Glen Able wrote:
Mike Lyle wrote:
[...]
Poppy-seed oil is used in painting and cosmetics. The actual seed
of
British-grown poppies doesn't, I understand, contain much
morphine:
that needs a warmer climate.

I saw a news story last year where an English couple who'd retired
to
Spain innocently grew a nice display of their favourite opium
poppies
in their garden. Presumably the climate there *is* suitable for
morphine production because they got into some serious bother with
the local police - I dunno whether they were prosecuted in the end.

Yes, Spain is warm enough: I find there are cases referred to on the
Web. The seeds aren't the regular source of opium and its
derivatives, of course: I think the rule here is, as somebody's
mentioned already, that you're only in trouble if they find you've
scratched the immature seed-pods. I once knew somebody who said he'd
tried it in Britain, and that he had experienced a drug effect. Not a
good idea, though at that crude level maybe no worse than booze.

--
Mike.