What is Opium used for?

Answer 1

Opium is a drug made from the poppy plant. Poppies grow in many different countries but most poppies today are used to make heroin and opium is much less popular than in was in the past. In the past opium was widely used for both medical and recreational purposes.

Opium is made by drying the latex contained with in the opium poppy. It contains morphine usually about 8-10% by weight. This is what makes opium addictive. It also contains some codeine and other alkaloids. Typically opium is smoked in order to vaporize the morphine and get high (or relieve pain). Opium was also used in other ways. For instance Laudanum was a solution of opium in alcohol that was used as a way to consume opium (and thus morphine).

Opium is usually a tar-like material and can be sticky. It varies in color from yellow to tan to brown or black. Opium is not widely available because it is not very popular and it is much more profitable to refine the opium into heroin which is easier to smuggle and easier to sell. Like morphine, heroin, and oxycodone, opium is addictive and causes tolerance and dependence.

Answer 2

Opium is used for a very wide variety of things. The two basic uses of opium are for pharmaceutical medication, and for a strait out intoxicant (recreational drug). Opium is a term used for the latex (or gummy resin) that is found in unripe seed pops of the poppy plant (only certain kinds of poppy though!). The opium is extracted by making tiny 1/16'' incisions into the side of the pod and the opium latex runs out. It is whitish and milky looking at first, but hardens to a brownish gum.

For MEDICINE:

For legal pharmaceutical uses, the latex is then taken to a pharm lab, and the different alkaloids are extracted. There are three types of opiate alkaloids that are used in medicine. Morphine, Codeine, and Thebaine are then extracted from the opium gum through chemical extraction, and separated into different containers. Morphine is generally used as it is naturally found, and is simply used as is for different types of medications. Codeine is also usually used as is, and used for different types of medications, although there are a few different forms of it. Thebaine is NOT used as it is naturally found. Thebaine does not have any medical use as it is found in opium. However, the thebaine is chemically processed and refined to create some of the greatest pain medications known to man. Thebaine is used to create hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and several other semi-synthetic opiate painkillers. Contrary to what many believe, codeine is NOT the source of hydrocodone, oxycodone and other such drugs. Thebaine is where such drugs originate. Opiate painkillers are the best painkillers known to man. They are very powerful, easy to produce, cost effective, and relieve pain better than any other substance. The downside is that opiates are very addictive because of how wonderful it feels to be under its influence. Opiate addiction is a VERY nasty thing.

For INTOXICATION (recreation, fun, and pleasure)

Using opium for recreational purposes is illegal in most countries, however, in some countries it is an age-old tradition. The opium is extracted from the pods, just as I described above, and is then dried out.After drying, the raw opium (opium strait from the plant) is stirred into hot (but not boiling) water until it has dissolved. The water takes a brownish tint, and the mixture is stirred thouroughly until it is uniform. The brown liquid is then filter through a cheese cloth, coffee filter, or some other type of filter, which removes all of the solid plant material such as pieces of leaf, stem, ect. The latex itself is water soluable, and does not get trapped by the filter. The filtered water (with the opium latex dissolved in it) is then either left to evaporate by the sun (or bright lightbulb), or it is slowly steamed away by a low heat source. Once all of the water is evaporated, the now purified opium resin is left behind, totally free of any foreign matter. It is just pure opium latex. (There are some tribes of people who smoke opium in its raw form, strait from the plant, without any purification)

The latex, once totally dry, is then ready to be smoked. (Or in some cases the morphine is then extracted and used to create diacetyl-morphine, aka: Heroin) The opium smoker will usually have a special opium pipe to smoke his opium. The pipe is usually a long tube with a dome shaped bulb at the opposite end of the mouth piece. The smoker lights a candle (or specialized opium lamp). Opium smokers traditionally lie on their side to smoke. A small pea-sized piece of opium is then put on the end of a small, pointed, metal rod (like a large needle) and is heated above the flame (but not touched by the flame). The opium warms and becomes soft. The pipe is then pre-heated above the flame as well. The opium is then heated again, very briefly, then is either molded into a small cone and put in the pipe's bulb, or is smeared around the hole in the pipe's bulb. The smoker then holds the bulb of the pipe several inches above the flame itself, and a little off to the side of the flame. The smoker then puts the mouth piece into his mouth, and while he holds his pipe above the flame, he draws in a deep drag. The flame is NOT allowed to actually touch the opium, nor the pipe. Doing so would destroy the alkaloids in the opium and would waste it. As the smoker draws in his breath, the hot air from the flame makes the opium sizzle and bubble. As it simmers, the opium is vaporized into a greyish-white, smoky vapor. The smoker then holds his "hit" in his lungs as long as he/she can, and moves the pipe away from the flame. Different smokers smoke different amounts of their opium, depending on how tolerant they are to its effects, and how potent the opium is.

The effects of opium, whether eaten, smoked, or made into a tea, are very strong. Smoking provides the quickest onset of its effects, and is the most common method of administration. The effects are: Analgesia (relief of pain), feeling of warmth, feeling of security and well-being, intense euphoria (happiness and content), relief of diarrhea, relief of coughing, and an overall lift in the person's mood. Some side effects are nausea, itchiness, constipation, lethargy and drowsiness, and trouble reaching orgasm. Also, slowed heartbeat, slowed breathing, uncoordinated movement, and diziness can occur. The side-effects experienced vary greatly from person to person. Some experience little to none, while others experience many. Some opium addicts enjoy a few of the side-effects, but this is only a matter of opinion. Opium CAN be fatal is too large of a dose is taken, but deaths from it are VERY rare. Smoking is the safest method of using opium, because the effects are felt almost instantly, and the user has a better idea of when to stop. Eating opium, or drinking opium tea, can be slightly more dangerous. This is because the user may not know how potent it is, and it can take over an hour to feel its effects. The user may think it's not working, and take another dose, then later the effects are too strong. Also, an opium smoker is more likely to fall asleep before they can smoke a fatal amount of the drug.

Smoking opium is VERY addictive, as well as using it in ANY other way or form. Opiate medications are also VERY addictive, and should ONLY be used if prescribed by a doctor. I recommend that any one considering using opium, or any opiate drug, does NOT do it. Opium and opiate withdrawals are a HORRIBLE thing to suffer through. Some people can never give up the habit from fear of the painful and sickening withdrawals, and for their lust for the drug. PLEASE, do NOT abuse opium or ANY opiate/opioid painkillers or drugs! It WILL make you sorry! NO ONE is too "tough" or "cool" to abuse it and avoid the addiction. Opium punishes those who abuse and misuse her! its a downer drug, puts you in a dreamy happy state, and can be very addictive.

Answer 3

Opiates are used for pain management/analgesia, as antitussives (cough suppressants) and as antidiarrheal medication.

Answer 4

You smoke it and inhale the smoke which can give "visions"

Answer 5

Smoking Opium.

Answer 6

Its a drug