Source: Morphine is a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the poppy plant, Papaver somniferum. The milky resin that seeps from incisions made in the unripe seedpod is dried and powdered to make opium, which contains a number of alkaloids including morphine. Morphine concentration in opium can range from 4-21%. An alternate method of harvesting morphine is by the industrial poppy straw process of extracting alkaloids from the mature dried plant, which produces a fine brownish powder. Morphine is a schedule II controlled substance and is available in a variety of prescription forms: injectables (0.5-25 mg/mL strength); oral solutions (2-20 mg/mL); immediate and controlled release tablets and capsules (15-200 mg); and suppositories (5-30 mg). Heroin is a schedule I controlled substance and is produced from morphine by acetylation at the 3 and 6 positions. The majority of heroin sold in the U. S. originates from Southeast Asia, South America (Columbia) and Mexico. Low purity Mexican black tar heroin is most common on the West coast, while high purity Colombian heroin dominates in the East and most mid-western states.
Potency, Purity and Dose: The dosage of morphine is patient-dependent. A usual adult oral dose of morphine is 60-120 mg daily in divided doses, or up to 400 mg daily in opioid tolerant patients. Recreationally, daily heroin doses of 5-1500 mg have been reported, with an average daily dose of 300-500 mg. Addicts may inject heroin 2-4 times per day. Depending on the demographic region, the street purity of heroin can range from 11-72% (average U.S. purity is ~38% ). Heroin may be cut with inert or toxic adulterants such as sugars, starch, powdered milk, quinine, and ketamine.
