Does papaver rhoeas make opium

Answer 1

Papaver rhoeas has a very different alkaloidal makeup than Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy. While containing virtually no morphine or codeine, Papaver rhoeas does contain high levels of the alkaloid thebaine, which, through complex chemical synthesis, can be converted into drugs such as oxycodone, buprenorphine, and the more potent Bentley compounds. While the above mentioned drugs are still usually manufactured using Papaver somniferum, many pharmaceutical companies, as well as national governments (read about the Nixon plan during the '70s) have considered the possibility of using Papaver rhoeas as a substitute for the opium poppy due to its high thebaine content. To answer your question succinctly, Papaver rhoeas does contain opiate alkaloids (i.e. thebaine), though not morphine or codeine (or the levels are so low as to be insignificant), and therefore does not "make opium" in the traditional sense. Further, conversion of thebaine to any psychoactive opioid constituent requires complex laboratory synthesis and equipment out of the reach of anyone but the most expert of chemists.

Answer 2

No. There are many poppy species, but opium referrers to the substance collected from one species (Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy).