Of Opioids, Poppies, and Definitions
Definition
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Opioids:
Compounds with morphine like activity derived from the poppy Papaver somniferum. These can be unmodified latex secreted by the mature pod (opium), extracts from the opium that have been seperated and purifed from other compounds (such as morphine or codeine), or semi-synthetic compounds produced by modification of such compounds(including heroin, oxymorphone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, hydrocodone)
Opium is one of the oldest drugs that we currently know of, with references to its use going back thousands of years. Opioids are very effective pain killers, and when used properly, do not damage the bodies organs, with the exception that they can lead to tolerance, dependency, and addiction. The physical and medical problems that are seen in people with drug addiction are generally not a direct result of the opioid itself, but of the lifestyle and the complications that result when drugs are administered in unsafe conditions (such as with dirty needles).
The main opioid derived from raw opium is morphine, which makes up to about 25% of the alkoloid content of opium. Other compounds extracted are codeine and thebaine (thebaine is not used directly itself, but it is used as starting material for some semi-synthetic opioids).
In medical practice, codeine is the most popular opioid, accounting for the majority of all opiate prescriptions. It, however, is present in far less quantity that other opiates. Typically, morphine is licitly converted to codeine (or illicilty to heroin). Most all the codeine in the world is semisynthetic as it is prepared from morphine. There are two reasons for this. First, worldwide codeine consumption vastly exceeds morphine consumption. In 1995, worldwide codeine consumption was 181 421 kg of codeine, compared to 27 340 kg of morphine.
Other Specific Psychopharmaclasses
Psychedelic Tryptamines
