I mean I’ve definitely smoked opium on flower. Most of the “opium” I’ve encountered in my years was the fake stuff but one summer in high school the entire Midwest got covered with cheap plentiful opium. I even found an Erowid report pretty much mimicking my experience.
I recall many warm hazy summer days, I can still see the sunlight shining through the billowing smoke. The taste was definitely good but different from the fake incense ball shit.
I’m pretty sure I came across it once more about 10yrs ago at a festival. Me and my brother met this couple where the girl was kinda coming onto us, at one point the guy says he has opium and I kinda scoff. Soon as he pulled it out and I saw/smelled it I knew. Rest of that night was wonderful, MDMA, MDA, and opium mmmm. The girl hooped for us while we zoned off.
The one thing I look for is the god awful stickiness. Fake opium can be handled rather easily, real stuff wants to stick to everything it touches.
-GC