"Pam - gardengal" expounded:

If you read the Controlled Substance Act, it makes no differentiation as to
the purpose for growing the plants - they are simply illegal to grow in this
country. Obviously, DEA and other law enforcement agencies have other fish
to fry rather than SWAT-teaming down on the hobby gardener and as I clearly
stated previously, someone somewhere is growing them commercially for seed
production, if for nothing else. Nonetheless, growing the plant is illegal.
Unless you care to reinterpret the law.

Yes, they are illegal to grow around here, a few years back there was
quite a story in the local paper about the police raiding peoples'
gardens (one woman over in Scituate was actually arrested, at 86 years
old, and I have her plants growing in my yard). I think it was an
overzealous sherriff or something who decided to come down hard on all
us opium-growing gardeners ;-. Didn't get anywhere, the courts threw
out the cases, and they've left us alone since then. But rest
assured, it is illegal to grow opium poppies, they posted the
applicable laws and I have the clippings around here, somewhere.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
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