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Contrary to another definition listed here, the first 1 to 3" of the poppy stem at the top near the head of the poppy pod actually DOES contain opiate alkaloids. Poppy straw in general, as stated in another entry, is almost useless for making poppy tea (see entry under pt for accurate instructions, tried and true, that have worked best for years after trying every method possible). The first few inches of the stem from the knob down, as the plant is growing and maturing, does contain tea material as the alkaloids contained in the pod head RUN DOWN into the stem - but only so far. It takes 10 to 15 of these small stems to equal one pod. However, stems do NOT grind well and you end up with what looks like straw. This may be part of the reason it takes so many of the stems to equal a pod. However, the process is the same as is shown in the pt entry. Opium poppy tea can be made from not only the heads of the poppy pod above the knob but also the first few inches of stem that is attached as well as the seeds. However, do not mix the seeds in with your pod tea since there is a completely different method for making poppy seed tea (as well as some disadvantages to making seed tea over even stem tea).
I was out of poppy pods but had a lot of stems that I had saved for times like this so that if and when I ever ran out of pods, I'd have something to get me by until my next order arrives. Stem tea isn't my favorite but it will get the job done in a pinch. Besides, with shortages at times and the price of pods these days, I want to use any and all parts that will actually make tea that works.
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poppy tea - tea made by grinding the heads of opium poppy pods or rather authentic papaver somniferum poppy pods into a fine dust (after removing the stems, the seeds and the knob), scalding the fine powder (eg pouring water that is boiling over the powder rather than actually boiling the powder in the water since this removes the opiate alkaloids one is trying to bring out of the mixture for imbibing), steeping the mixture (allowing it to sit for as little as five minutes to as long as overnight - but 15 minutes or until mixture reaches room temperature is the middle ground), straining the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (coffee filters, socks or espresso not recommended as the clear liquid method seem to be missing crucial alkaloid content) so that at least some of the pulp goes through but not so much that there is none left for a repeat of the above process. PT can be stored overnight but by day 2 of storage it is much weaker and by day 3, nothing is left to it. Pre-made tea does not keep well. The most preparation that can be done ahead of time is to grind the poppy pod powder so that you can simply scoop out the necessary amount for the process. Another alternative is to grind the required number of pods and using a funnel, put this into small plastic bags so that individual doses are created. Ground but well sealed powder lasts as well, if not better, than pods stored in open air even in a climate controlled environment. For grinding, buy a cheap ($10 at your neighborhood superstore) coffee grinder. Save not only your 1 to 3" of stems but also the seeds. See stem tea and poppy seed tea or better yet, search erowid for this information. Lastly, regarding opiate potentiators, these add nothing to the desired result other than possible nausea and disgust.
I drink pt daily since it is much better and lasts much longer than the super expensive and hard to get pharmaceutical opiates.
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There are many varieties of poppy pods and most that are sold by individuals are called - whether they actually are or not - papaver somniferum. This is because of the population that makes pt. While the 'wrong kind' of pod still has trace amounts of opiates in it and will do in a pinch such as through a season of shortage when people are forced to adapt to this, nothing compares to poppy tea made from actual papaver somniferum or opium poppy pods. Pods such as rhoas or orientale (oriental poppies / California poppies vary in this way: If it takes 20 pods to create a messy bowl of garbage tea, it takes 2 or 3 of the right kind to do the same with so much less mess and hassle. AND, the wrong kind of pod, while it may work in quantity to some degree will NEVER produce the same results one gets from using the right kind of pod. People will buy the cheapest pods they can find yet if it takes 20 of those compared to the more expensive correct kind, it costs a whole lot more to use those cheap pods which don't even produce the desired effect. Contrary to popular belief, by looking at a poppy pod, there is no way whatsoever to tell if they are the right kind. AND, unless you actually grew the pods or saw the flowers from where they came, you never can know for sure if they are the right kind. There is no tell-tale sign of which ones are papaver somniferum. They look just like papaver rhoas and papaver orientale - even giganthums, oval pods (or ovalies as they are often called) - there is no way to know if the seller is just calling their pods papaver somniferum. However, price is often a great indicator of which pods are the right kind and which are the wrong kind. Now floral shops on the net that sell 6 for $20 - that does not count as actual floral designers or interior decorators will pay top dollar for a pretty pod. Yet from your bulk supplier, the right kind costs more since the poppy farms know what they are worth and also the risks involved. Generally you get exactly what you pay for out there.
I bought some poppy pods on the net called papaver somniferum but I am not sure I am making my pt correctly since I am not getting the desired effect.
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