Opioids an acidic liquid in poppy pod tea - necessary?

[xtcgrrrl]

Hi, I have been making PPT recently because I'm trying to stretch out my medication to make it last. I have been putting in squirts of lemon or lime juice because I read that you're supposed to do that to draw out the alkaloids. True? I really would like to not have to do this as the acidity gives me heartburn and it doesn't taste good to me either. Also, I grind the pods very fine and then just mix hot (not boiling) water with the dust and add flavoring and drink the whole thing, I don't remove the plant matter so it gets ingested anyway. I'd appreciate an answer because I'll be drinking this stuff all day and I would rather not torture myself with the lemon/lime if I don't have to. THANKS!

 

[bunge]

I heard from somewhere that when you extract opiates from poppies, using an acidic solution will convert some of the morphine to diamorphine...bollocks.lol
The acidic solution would be useful for extracting from large amounts of biomass (like poppy seeds) but I think is redundant for pods.
Also, I wouldnt drink down the ground up pods with your solution. Poppy pod fibres are inedible and this may add to the indigestion as your stomach will produce extra acid in an attempt to break down those pod fibers.
I always just used a cloth filter (i used muslin but im just being posh lol a square from a old t-shirt will work just as well. place the filter in boiling water after each use though to stop bacterial/fungul contamination).
Good luck with future poppy experiences!.

 

[xtcgrrrl]

Thank you for your response! I always thought that eating the actual pods themselves would make the experience stronger, is this true? That's why I do it although you are right, I do experience bad heartburn.

 

[RTrain]

If anything is being converted from the morphine by adding an acid it'd be monoacetylmorphine and that is believed to be from adding acetic acid (vinegar), but if it does even convert any, it is so little it is basically pointless. You would need acetic anhydride to convert to diacetylmorphine. But I've read up on it and it seems that converting morphine to MAM is not feasible using even 99.9% acetic acid.

It is definitely no necessary to add an acid. Adding the lemon juice is making it far more acidic than necessary to aid in drawing out the morphine. Some tap water will have a pH that is optimal as it is. Plus the benefit is not worth giving yourself heart burn and having to endure the nasty taste.

 

[sekio]

Adding a small amount of acid to ensure the alkaloids is recommended but not necessary. You don't have to add a huge amount of acid, just a dribble of lemon juice. The alkaloids in poppy are present as their meconate/citrate salts, I thought, not as freebase.

f anything is being converted from the morphine by adding an acid it'd be monoacetylmorphine

The idea is not to form an ester; the idea is that morphine can be present as either a soluble salt (like morphine hydrochloride, morphine sulfate, morphine citrate or whatever), or if the pH is too high - too alkaline - then it is a water insoluble freebase. Adding acid just ensures that all the alkaloids dissolve completely.

Some tap water will have a pH that is optimal as it is.

And some tap water is alkaline.

 

[bunge]

Thank you for your response! I always thought that eating the actual pods themselves would make the experience stronger, is this true? That's why I do it although you are right, I do experience bad heartburn.

I doubt you get much more mg of morphine by eating the pod sludge then if you filter and just drink the liquid as is.
Remember that opiates are VERY water soluable and the opium latex coats the outside of a dried pod. Your not extracting a chemical thats an integral part of the plants structure (like mushrooms) but just remove a residue (raw opium).
Plus that poppy pod powder must be like sand paper to your gut!.
All I used to do was take the dried pods and place them in a bag. Then hit them with a hammer a few times to break them up to small pieces.
Then seep these pieces in hot water (i found around 50-60 degrees centigrade to be optimal) for 20mins, adding a dash of citric at 10min mark because my area has water with a high lime content, filter and serve.
I think your likely going to more trouble then is needed and causing yourself discomfort as a result.lol

 

[THE_REAL_OBLIVION]

I just got mad. I remember in 2008-2009 how easy it was to order a big box of pods on ebay in canada. For like 40 dollars too, what today most places will move at ridiculous prices.

I always used citric acid from those fake plastic lemons they got in grocery stores. If it did anything, I don't know, I never not did it that way. But it makes the tea easier to drink thats for sure.

 

[xtcgrrrl]

Let me continue on in this thread rather than creating a new one. Is it true you should add calcium carbonate (tums) to your poppy tea to convert more of the codeine to morphine?

 

[bunge]

No, codeine is methylmorphine. You would need demethylate the codeine to achieve morphine from codeine, tums just aint gonna do that and besides trying to gain morphine from codeine will leave a shit yield.
Also, the amount of codeine in a poppy pod is tiny (less then 1% iirc) so its a pointless exercise.
The information that your urban myth likely comes from is that slaked lime (calcium HYDROXIDE) is used to isolate morphine from the opium stew by converting it to morphine malenate. This cause it to form a white precip which is 'skimmed' from the top.
Adding calcium carbonate would raise the ph level and inhibit the extraction of opiates.