenanthrene alkaloids of the opiumpoppy.) As you may alreadyknow, the United Stateshas much more stringent drug laws than Canada.If a grower is caught cultivating or extracting the latex from opium poppies,he will more than likely be chargedwith conspir- acy to traffic morphine.Trafficking a Schedule II narcotic carriesa n&styminimumof three yearsfor a first offense. If the grower has a prior drug-relatedconviction in this arena,10 years.The third convictionwould fall under the Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil 16 "habitualoffendet'' statuteand the grower would spenda minimumof 15yearsto life in prison. If the wily grower wereto extractthe opiumanddiscard the seedcapsules beforebeing caught,the offensewould be lessened to possession (if no puriffing chemicalsor glassware were uncovered). The thing to do to lessen the chances for a harsherpenalty would be: harvestand ex- tract latex from the poppies, throw away ALL leaves, podsandstemsandthenbuy your purifying chemicals. The charges,should you be caught with the purified opiates, arebased on a marijuana-weight conversion table. OPilil.+4aa;4aana (bxnbt* Accordingto theUSCA,Title 18 ChapterI toZ: I gmmof raw opium = 50 gramsof marijuana I gmmof morphine= 500 gramsof marijuana 1 garn of heroin= I kilogram of marijuana For a first offensewhereone gramof opium wasseized, the possessor could face anywherefrom probationto six rrcnths in custody. This is the least offense, and the chancethat the hone grower would possess this srnall arnountis slirn If you grow a decentgardenof poppies' your yield could be 40-100 gramsof raw opiurn The pm- istrmentfor being caught with this anrcunt(first offense)' ranges from six to 16months. Supposing that the opium was purified to nnrphine hy- drochloride,the weight would be lessened due to the re- npval of plant acids.Sincernorphireis a tenth the weight ChapterTwo WamingTo WouA-BeGrowerc 17 of the raw opiur4 the arnountof product that was refined would be +10 grams.As you can see,the United States hascorryensated fsl this power increase by increasing the marijuanaconversionby tenfold. The punishmentwould be ttte sarre for 4-10 gramsof morphineHCI as 4G100 gramsof raw opium. Possession of heroinis probablythe worst dnrg offense one might imagire. If the cbemicallyinclinodgrower arn- ped the morphineup to diacetylnnrphine, the penalties if caught are staggering: 4-10 gramsof pure heroin would get the first offenderat leastten months.If the drug war- rior is caughtwith the upperlimit, he canexpectto ponder life in an institution for aroundtwo years.This is far too much tinrc, considering4-10 grarnsof heroin could only bring $80G2,000if sold. Obviously,the best idea is not to get caught! No one thinks they will anyway, so it is suggestedthat only a rnodestgardenbe grown Don't do the crire if you can't do the time. (Seechartat the endof the chapter.) Below is a tabb which will clue the potential grower in asto the severitythe US Governrnent puts on the poppy's constitrrent opioids. U^;fA $afa ScLh,le Talrl^o ScheduleI Nancotics: No bgal useknown, not available even with presctip tion Abusepotential- higb. Such dnrgs are heroinb ISD, rpscaline, marijuan4 PCP, peyote and Quaa- hdes. These rocrcationalchemfoals carry the stiffest Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppieslVithout Soil penaltiesfor possession, except for marijuana,which now has legitimateusesthanls to California'sArticle 215. Schedule II Narcotics: Usuallyavailableonly by non-refillable prescriptionor tfure-delay prescriptions. Abuse potential - high. Suchdrugs are amphetamines, cocaine,rnorphineand nethadone.Close records are kept about dispensers and users,and pharmacies usuallykeep thesegoodies locked in a sensitized floor safeto preventdrug fiend holdups. ScheduleIII Narcotics: Availableby refillableprescription.Abusepotential- rnoderate. Suchdrugs are watered-down versions of strongerdrugslike Tylenol with codeine,Phenobarbi- tal and Vicodin. Only hard-up narcotic addicts and desperate burn-outsabuse theseweakchemicals. SchedulefV Narcotics: Availableby refillableprescription.Abusepotential- low. Drugs includedare anti-anxietybenzodiazepines like Ativan, Valium and Xanax. Despitethe IV classi- fication, these non-recreational chemicalsare abused by peoplewho usuallyhave access to thesedrugs for treatment of mentaldisease or defect ScheduleY Narcotics: Availableby refillable prescriptionor no prescription. Abuse potential - low. Included drugs are non- ClnpterTwo Warning To Would-Be Growers narcoticover-the-counter pain killers, antipyretics and weak opiates.Anacin, Motrin and St. Joseph'sfor Childrenfall underthis category. FederalMarlluana{plate ConverslonLevel Table For Poesesslon )lorcln St ldlu.m Wt Oflrnr trvrl - 5og o - sms 8 19 tkg tO -5(x)co - skg 12 109 tokS 16 - 2.5kS 12 - 25 l(g i8 5og Sokg zl FederalSenterclng Table T9 t 8 OdrrnSf.Xorphlnr Wt rg : t_, l o g : toj 50g _1s t Ytl 6 8 1 0 1 2 14 1 6 1 8 n 2. 24 Ottrrr. I I 2 t 2 1 2 I 2 1 2 1 2 I 2 1 2 1 2 I 2 Tlm. ln ton$r 0€ 1-7 2{ +10 &12 &14 10.10 12.18 1$21 1&24 21-24 2+g 27-c3 3GC/ 3+41 37-a6 41-5t &gl 5t{l 57-71 ChapterThree TheOpiumPoppy 2 T Chapter Three THEOPIUH POPPY PA44kaLW The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), alsoknown as the White PoppyandMawseed, is an erect,annualrosette plant that glows nearlyworldwide from Southeast Asia to Europeand the Anrericas. It is a long-dayplant; that is, it will flower most efficiently when the photoperiod(total daylight hours) is between15 and 16 hours. This photo- period, combinedwith indigenous habitat,puts the poppy in the winter annualclass of plants. It ttrives in cooler weather,and is often plantedin late summerin the north- ern hemisphere.It has the exact opposite flowering scheduleas marijuan4 which flowers fastest when the photoperiod is lessthan 13hours. Unlike marijuanaand most other narcotic plants, the opium poppy is responsive to the critical photoperiodas early as two weeks after ernergence. It variesin flower- petal color from pale white (rnostpotent) to red and pur- ple (wild strains).Its statureis alsowildly variant,ranging from a two- to six-feetmainstalk with six to 12 minor off- shoots.Its seedpo4 or capsule, which perches atop a ring Hydroponic Heroin Ifow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil on the main stalk, varies from hemispherical to ovoid, de- pressedor non-depressed and delineatedto smooth. This pod can range in size from egg to orange-sized and its top is crowned with a group of star-shapedstigma rays. The tiny kidney-shapedseedswithin the green pod can be col- ored white (most desirable)to dark puple. Chapter Three The Opium Poppy 22 23 t \ &"". ,b &' " :ta This variety displays a nearly pumpkin-shapedseedpod. q4Du:"^e en/,il.a+" Life cycle (from germinationto senescence) varies with strain and location from six to sevenmonths - a few of the papaverswill even grow all year. Since the poppy is a classic weed, it can thrive in a variety of soils; sandy to moist and rich as long as the plant isn't killed by frost and is kept watered. Intense sunlight is also preferred, as this Large Turkishvariery. HydnoponicHeroin Eow To Grow Opium PoppiesVYithoutSoiI factor directly contributesto the plant's overall size and pot€ncy. The poppy's opium gum yield is relatedto the plant's sizeas well, so strive to find the largesthytrid straiq as it will producethe largestseedpods.Also, the longer a Par- ticular plant takes to flower, the larger the seedcapsule will eventually be. Suchinforrnationis usefulwben estab lishinga desired inbredline. Contradictoryto old popular belief, lower tetrperature doesnot havean effect on the flowering tire of poppies. It does,however,positivelyefrect ttrc potencyof the ex- uded latex. This widely held fact conrcsfrom the knowl- edgethat npst otber rosette plants' flowering cycbs are enhanced by ryriods of cold lessthan50" F. CAar'*aL CoNfifuril Dtring the last stagesof flowering, the opium poppy will drop its petalsandproducea millcy-white latex within the lactiferous vessel system of tbe egg-like capsule's outer wall for a period of no longer than ten days.If al- lowedto maturepastthis tirne,the seed pod will change to yellow, then b,rown,and the peak harvesttime will have passed. Oncethe capsule is pierced,or slice4 tightly along its bngitude (over a perid of four to seven duyt), tbe la- tex will ooz€ out and hanlen into opium, a psychoactive substancethat contains nunrerous narcotic cbemicals. Theseeftaloids, which arc bound to 'flant acids," make up 6 ?n% of tbe weight of the uffiPe seedpod. Sore of tbe better known and rcre powerfirl twodozen constitu- Clapter Three TheOpiumPoppy 25 entsinclude:morphirrc, codeine,codamine, nrtopon, rulr- ceine,narcotine, papaverine, thebaine, rhoeadine, and np- conic and sulfuric acids.The meconicacid is usedin toxi- cology and drug screeningto determinethe presence of opiatealkaloids, specificallymorphine. Sonreother non-narcoticchemicals containedin the la- tex are: albumin,calcium salts, caoutchouc,magnesiun; mucilage and sugar.Tlpse agentsact as bindersand make up the gum asthe waterin the latex evaporates. Latcx ooztslron tfisftcshly-pked large f, HydroPonic lleroin IIow To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil The seed capsule is not the only source for the latex' When the main stern, branches or leaves have been sev- ered, latex will weep from the slice. This latex is not as potent as pod latex, but there is no use in wasting any! To collect this low-grade opiate, snrcar a cigarette with the cut end of the branch or leaf. Starnd&^r ah"l, Weab^ana As powerfula plantasthepoppyappea$to be in nature andcontent, it is not withoutits weaknesses. Frostanddry weatherare the plant's worst enemies, yet it does prefer cold nights (50'D and rather warm (85" F) days.Too much rain or constantdew formation can causethe plant to succumb to a fungal attack (dampingoff) and nrin the pod color andpotencY. Because of its odd stature, the poppyis top-heavy and can be stem-bent and broken by a gust of npdium-speed wind. This is especially true when flowering, as the seed capsule is large. As you will soondiscover, papavers do not take well to beingtransplianted, so a modifiedgermination technique is calledfor. If the transplants are conductedin an improper rruulner,the poPpy will repay the grower with stunted growthandless-than-bountiful yields. The strengths of the poppy are uncorlmon for an alka- loid-producing psychotropic plant- Poppies can be stomped into the ground when they are sprouts and plantlets,and it only makesthem grow faster and larger! The wild versions(red to purple and spotted strains)are Chapter Three The Opium Poppy especially resistant to punishment, but stomping the Impe- rial White, PersianWhite and Hens and Chickenshybrid varieties probablyisn't a good ide4 sincefine imported seeds canrun as high as $8.00per gram.Most other pa- paver seeds bought from magazine sourcesare 509 per $am. Ba.r/;^e a^"/" Varr;d+ Patnerl Unlike marijuana, it is very easyto inbreedthe papaver somniferum to achieve the desiredplant characteristics. An inbredline (IBL) hybrid will not express geneticdrift and lose potency or vigor, no rnatter how many times the poppy is bred to its cousins.This is excellentfor all those breeders out therewho would try andbreakthe ITVoalka- loid level in the mostpowerfulnaturallyoccurringstains. Strainvarieties differ greatlywhenit comesto potency and yield. When tested,poppiesfrom Yugoslavia appear to be the most potent (due to harshclimateconditions), with up to a lTVoalkaloid content.Runners-up from Asian and Middle-Eastern sources have only half the amountof alkaloids,sochoose importedstrainswisely. bt,*t ^ot" tl4.r The poppyhasbeen,cultivated and collected for centu- ries and usedas an analgesic (externalas well as internal), antidiarrhetic, antispacmodic, astringent (skin bracer),cure for alcoholisnl expectorant,hypnotic, orgasmintensifier, sedative andstimulantnarcotic. 27 26 ChapterFour OvemiewOf Hydroponbs Chapter Four OVERV/IEW OF HyDROPONICS Hydroponicsarcn't new at all The HangingGardens of Babylonwerehydroponb.So were tbp floating gardens of ancientChinaand thc royal garde,ns of tbe Aztecs,Egle tiens and Mayans. Tbese technobgy defcbnt cutures nanaged to gtow without soil, and so catr tbe hore grcwerof today! B€ing hirly cost prohibitive and dangerousto buy through the meil, hydroponb syst€,ms and otbr assorted equipmentarc not easilyacquiredby tbc av€rage grcwer without arousingsuqplion How can ore grcw opiates indoorswitbout spending a forture or risk beingcaughtby the infra rgd devilsin tbe skf Easy.By nnlcingorc's own systemandlight barrbrst For thc prbe of an ource of fire marijuane orr can build a homc syst€mthat will wort with minimqlupkeep, and will enabbtbe growerto realize a year-round huvest Sorc thingswillhave to be bougbt,zuchas a TDS rc- ter and pH test kit. Most gnrw storescarry tbese,and if the grower doesn't rct suspbiouswhen hying tbem, no onewillbe the wis€r. Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil ChapterFour Overview Of Hydroponic s leaves'breathingapparatus (stomata),in order to use the available light andcarbondioxidemoreefficiently. Along with the prirnarynutrients,there are also secon- darynutrients.Theyarecalledsecondary nutrientsbecause they are not needed in the amounts that N-P-K are. These secondary nutrientsare: Calcium(Ca), Magnesium(Mg) and Sulfur (S). Theseelenpnts are inportant in chloro- phyll synthesis andsoil detoxification. In additionto prinraryandsecondary nutrients,thereare trace elerpnts (micronutrients)to account for. These chemicals are only needed in minuteamounts. Thesetrace elernents commonlyusedby plantsare: Boron (B), Chlo- rine (Cl), Copper(Cu), Iron (Fe),Manganese (Mn), Mo- bbdenum(Mo) and 7-nc (7n). As with any other chemi- cal, too high of a concentration of trace elenpntsin a so- lution can be detrinpntal to a poppy's health.If a grower decides to add micronutrients, it is suggested that he only doses onceperharvest. The pH level of the nutrientsolutionis as important to the plant's well-being as nutrient concentration.Poppy plantsaren't as sensitive to pH as someplants, but there remains an idealrengeof 6.5-6.8.V/ithin this range,the poppy can rnost effectively assimilatethe nutrients and waterof the solution. An acidic(or low pH) bindsthe nutrientsin the solution to acid saltsandprevents root absorption. An alkaline(or high pH) harmsplantsby buildingup toxic saltsand roots from absorbingwater. Always test pH after mixing nutri- ents with water. pH kits are readily available in pool stol€s,hydroponicgrow storesand better gardeningout- lets. pH can be brought into line by using commercially 3 1 30 Nuh;afu ;rt* tll tl1laDph;e Sri.n" Nutrient concentration is the amountof primarychemi- cals(macronutrients) present in the watersolutionin a hy- droponicsystem. The basicchemicals needed for anyplant are described as the N-P-K percentage. The N-P-K num- bers are often found on the front label of gardening amendments. The N, or nitrogen, is the most important chemical needed for the vegetative stageof plant growth.Nitrogen regulates protein uptakeand is heavilyinvolvedin chloro- phyll (plant pigmen$ synthesis. Nitrogen is also responsi- ble for leaf and stemgrowth. Nitrogen addsto the overall healthand vigor of the poppyplant.A shortage of nitro- gen is diagnosedas yellowing leavesand a generalslow downor halt in growth. The P, or phosphorus, providesa deviceby which en- ergy is transferred in the plant. It is also the chemical that is responsible for disease resistance, seedand fruit forma- tion, and strong root growth. Phosphorus uptakepeaks during the budding and flowering stages.A shortageof phosphorus causes dark greenleaves, stunted growth,and a reddeningof stemsand leaf junctions. As with other primary nutrient deficiencies, lower leavesare the first to be affected. The K or potassium (potash),is needed to facilitatethe rrovement of food within the poppy plant. It also helps $owth by aiding cell division. Potash regulatesthe arnount of chlorophyll in the foliage and controls the Hydroponic Heroin How To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil available pH up andpH down. Honp rerne-dies includethe additionof distilled white vinegaror a crushedaspirin so- lution to lower pH; baking sodaor dilute lye solution to raisethe pH. pH shouldneverbe altereddrasticallywhen the plants are young, as they are sensitiveand will suffer shock. In discussing hydroponicgrow systems for the poppy, we will start with the smallest and simplestand work our way to the enorrnous and corrylicatedsp:rce-age systems. Before construction,thereare a few constants for the hy- droponic poppy garden that beginnersmust familiarize themselves with. H1la+q;e P4ry1 qpal& Copiladl All successful hydropooicpoppy gardenssystems,no matterhow conplex, must fall within theseparanreters. It only takes a mild variation of one of theseto throw the whole gardenofr-kilter, so maintainclose toleranceson your parameters. pH of nutrientsolution..... ...6.5-6.8 Temperature of nutrient solution ........65-75" F (If the terperaturegoesabove75oF, the roots will cook. If the terryeraturegoesbelow 65" F, the roots will have somerouble absorbing nutrientsdueto root shock.) TDS of nutrientsolution..... 3OG90OgramVtitne 33 32 Chapter Four Ovemiew Of Hydroponbs (TDS, or total dissolved solids, is a measure shength within the solution. It is similar to tbe mea$[e in oceanwater.) Atnospheric t€mperahue.................75o F day,50' F night (NighafuF terperatures of 50oF havebeenshownto in- 6ease the potency of the final opium resin Since the poppy is indigenous to very cold, arid regions,one would only be doing naturc a favor by mimicking the flower's naturaltemperature range.) Relative Humidity.. ............25% min, 65%max (Humidity below 25% maydehydrate the plant, sustained bvels above65% will clog tbe breathingapparatus of the cold-weather, arid plants, causingthem to gaspfor frresh air.) Fertilizermix N-P-K ..........vegetative stage max2U2U?-O floweringstage max lG'35-10 (No morethanonescoopper two gallons) With thesestandards in min4 we cannow take a look at sorlE coflunon,aod not-so-cornmon, hydroponicsysterns. Chooseaccordingly, because once you commit, it is pur duty as a grower to be Mother Nature.Tbe more comPli- catedthe sptem of your choice,the moreof a motberit is to naintain! Eventhough),oumight be tenpted to nrsh out and buy a shitloadof higb-techequiprent, resistthis urge untillou get tbe hnngof growingwith your own seE-built uoit. This of salt salinity HydnoponicHeroin How To Grow Opium PoppieslVithout Soil way, if your thumbis not as greenas you would like, the equipment won't be a lossif you havea garage sale. T,1po 4 S,rd.lr,.l,t Paa aa"l eols 4 EarI" There are three tlpes of hydroponiccultrue that one could use for poppy gardening:SandCulttlre, Aggregate Culture,andInorganicExperinrental Culture.Revieweach carefullyand choosethe one that is most suited to )lour lifestyteandlevel of gardening experience. SandCulture Sandculture is a npthod by which cleaned sandis used for the growingnredium- It is easyonceyou get the gtstof it, but canget out of handquickly oncethe grower turns a watctrful eye away from tbe system-Sand is about tbe cheapest thing in the world (exceptfor advice),andmakes for a unique style of gardening. Fluids drain quickly ttrough it andarecapturedin a reservoirbelow the plants. It is nearly impossible to overwateror overfertilizeusing sandas a growth npdiunr. On the other hand,a sandsys- temcan alsobe a poPpygrower's worst nightmare, for the sandis not asforgivin