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Feds cracking down on American poppy cultivation

According to a press release announcement from U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, Matthew Pfeiffer, 43, of Morganville, Kansas was charged in a federal indictment unsealed Thursday August 24,2020 with growing thousands of poppy plants at his home in Clay County in an effort to manufacture heroin.The charges include one count of attempting to manufacture opium, one count of manufacturing thebaine (a constituent of opium) and one count of using a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking. If convicted, Pfeiffer could face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the charges of attempting to manufacture controlled substances, and up to four years and a fine up to $250,000 on the telephone count.

Local media sources report that the Riley County Police Department received information that Pfeiffer was growing poppies and planning to manufacture heroin. On June 4, 2020, law enforcement officers served a search warrant at Pfeiffer’s home in Morganville, where they seized more than 4,000 poppy plants. The poppies were identified as Papaver somniferum, a plant from which opium is derived.

As you can see in the picture above, the most common of the species is known as the "Turkish Reds" because that's where they're predominently known as being native to. The flower is bright red with a dark basal spot. The plants are multi-headed, more so than other somniferums. Interestingly though is the fact that the seeds can be bought readily online withou any issue of legality o the tune of just about $5.00 per 100 seeds, take a quick look at this ad for yourself if you're interested:

But also know too that just like with cannabis also is known to be true with opium poppies as well in that the reds though most popular to see growing, are considered the "generic" or weaker version quality-wise of the opium- that true heroin users and dealers Really seek the White poppies such as is seen in this other sales advertisement a quick google search popped up:

Odds are i was either one or the other of these two he was growing IF his intent was seriously to manufacture heroin, though poppies Do come in other color variations as well, just no usually when it comes to opium collection for manufacture.

“The cultivation of poppy plants, for the purpose of making opium paste for heroin production is extremely rare in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan, head of the St. Louis Division, which covers Kansas. “The DEA along with our law enforcement partners, thwarted this attempt to produce heroin, and we will continue to stand in the way of violators who seek to harm our communities. This case should serve as an example and a warning that the DEA is as committed to preventing further harm caused by the opioid crisis in rural America, as we are in major cities.”

The white droplets of the poppies blood, or "milk" as it's usually referred to is collected as you can see by the delicate slicing of it's outer few layers of pod skin. Usually this is done with a box cutting razor and again, very delicately so. Then the pod is left to bleed for up to 5 minutes at which point the milk is collected onto the razor and then depending on it's purpose, it is cooked usually on a stove in a saucepan if no directly used in it's raw form such as added to a dry flower of cannabis and smoked for relaxation and or meditation purposes.

After the poppy pods have been milked, which is After the flower has completely bloomed and it's petals fallen away, you will see the slices on the pod such as shown in this photo here.

At that point in the cultivation growers will usually harvest the majority but NOT ALL of the poppy pods for within each pod is an average of about 10,000 if no more individual seeds, especially if you're wanting them to re-grow and bloom the following years to come.

We can't emphasize Enough that you should Never take ALL the pods bu leave some behind for future population, and too, that you NOT harvest the pods early else you will end up with premature (white) seeds that odds are will in the end prove to be unviable! You wan them dark and mature such as the ones shown in the pods immediately below:

Please stay tuned for more information and updates relating to this and other pertinent news and information we feel you may want to know. Stay healthy and as happy as possible and enjoy life and nature as much as Covid-19 will allow, A'ho!

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