I had to kick a few poppy tea habits in the 90's. The last one I was using 10 large gigs in the morning and 10 at night. I could not stop on my own. So I used my medical insurance from my job and went into a 5 day detox. I told them it was street heroin as I was not going to explain poppy pods nor did I want anyone knowing what that was. My family owned a very large and busy florist. I got pods mailed to me from all over. A few places needed a florist license (whatever that was haha) and they would mail `10 boxes of 100. In addition to the florist industry anyone remember Izmir Oil and Spice company? I befriended the farm owner and he would send me stuff whenever I wanted. (for dried floral arrangements of course) I remember one time I got 500 very beautiful and hearty Hen and Chicks, with many chicks on each and wow was that a pleasant crop. If there ever was a feeling called bliss it was those pods. I only saw Hen and Chicks a few times. Giganthemums were the standard as well as regular size. Pods can get very strong. One time I had several hundred dime sized pods and 4 of those was almost an overdose. Glad I had a tolerance.
So this last time I was in way deep, went into a detox. Was in with several other heroin addicts ( the year was 2000 I assume the heroin was heroin) By day 5 some of the people kicking heroin were feeling better and on day 5 I felt as bad as i went in. But faked feeling better to get home. Got home, toughed it out with just weed. Like 10 days of acute and 3 weeks of lingering. However I will say by one month I was just about completely back to normal. That astounded me. I never got PAWS (that was not even a thing in the year 2000 thankfully) and felt great at one month. Like the body knows how to heal from this plant 100%. The acute was rough. In the detox my BP went up to 170/100 and I got double the clonidine that night. (I never felt clonidine did much but it was used back in those years too) That was also the only two times I ever took trazadone. Then never again as I hated it.
Poppy tea is a worse withdrawal than heroin. It hurts deep down but goes away cleanly. After my last kick I would use just on saturdays. So I would have some on Sat morning and night. Have it linger into Sunday. Then Monday and Tues I would have this raw feeling. Up and down. Up and down. Then I stopped and eventually found kratom. That is why I say kratom balanced me. Using opiates once a week sucks. Christmas 2011 was my last tea.
As an aside the dried poppy is a hearty addition to dried flower arrangements. I use to smirk at the ones we gave to the fire and police dept. You would walk into the police station and see the arrangements on shelves.
With all these synthetic opioids coming out we need people to learn the art of growing poppies and go from there. It is a lot of work. I mean a pound of fentanyl saves a field of poppies and tons of work to convert it to heroin. I am afraid from a business perspective synthetics will take over world wide. So at some point people will have to bring back the lost art and use nature again.
It has been a while since I grew poppies. But that art I hope people like yourself that value the plant can learn. It is one of the oldest medicines and although banned for use poppies do grow all over the place in the spring. The red poppies on the flower rack are papaver somniferum so they are even sold legally. It is just not thought about.