This book is sold for informational purposes only. Neitherthe author nor the publisher will be held accountable for theuse or misuse of the inforrnation contained in this book

Hydroponic lleroin: IIow To Grow Opium PoppiesWithout Soil

O 1998 by"Robert Neil Bunch

Ail rights reserved. No part of this book may bereproduced or stored in any form whatsoever without theprior written consent of the publisher. Reviews rnay quotebrief passages without the written consent of the publisheras long as proper credit is given.

Publlshed by:FS Book CompanyP.O. Box 417457Sacramento, CA 958411-916,771-4203Email : fs@fsbookco.comWeb Site: www.fsbookco.com

CONTENTS

Introduction............. .....................1

Chapter One.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5History Of The Poppy, Opium And Heroin Usage

Chapter Two.......... ......................11Waming To Would-Be Growers

Chapter Three ...........2tThe Opium Poppy

Chapter Four......... .....................29Overview Of Hydroponics

Chapter Five.......... .....................55From Seed To Weed

Chapter Six. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Optimal Harvest Parameters

Chapter Seven ...........67Creation Of Medicinal And Recreational hoductsFrom Exuded l,atex

Chapter Ei9ht........ .....................77Dosages, Addiction, Potential Dangers

Chapter Nine......... .....................85Glossary

Introduction

1

l

INTRODUCTION

Heroin (her'o-in) n. 1, rccreational narcotic that is sp-thesized from morphine extracted from the opiumpoppy; highly addictive; cortrnon street nanps include:china white, H, horse, junk, skag, srnack and suicide. 2,King of drugs.

Casual heroin use is not only on th upswing agaitu it isnow chic and quasi-socially acceptable to sport the lithebody, dark sunken eyes and withdrawn posture of thecorunon street addict. Supernndels stnrt the catwalk withgaunt franps and heavily shadowed eyes, afrernative rockmusic giants axen't giants unless tbey have been in tbeBetty Ford Clinic at least once, and even high-fashion rno-gul Calvin Klein bombards the general populace with teb-vision advertisenpnts which boast sickly teenagers wholook like they have been on a week-long bender.

With the influx of the cbarest smack the Unitd Stateshas ever seen flowing into a haff-dozen na]x port ciths,anyone who is'coof is t"Hng a rfole on the whe huse.The drug war has donc litth, if any damage to tb600,00Gpoud worHwid,e heroin demand. The demand in

&

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

the United States alone ranges from 20,000 to 30,000 purepounds (average 454,000,000 initial uncut doses at 25mg!), and shows no sign of decline.

The reason why smack has become America's next drug"epidemic" is clear: potent, unadulterated product is hit-ting the street, and the outdated necessity of intravenousinjection has been eliminated. Heroin in the '70s contained7-l5%o pure product, and it took some regular usage tobecome addicted. Now that supply greatly exceeds de-mand, streei-level junk can register up to 97Vo pure! Thislevel of purity allows more aestheticdly correct methodsof ingestion such as smoking and snorting. Numerous us-ers have reverted to snorting, for a dose as small as half agrirm can be lethal to a non-tolerant individual.

With the increased purity conrcs the increased potentialfor addiction, and no one is exempt from the psychologicaldependence heroin creates. Even though estimates statethat only 25-40Vo of users are physically dependent, if youknow someone who has ever gotten a good dose, youknow it is clear that a profound psychological addictioncan occur within seconds after the line is gone or thetourniquet is removed. If the tolerant user attempts to quit,he can be assured of a prolonged (at least four months)withdrawal which will be more rnentally debilitating andpainful than any form of tortue rnankind might draw fromthe darkest recesses of its collective mind.

With all of this said, one might wonder why anyonewould even attempt to try heroin. The reason is quitesimple: in the correct atmosphere, dosage and frequency, aheroin buzz is one of life's great rewards. The intensesurge in creativity, euphoria, and relaxation can make the

Introduction

3

occasional weekend user soar to heights never before ex-perienced.

Because of the tolerance factor, the ffiequent'thipper"will get as high, if not higher, than the most needle-trackedcrusty wandering the back alleys of the Big Apple. If theunbeliever should debate the massive creativity factor ofheroin, sonp notable addicts for the rebuttal include: en-thony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Scott Weiland(Stone Temple Pilots), I-ayne Staley (Alice in Chains),Brad Nowell (Sublfurrc), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, JohnBelushi and Robert Downey Jr., all creative geniuses intheir own right.

To digest all of the government and nredia propaganda,one would think that all users die minutes after their firstdose. This is, as usual tafty far from the truth. Hospitalrecords show that the majority of junkies die from bogushorse, impurities used to cut the srmck, infections andmalnutrition, rather than hot loads (a street term used todescribe sudden, unforeseen increases in purity of theheroin injected by inravenous users).

For someone who would like to achieve this state with-out the fear of overdosing, inrpurities, or coming down,there is another easily attained drug that is much morepleasant (puking can be circumvented) and safer than her-oin - its grandparent, opium.

This book is geared toward the opiate-dependent as wellas the inexperienced recreational drug user who would liketo have his own stash of l$OVo pure opiumlatex, nnrphinehydrochloride, or, in the case of the chemically inclined,srnack. The text following the introduction will guide the

reader through all of the steps necessary to maintain a

year-round crop of hydroponic opium poppies, therebl

of..iog the grower the exclusive rights to the free and

pure opiate of his choice.Read the text as if your life depended on it (it does), es-

pecially the chapter on dosages and ingestion. When your

fittt ctop has been harvested and you are experiencing the

warm opiate rush, know that you have joined an elite club'

Members include: Inrd Byron, Coleridge, Charles Dick-

ens, Bela Lugosi, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelly, Thomas

de Quincey and Mao 7*Jrong. You are in excellent com-pany for creativity, astral-plane exploring, and higher-

consciousness brain reformatting via nreditation' Keep in

mind, however, that you are riding the most majestic and

unbreakable horse on the planet. Make swe that your reins

are kept tight; otherwise, it will ride you.

J-r S^t qROW

HydroPonic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

Clupter OneHistory Of fhc PopW, OpiwnAnd Heroin Usage

Chapter OneHfSTORY OF THE POPPY,

oPlut-t frA/DHERofN USAqE

No plant in history has caused as much adversity, lryand grief as the opium poppy (Greek opos =juice). Firstcultivated on the shores of the Mediterranean byprehistoric man, texts regarding this plant did not appearuntil the Greels praised the poppy 500 years before thebirth of Christ.

Hip'pocrates was the first physician to explore its halingabilities, and Horner sang praises of the poppy in his epic,the Odyssey. tThe dnrg willl 'lull all pain and anger, andbring forgetfulness of every sorrow." Obviously, Hornerchoked down a dose or two!

The opium poppy next reached Chinese rnanuscripts in700 AD. Chinese and East Indian doctors regarded theplant as a general cure-all For the following 700 years inthe east, rnan and poppy lived in relative harmony. Theplant was picked for its 'lniraculous" s@ds and rarelyabused until a slick Chinese man in the 15th centurydiscovered that if the capsule was sliced within a ten-dayperiod following the fall of the petals, a wonderful thing

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

happened - opium! This is where the easy balancebetween man and poppy dissolves. Arrpd with a powerfuldrug and having little access to addiction treatmentinformation, Eastern man had unknowingly siarted theopium ball rolling towards the remaining civilized world.

Two hundred years after this rnornentous occasion, mostof the East, including India and Persia, abused the opiatein the form of a recreational drink, or by sinply eating it.The stage was now set for Western man to swoop downand make a large scale comrnercial venture from the ever-increasing demand.

The Portuguese were the first to transport and marketIndian opium to the Chinese. It was the Dutch seafarers,however, that hooked the Asians and Southeast Asians byintroducing them to smoking the raw latex. Until thispoint, the bad taste and slow absorption of opium into thestomach prevented profound addiction. Now that theopium could be snpked and the effects could be feltimmediately, demand for the pungent black productskyrocketed. By the mid-l7th century, over 50 tons ofopium were flowing into Asia by boat. Eventually, the fazz(the Ernperor Yung Chen) became concerned about theaddictioq death and "shriveling of the facial features," andlaid down the law on opium - total prohibition on theproduct, sales, and srnoking dens. This lasted about twominutes, as the Asian people had already developed asophisticated taste for ttre sweet poppy-resin snpke. TheEmperor countered this by placing tariffs on importedopiurn, hoping this would drive up the price, but to noavail; the Chinese had to get their smoke on at any price.

Chapter OneHistory Of The Poppy, Opium And Heroin Usage

InL773, the opium trade was made global by the BritishEast India Company. The British traded the Patna opiumfrom India to the other Asians for their porcelains, silks,and spices. They used these products to make a fortune inEurope and the Americas. The Chinese Emperor onceagain enforced the banning of opium by forbiddingexportation of Chinese silver, and the British responded bywaging two all-out wars. These two famous altercationswere known as the Opium Wars. By the end of the secondwar (1860), there wer€ at least 10,000,000 opium addictsin China, consuming 80Vo of. the world's opium supply.

In the Western world, opium had madb itself knownthrough numerous "snake oils" and legitimate medicalremedies. Since the public self-medicated at that tirne, theopiate stranglehold took Europe by storm.

The "Big M," or morphine, was first extracted from theopium latex in the early 19th century. After some "clinicall'ingestions, the chemist soon named the addictive whitepowder morphine, after the god of dreams, Morpheus.Morphine has always played a role in armed conflict, dueto its immediate analgesic properties. During the CivilWar, both the North and South grew opium poppies totreat wounded soldiers, as morphine shortages wereconrmon.

Seeking a non-addictive alternative to morphine, C.R.Wright first synthesized heroin in 1874. He tested theheroin on stray dogs in his laboratory, and much to hisamazenrcnt, it worked better than morphine and in muchsmaller doses. After killing several dogs, and s[saning upcopious amounts of dog vomit, Wright stopped hisresearch.

II

lI

Hydroponic HeroinHorv To Grow Opium Poppies VYithout Soil

Not daunted by Wright's outcomes, Tbe BayerCorryany (yes, like the children's aspirin) turned out tbenew pain killer in bulk, advertising it as a cure for all thatails. It cured many people (of sobriety), and imitatorsrusbed to meet the awesonp demand of the 'hon-addictive"' reliever. The harsh lifestyles almng the lowerclasses who worked in agricultural fields accounted for tbernailrity of users, as their gueling labor bd to chronicpains and rheumatoid artbritis. The redications werecheaper than beer (and rnore powerful), and one couldpurcha$e a dozen or so dark bottles for a dime.

This heyday cam to a grinding halt in the 1890s, asArerican and European doctors' offices becameincreasingly ovenun by sufrering addicts and dytngchildren More children were dying of lethal doses ofopiates in their nostrums than all other tlpes of poisoningscornbined! In response to tbe incrcased public awareness,tbe Unitd States passed an act requiring medicinecoryanies to cite ingredients and their amounts on tbelabels of tbeh products. This caused the coryanies toreduce the amounts of opiates in their remedies by up to75%.

In 1914, Congress passed the Harrison Act, whichbanned the sale of narcotics without a doctor'sprescription" So many doctors were dealing for profit,however, rhat the governrcnt had to stop it coryletely.So in 1923, after 400 years of hardcore abuse, the USbanned all nucotics.

This efrectively made all Pharmacists pushers, startedtbe war on drugs and paved the way for the DEA The banalso created a market for underworld dntg dealers,

Chapter OneHistory Of The Poppy, OpiumAnd Heroin Usage

smugglers and of courss, the Italian Mafia. Such seedycharacters took advantage of the high demand to makefortunes by smuggling heroin into the US.

After the Second World War, the crinp families were soscattered that the imports into the US fell to new lows.Add to this the fact that antidrug propaganda wasrampant, and it is easy to see why Arneric4 at that point,had its lowest opiate addiction percentage ever. Thenumbers had dropped from around a quarter of a millionbefore 1923, to only 20,000 after the war.

A few years after the war, a synthetic heroin substitutewas created for recovery. In 1964, Doctors Dole andNyswander discovered the chemical forrnula that wassupposed to cure the addict. It boasted a lower intensityhigh that had a longer plateau, and was not detrinrental tothe user's well-being. This drug, unfortunately, hookedeveryone who cane across it, and many now had twoaddictions: heroin AND methadone!

Never fear, the pandemic love for opiates is never-ending and there is little chance for a cornplete cure, savefor abstinence. This is backed by the fact that in the '70s,heroin addiction had surpassed its all-tfure high and thenumber of addicts numbered nearly half a million.

The number of addicts in the US now is estimated to bebetween 500-700,000, with 95,000 in retbadonetreatmenL

Obviously, this plant and its by-products can make apenon feel pretty good. If the profound addiction createdby opiates can survive, die and regenemte over a 1,000'year period, it would seem that humans are genetically

--&

IlydroPonic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

10

predisposed to be hooked. Can it be that man evolved with

the poppy, never to be seParated?

Examples of hybridization in an open garden.

Notice shade and patterning differences.

ChapterTwoWarning To Would-Be Growers

1t

Chapter TwowARNfNq To

wouLD-BE qROWERSThe opium poppy is in a legal class by itself when it

conrcs to propagation. In sonre areas of the United States,it is treated as a normally occurring noxious weed, and notrouble would result if it appeared to be growing wild in abackyard garden. In sonp areas, however, all steps mustbe taken to eradicate the poppy, lest the hapless, unknow-ing landowner fall under the heel of local and state gov-erffnent. The smart ihing to do would be to write yourlocal council or agriculture agency and ask for a list ofbanned plants and weeds, and take it from there. If youlive in a rural area with plenty of farmers and rednecks,you could probably plant the poppies in your front yardamidst similarly sized weeds and no one would never evensuspect that they were a psychotropic species. Poppies arelegal to grow in most of Europe, including England, butCanada's government does not tolerate it at all - yet.

Species of poppy that are semilegal to grow in the US:Papaver argemone, bracteaturn, dubiunL hybridiurL orien-tale, pilosun, radicaturn, rhoeas, spicatum and walpolei.These are known as field poppies and are much smallerand yield considerably less potent gum (if any) than the

6

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

more famous Indochinese, Persian, Turkish and Yugo-slavic somniferum varieties.

The best way to get around this legal snafu is to growthe little devils inside where pryrng eyes can't see, but withthis tactic comes a much more serious offense and pun-ishment: conspiracy to manufacture morphine, a ScheduleII narcotic. If you are foolish enough to get caught with abasenrent-fu[ be prepared to do a life sentence withoutparole, as the fuzz will more than likely slap a narcoticstrafficking charge on you. For this reasorL it is best togrow a small" year-round crop than take the chance on onehuge haul.

If the goverilnent creates a stink in your nose, and youare pro-anarchy, growing poppies is probably not the bestway to give Uncle Sam the bird. Growing marijuana ormush,rooms would be a better deal should you get caught.To give you an idea of how serious the punishnrents arefor Papaver somniferum propagation, take a look at someof the punishments when caught in North America.

This is what the Canadian Pharmacy I-egislation has tosay about getting caught with the "dreaded poppy" (thisapplies only to the somniferum species):

R.S., c. N-1, s. 5.

6.(1) Cultivation of opium poppy or marihuana. - Noperson shall cultivate opium poppy or nurihuana ex-cept under the authority of, and in accordance with, alicense issued to the person under the regulations.

ClnpterTwoWarning To Would-Be Growers

(2) Offense and punishnrcnt. - Every person whocontravenes subsection (l) is guilty of an indictable of-fense and liable to inprisonment for a term not exceed-ing seven years.

(3) Destruction of plant. - The Minister may cause tobe destroyed any growing plant of opium poppy ormarihuana cultivated otherwise than under authority ofand in accordance with a license issued under the rego-lations.

Uprooted plants and seven years in a Canadian prisonmay sound bad, but it's nothing conpared to the punish-rrcnt rEted out for growing enough plants to prove a'qtrafficking" charge. Trafficking legally nreans to rnanufac-ture, se[ give, administer, transport, send deliver or dis-tribute Papaver somnifemm or its constituent phenan-threne (active narcotics) alkaloids.

R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 197.

a. (1) Tratrcking. - No person shall traffic in a narcoticor any substance represented or held out by the personto be a narcotic.

(2) Possession for purpose of trafficking. - No per-son shall have in his possession any narcotic for thepurpose of traffrcking.

t2 13

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

(3) Offense and punishment. - Every person whocontravenes subsection (l) or (2) is guilty of an indict-able offence and liable to be imprisoned for life.

P+"t-vl'tt^z*A fu q*ruL"e Olp;u,rr-PotDlp;,ll lt" Tk U4^;fu4 fiafa,

The United States lawmaking bodies have, of course,handed down their version of the opium poppy law (note:

poppy seeds, unlike marijuana seeds, are legal). This con-voluted and multi-faceted passage is the Federal Inclusionlist for Schedule II drugs as it pertains to the Papaversomniferum:

Schedule II. (a) The drugs and other substances listed inthis section, by whatever official name, common orusual name, chemical name, or brand name designated,are included in Schedule II.

(b) Substances. (Vegetable origin or chemical synthe-sis.) Unless specifically excepted, any of the followingsubstances, except those listed in other schedules,whether produced directly or indirectly by extractionfrom substances of vegetable origin, or independentlyby means of chemical synthesis, or by combination ofextraction and chemical synthesis:

(1) Opium and opiate, and any salt, compound, de-rivative, or preparation of opium or opiate, excludingapormorphine, dextrorphan, nalbuphine, nalmefene,

15T4

Chapter TwoWarning To Would-Be Growers

naloxone, and naltrexone, and their respective salts,but including the following:

(i) Raw opium; (ii) opium extracts; (iii) opium fluid;(iv) powdered opium; (v) granulated opium; (vi)tincture of opium; (vii) codeine; (viii) ethylrnorphine;(ix) etorphine hydrochloride; (x) hydrocodone; (xi)hydromorphone; (xii) rnetopon; (xiii) morphine;(xiv) oxycodone; (xv) oxynnrphone; and (xvi) the-baine.

(2) Any salt, isorner, derivative, or preparation thereofthat is chemically equivalent or identical with any ofthe substances referred to in subsection (b) (1) of thissection, but not including the isoquinoline alkaloids ofopium.

(3) Opium poppy and poppy straw.

(4-5) Concerning cocaine.

(6) Concentrate ofpoppy straw Cfhe crude extract ofpoppy straw in either liquid, solid, or powder formwhich contains the phenanthrene alkaloids of theopium poppy.)

As you may already know, the United States has muchmore stringent drug laws than Canada. If a grower iscaught cultivating or extracting the latex from opiumpoppies, he will more than likely be charged with conspir-acy to traffic morphine. Trafficking a Schedule II narcoticcarries a n&sty minimum of three years for a first offense.If the grower has a prior drug-related conviction in thisarena, 10 years. The third conviction would fall under the

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

16

"habitual offendet'' statute and the grower would spend aminimum of 15 years to life in prison.

If the wily grower were to extract the opium and discardthe seed capsules before being caught, the offense wouldbe lessened to possession (if no puriffing chemicals orglassware were uncovered). The thing to do to lessen thechances for a harsher penalty would be: harvest and ex-tract latex from the poppies, throw away ALL leaves,pods and stems and then buy your purifying chemicals.

The charges, should you be caught with the purifiedopiates, are based on a marijuana-weight conversion table.

OPilil.+4aa;4aan a (bxnbt*

According to the USCA, Title 18 Chapter I toZ:

I gmm of raw opium = 50 grams of marijuanaI gmm of morphine = 500 grams of marijuana1 garn of heroin = I kilogram of marijuana

For a first offense where one gram of opium was seized,the possessor could face anywhere from probation to sixrrcnths in custody. This is the least offense, and thechance that the hone grower would possess this srnallarnount is slirn If you grow a decent garden of poppies'your yield could be 40-100 grams of raw opiurn The pm-istrment for being caught with this anrcunt (first offense)'ranges from six to 16 months.

Supposing that the opium was purified to nnrphine hy-drochloride, the weight would be lessened due to the re-npval of plant acids. Since rnorphire is a tenth the weight

ChapterTwoWaming To WouA-Be Growerc

17

of the raw opiur4 the arnount of product that was refinedwould be +10 grams. As you can see, the United Stateshas corryensated fsl this power increase by increasing themarijuana conversion by tenfold. The punishment wouldbe ttte sarre for 4-10 grams of morphine HCI as 4G100grams of raw opium.

Possession of heroin is probably the worst dnrg offenseone might imagire. If the cbemically inclinod grower arn-ped the morphine up to diacetyl nnrphine, the penalties ifcaught are staggering: 4-10 grams of pure heroin wouldget the first offender at least ten months. If the drug war-rior is caught with the upper limit, he can expect to ponderlife in an institution for around two years. This is far toomuch tinrc, considering 4-10 grarns of heroin could onlybring $80G2,000 if sold.

Obviously, the best idea is not to get caught! No onethinks they will anyway, so it is suggested that only arnodest garden be grown Don't do the crire if you can'tdo the time. (See chart at the end of the chapter.)

Below is a tabb which will clue the potential grower inas to the severity the US Governrnent puts on the poppy'sconstitrrent opioids.

U^;fA $afa ScLh,le Talrl^o

Schedule I Nancotics:No bgal use known, not available even with presctiption Abuse potential - higb. Such dnrgs are heroinbISD, rpscaline, marijuan4 PCP, peyote and Quaa-hdes. These rocrcational chemfoals carry the stiffest

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

penalties for possession, except for marijuana, whichnow has legitimate uses thanls to California's Article215.

Schedule II Narcotics:Usually available only by non-refillable prescription ortfure-delay prescriptions. Abuse potential - high.Such drugs are amphetamines, cocaine, rnorphine andnethadone. Close records are kept about dispensersand users, and pharmacies usually keep these goodieslocked in a sensitized floor safe to prevent drug fiendholdups.

Schedule III Narcotics:Available by refillable prescription. Abuse potential -rnoderate. Such drugs are watered-down versions ofstronger drugs like Tylenol with codeine, Phenobarbi-tal and Vicodin. Only hard-up narcotic addicts anddesperate burn-outs abuse these weak chemicals.

Schedule fV Narcotics:Available by refillable prescription. Abuse potential-low. Drugs included are anti-anxiety benzodiazepineslike Ativan, Valium and Xanax. Despite the IV classi-fication, these non-recreational chemicals are abusedby people who usually have access to these drugs fortreatment of mental disease or defect

Schedule Y Narcotics:Available by refillable prescription or no prescription.Abuse potential - low. Included drugs are non-

ClnpterTwoWarning To Would-Be Growers

narcotic over-the-counter pain killers, antipyretics andweak opiates. Anacin, Motrin and St. Joseph's forChildren fall under this category.

Federal Marlluana{plate Converslon Level TableFor Poesesslon

)lorcln St ldlu.m Wt Oflrnr trvrl- 5og o- sms 819 tkg tO-5(x)co- skg 12

109 tokS 16- 2.5 kS 12- 25 l(g i8

5og Sokg zl

Federal Senterclng Table

T9t8

Odrrn Sf.Xorphlnr Wtrg

: t_,

log

: toj

50g

_1s

t Ytl6

8

10

12

14

16

18

n

2.

24

Ottrrr. II2t212I21212I21212I2

Tlm. ln ton$r0€1-72{+10&12&14

10.1012.181$211&2421-242+g27-c33GC/3+4137-a641-5t&gl5t{l57-71

-s

Chapter ThreeThe Opium Poppy

2T

Chapter Three

THE OPIUH POPPY

PA44kaLW

The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), also known asthe White Poppy and Mawseed, is an erect, annual rosetteplant that glows nearly worldwide from Southeast Asia toEurope and the Anrericas. It is a long-day plant; that is, itwill flower most efficiently when the photoperiod (totaldaylight hours) is between 15 and 16 hours. This photo-period, combined with indigenous habitat, puts the poppyin the winter annual class of plants. It ttrives in coolerweather, and is often planted in late summer in the north-ern hemisphere. It has the exact opposite floweringschedule as marijuan4 which flowers fastest when thephotoperiod is less than 13 hours.

Unlike marijuana and most other narcotic plants, theopium poppy is responsive to the critical photoperiod asearly as two weeks after ernergence. It varies in flower-petal color from pale white (rnost potent) to red and pur-ple (wild strains). Its stature is also wildly variant, rangingfrom a two- to six-feet main stalk with six to 12 minor off-shoots. Its seed po4 or capsule, which perches atop a ring

rA

Hydroponic HeroinIfow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

on the main stalk, varies from hemispherical to ovoid, de-pressed or non-depressed and delineated to smooth. Thispod can range in size from egg to orange-sized and its topis crowned with a group of star-shaped stigma rays. Thetiny kidney-shaped seeds within the green pod can be col-ored white (most desirable) to dark puple.

Chapter ThreeThe Opium Poppy

22 23

t \

&"".,b

&'" :ta

This variety displays a nearly pumpkin-shaped seed pod.

q4Du:"^e en/,il.a+"

Life cycle (from germination to senescence) varies withstrain and location from six to seven months - a few ofthe papavers will even grow all year. Since the poppy is aclassic weed, it can thrive in a variety of soils; sandy tomoist and rich as long as the plant isn't killed by frost andis kept watered. Intense sunlight is also preferred, as this

Large Turkish variery.

-*

Hydnoponic HeroinEow To Grow Opium Poppies VYithout SoiI

factor directly contributes to the plant's overall size andpot€ncy.

The poppy's opium gum yield is related to the plant'ssize as well, so strive to find the largest hytrid straiq as itwill produce the largest seed pods. Also, the longer a Par-ticular plant takes to flower, the larger the seed capsulewill eventually be. Such inforrnation is useful wben establishing a desired inbred line.

Contradictory to old popular belief, lower tetrperaturedoes not have an effect on the flowering tire of poppies.It does, however, positively efrect ttrc potency of the ex-uded latex. This widely held fact conrcs from the knowl-edge that npst otber rosette plants' flowering cycbs areenhanced by ryriods of cold less than 50" F.

CAar'*aL CoNfifuril

Dtring the last stages of flowering, the opium poppywill drop its petals and produce a millcy-white latex withinthe lactiferous vessel system of tbe egg-like capsule'souter wall for a period of no longer than ten days. If al-lowed to mature past this tirne, the seed pod will change toyellow, then b,rown, and the peak harvest time will havepassed. Once the capsule is pierced, or slice4 tightly alongits bngitude (over a perid of four to seven duyt), tbe la-tex will ooz€ out and hanlen into opium, a psychoactivesubstance that contains nunrerous narcotic cbemicals.These eftaloids, which arc bound to 'flant acids," makeup 6 ?n% of tbe weight of the uffiPe seed pod. Sore oftbe better known and rcre powerfirl twodozen constitu-

Clapter ThreeThe Opium Poppy

25

ents include: morphirrc, codeine, codamine, nrtopon, rulr-ceine, narcotine, papaverine, thebaine, rhoeadine, and np-conic and sulfuric acids. The meconic acid is used in toxi-cology and drug screening to determine the presence ofopiate alkaloids, specifically morphine.

Sonre other non-narcotic chemicals contained in the la-tex are: albumin, calcium salts, caoutchouc, magnesiun;mucilage and sugar. Tlpse agents act as binders and makeup the gum as the water in the latex evaporates.

Latcx ooztslron tfisftcshly-pked large f,

*"ffi

HydroPonic lleroinIIow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

The seed capsule is not the only source for the latex'

When the main stern, branches or leaves have been sev-

ered, latex will weep from the slice. This latex is not as

potent as pod latex, but there is no use in wasting any! To

collect this low-grade opiate, snrcar a cigarette with the

cut end of the branch or leaf.

Starnd&^r ah"l, Weab^ana

As powerful a plant as the poppy appea$ to be in natureand content, it is not without its weaknesses. Frost and dryweather are the plant's worst enemies, yet it does prefer

cold nights (50'D and rather warm (85" F) days. Toomuch rain or constant dew formation can cause the plant

to succumb to a fungal attack (damping off) and nrin thepod color and potencY.

Because of its odd stature, the poppy is top-heavy andcan be stem-bent and broken by a gust of npdium-speedwind. This is especially true when flowering, as the seedcapsule is large.

As you will soon discover, papavers do not take well tobeing transplianted, so a modified germination technique iscalled for. If the transplants are conducted in an improperrruulner, the poPpy will repay the grower with stuntedgrowth and less-than-bountiful yields.

The strengths of the poppy are uncorlmon for an alka-loid-producing psychotropic plant- Poppies can bestomped into the ground when they are sprouts andplantlets, and it only makes them grow faster and larger!The wild versions (red to purple and spotted strains) are

Chapter ThreeThe Opium Poppy

especially resistant to punishment, but stomping the Impe-rial White, Persian White and Hens and Chickens hybridvarieties probably isn't a good ide4 since fine importedseeds can run as high as $8.00 per gram. Most other pa-paver seeds bought from magazine sources are 509 per$am.

Ba.r/;^e a^"/" Varr;d+ Pat nerl

Unlike marijuana, it is very easy to inbreed the papaversomniferum to achieve the desired plant characteristics. Aninbred line (IBL) hybrid will not express genetic drift andlose potency or vigor, no rnatter how many times thepoppy is bred to its cousins. This is excellent for all thosebreeders out there who would try and break the ITVo alka-loid level in the most powerful naturally occurring stains.

Strain varieties differ greatly when it comes to potencyand yield. When tested, poppies from Yugoslavia appearto be the most potent (due to harsh climate conditions),with up to a lTVo alkaloid content. Runners-up from Asianand Middle-Eastern sources have only half the amount ofalkaloids, so choose imported strains wisely.

bt,*t ^ot" tl4.r

The poppy has been,cultivated and collected for centu-ries and used as an analgesic (external as well as internal),antidiarrhetic, antispacmodic, astringent (skin bracer), curefor alcoholisnl expectorant, hypnotic, orgasm intensifier,sedative and stimulant narcotic.

2726

.-t

Chapter FourOvemiew Of Hydroponbs

Chapter FourOVERV/IEW OFHyDROPONICS

Hydroponics arcn't new at all The Hanging Gardens ofBabylon were hydroponb. So were tbp floating gardens ofancient China and thc royal garde,ns of tbe Aztecs, Egletiens and Mayans. Tbese technobgy defcbnt cuturesnanaged to gtow without soil, and so catr tbe horegrcwerof today!

B€ing hirly cost prohibitive and dangerous to buythrough the meil, hydroponb syst€,ms and otbr assortedequipment arc not easily acquired by tbc av€rage grcwerwithout arousing suqplion How can ore grcw opiatesindoors witbout spending a forture or risk being caught bythe infra rgd devils in tbe skf Easy. By nnlcing orc's ownsystem and light barrbrst For thc prbe of an ource of firemarijuane orr can build a homc syst€m that will wortwith minimqlupkeep, and will enabb tbe grower to realizea year-round huvest

Sorc things willhave to be bougbt, zuch as a TDS rc-ter and pH test kit. Most gnrw stores carry tbese, and ifthe grower doesn't rct suspbious when hying tbem, noone willbe the wis€r.

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

Chapter FourOverview Of Hydroponic s

leaves' breathing apparatus (stomata), in order to use theavailable light and carbon dioxide more efficiently.

Along with the prirnary nutrients, there are also secon-dary nutrients. They are called secondary nutrients becausethey are not needed in the amounts that N-P-K are. Thesesecondary nutrients are: Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg)and Sulfur (S). These elenpnts are inportant in chloro-phyll synthesis and soil detoxification.

In addition to prinrary and secondary nutrients, there aretrace elerpnts (micronutrients) to account for. Thesechemicals are only needed in minute amounts. These traceelernents commonly used by plants are: Boron (B), Chlo-rine (Cl), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Mo-

bbdenum (Mo) and 7-nc (7n). As with any other chemi-cal, too high of a concentration of trace elenpnts in a so-lution can be detrinpntal to a poppy's health. If a growerdecides to add micronutrients, it is suggested that he onlydoses once per harvest.

The pH level of the nutrient solution is as important tothe plant's well-being as nutrient concentration. Poppyplants aren't as sensitive to pH as some plants, but thereremains an ideal renge of 6.5-6.8. V/ithin this range, thepoppy can rnost effectively assimilate the nutrients andwater of the solution.

An acidic (or low pH) binds the nutrients in the solutionto acid salts and prevents root absorption. An alkaline (orhigh pH) harms plants by building up toxic salts and rootsfrom absorbing water. Always test pH after mixing nutri-ents with water. pH kits are readily available in poolstol€s, hydroponic grow stores and better gardening out-lets. pH can be brought into line by using commercially

3130

Nuh;afu ;rt* tll tl1laDph;e Sri.n"

Nutrient concentration is the amount of primary chemi-cals (macronutrients) present in the water solution in a hy-droponic system. The basic chemicals needed for any plantare described as the N-P-K percentage. The N-P-K num-bers are often found on the front label of gardeningamendments.

The N, or nitrogen, is the most important chemicalneeded for the vegetative stage of plant growth. Nitrogenregulates protein uptake and is heavily involved in chloro-phyll (plant pigmen$ synthesis. Nitrogen is also responsi-ble for leaf and stem growth. Nitrogen adds to the overallhealth and vigor of the poppy plant. A shortage of nitro-gen is diagnosed as yellowing leaves and a general slowdown or halt in growth.

The P, or phosphorus, provides a device by which en-ergy is transferred in the plant. It is also the chemical thatis responsible for disease resistance, seed and fruit forma-tion, and strong root growth. Phosphorus uptake peaksduring the budding and flowering stages. A shortage ofphosphorus causes dark green leaves, stunted growth, anda reddening of stems and leaf junctions. As with otherprimary nutrient deficiencies, lower leaves are the first tobe affected.

The K or potassium (potash), is needed to facilitate therrovement of food within the poppy plant. It also helps$owth by aiding cell division. Potash regulates thearnount of chlorophyll in the foliage and controls the

,*

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

available pH up and pH down. Honp rerne-dies include theaddition of distilled white vinegar or a crushed aspirin so-lution to lower pH; baking soda or dilute lye solution toraise the pH. pH should never be altered drastically whenthe plants are young, as they are sensitive and will suffershock.

In discussing hydroponic grow systems for the poppy,we will start with the smallest and simplest and work ourway to the enorrnous and corrylicated sp:rce-age systems.Before construction, there are a few constants for the hy-droponic poppy garden that beginners must familiarizethemselves with.

H1la+q;e P4ry1 qpal& Copiladl

All successful hydropooic poppy gardens systems, nomatter how conplex, must fall within these paranreters. Itonly takes a mild variation of one of these to throw thewhole garden ofr-kilter, so maintain close tolerances onyour parameters.

pH of nutrient solution..... ...6.5-6.8

Temperature of nutrient solution ........65-75" F(If the terperature goes above 75o F, the roots will cook.If the terryerature goes below 65" F, the roots will havesome rouble absorbing nutrients due to root shock.)

TDS of nutrient solution..... 3OG90OgramVtitne

3332

Chapter FourOvemiew Of Hydroponbs

(TDS, or total dissolved solids, is a measureshength within the solution. It is similar to tbemea$[e in ocean water.)

Atnospheric t€mperahue.................75o F day, 50' F night(NighafuF terperatures of 50o F have been shown to in-6ease the potency of the final opium resin Since thepoppy is indigenous to very cold, arid regions, one wouldonly be doing naturc a favor by mimicking the flower'snatural temperature range.)

Relative Humidity.. ............25% min, 65% max(Humidity below 25% may dehydrate the plant, sustainedbvels above 65% will clog tbe breathing apparatus of thecold-weather, arid plants, causing them to gasp for frreshair.)

Fertilizer mix N-P-K ..........vegetative stage max 2U2U?-Oflowering stage max lG'35-10

(No more than one scoop per two gallons)

With these standards in min4 we can now take a look atsorlE coflunon, aod not-so-cornmon, hydroponic systerns.Choose accordingly, because once you commit, it is purduty as a grower to be Mother Nature. Tbe more comPli-cated the sptem of your choice, the more of a motber it isto naintain!

Even though ),ou might be tenpted to nrsh out and buya shitload of higb-tech equiprent, resist this urge untillouget tbe hnng of growing with your own seE-built uoit. This

of saltsalinity

t*

Hydnoponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

way, if your thumb is not as green as you would like, theequipment won't be a loss if you have a garage sale.

T,1po 4 S,rd.lr,.l,tPaa aa"l eols 4 EarI"

There are three tlpes of hydroponic cultrue that onecould use for poppy gardening: Sand Culttlre, AggregateCulture, and Inorganic Experinrental Culture. Review eachcarefully and choose the one that is most suited to )lourlifestyte and level of gardening experience.

Sand CultureSand culture is a npthod by which cleaned sand is used

for the growing nredium- It is easy once you get the gtst ofit, but can get out of hand quickly once the grower turns awatctrful eye away from tbe system- Sand is about tbecheapest thing in the world (except for advice), and makesfor a unique style of gardening. Fluids drain quicklyttrough it and are captured in a reservoir below the plants.It is nearly impossible to overwater or overfertilize usingsand as a growth npdiunr. On the other hand, a sand sys-temcan also be a poPpy grower's worst nightmare, for thesand is not as forgiving as soil when not watered regularly.Let two things stick in your mind when dealing with sandculture systerns: a grower can kill tbe poppies by using astrong fertilizer solution, and the grower can kill the poppies by forgetting to water frequently enough. It is best toeurploy a recirculating s)Btem and rnrnitor tbe TDS andpH daily.

34

Chapter FourOv erttiew Of Hydroponics

Aggregate CulturcBefore we can go into the different tlpes of aggregate

growing systerns, we must first explore the different typesof aggregate growing mediums and the pros and cons ofeach. As with other systems, pick the one which is best foryour growing needs. As you will see, sonp of the aggre-gate mediums are strange at best, but when it conres timeto harvest, you won't give one thought to what the plantsare growing in!

Wxgil. Hd;r',,lo

Broken BricksBroken bits of brich if scrubbed thoroughly and broken

into small enough pieces, can make a cheap aggregatenedium. If they are not cleaned thoroughly, chemicals thatare used to help the bricks conre out of their molds cleanlycan leach into the nutrient solution and kill your poppies.

The bricks must be broken into bits no larger than twofingers' width. Any larger and the surface area used tocatch and hold nutrients, oxygen and water would begreatly diminished. Also, when the shards are too htg",they can cut into the stems and roots when the container ismoved.

Bricks are only good for one grow cycle, as they tend tobreak down in water. Keep pH checked daily when usingbricks, because minerals are leached from the bricks thatcan alter water hardness (high TDS and pH).

35

Hydrcponic EeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without SoiI

Cat Litter gilDrl)Most people think that cat litter is only good for one

thing. At a recent horticultue exposition, I saw a uungowing strawberries from a garbage bag filld with catlitter. Tdk about cheap! The super-absorbent nature of oildry allows the gardener to water less frequently, but thisdoes not rpan it is suitable for beginners. If you overrilateror overfertilize with cat litter as yoru subotratg it can't beleached out. What goes into the redium stays in tbe np-dium! Try using a 5U50 sand/cat litter mixture. This willbe a much more forgiving planting mix for the novice gar-dener.

Centrul HcatlAb FiltonYou heard it here first! With a hydroponic grow s)tstem,

all the plants need is sorewhere for their roots to takebold. By srnash-stacking ten or twelve filters from a cen-tral ah unit (clean ores!) and eryloying a constant toPdrip inigation sptem, you can have a no-fail hydroponicsystem. If the wetrbing isn't tigbt enough to place pre-germinated seedlings comfortably, place a layer of fiber-gilass or cotton tbnee layers down and plant tbe seedling ontop of that.

ExpandalClay BaIIsRapidly becoming popular armng marijuana growers,

expanded clay balls are the rext best thing to sliced bread!Clay balls can be uscd in any hydroponic sptem becauseof tbeir sirryb makeup. They are mlded and then fired ina furnaoe at exherely high teryeratures (2,000o F!) tomake tbem porous. The intense beat causes thousands of

36

Clupter FourOveniew Of Hydroponics

microscopb porcs to form on tbe exterior of the balls.These tiny hobs mp the nutrient mixture and oxygen inthe perfect combination Water rushing over the clay pel-bts is made more turbulent by the pores and is aerated,like a nrshing $trearn Since the raw material that makes upthese pelbts is baked clan water solutions that pass overwill retain their pH balarce. Brand natrEs of clay pellcts tolook fon Golite, Cirorocks, Gronox and Hydroton.

Gravel (Pca)Gravel is the perfect medium for tbe hydroponic novbe.

It is'easy to fin{ cheap if you have to buy it, inert, fastdraining and easy to keep clean Pea gravel drains so fastthat it bas to be combined with sand to slow the nutrientmixture. The gravel-sand nixtut€ works spergistically inthat the sand koeps the water fromnrshing though unusedand the gravel prevents tbe sand from becoming sodd€nand st4gnant. The gravel-sand ratio shouH be around 5:3,

on how fre the sad is. If using this r€cipe, besur€ to mix veryevenly, as alopsided conceirtration gadi-ent could spell disaster for yotr plants. Even with the cor-rect mixture, this urdium will bave to be watered severaltires per day. This rneans that an automated colbctionand watering system must be eryloyd unless tbe growerhas lots of spare time.

PerlitePerlite is a very useful growing medium, being extraor-

dinarily light when dry and having t high wat€r retentionrate (up to 3Wo).It is mde by superheating vobanic rockpast its relting point. This causes the rock to elEand and

37

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies \ilithout Soil

shatter, baving thousands of flakes of porous materialPerlite has the odd characteristic of being able to abso$water, but not nutrients. This is good for your plants inthat the nutrients ax€ not boun4 as in soil Although per-lite can be used by itself, its cost can be prohibitive, so mixwith sand 50150%. There are two different tlpes of perliteon tbe market; the redfum grade (3 mm in diareter), andthe fine grade. The npdium grade should be used as thefine is better suited for cloning. Use caution when openinga bag of perlite. Fine dust particles caused from vibrationsduring stripping can enter your lungs and eyes and causeirritation" While nbt toxic, itchy lungs suck! To deal withthe cloud of irritating dust, open a small hole in the top ofthe bag and pour in sonp water. This keeps the dust fromflying into tlre atnolphere.

RockwoolRochnool is a rclatively new growing medium (est.

'E2). It is made by pouring a mixture of liquid basalt,linpstore and silica onto a spinning cylinder. Tbese rnoltenelernents strike tlp wheel and are flung far from the heat,wbere they are collected as fibrous strands. This is thesarne procedure by which fiberglass insulation is fornpd.The strands are then sprayed with an adhesive and mldedinto blocls, cubes or slabs, and then oven-cured.

This cheap, light material has a very high water retentionrate (up to 80%), making it very easy for tbe amateur gar-dener to drown the roots. Rockwool is best suited forslow, topdrip intermittent-flow irrigation due to its waterabsorption abilities. Tbe best thing about rockrvool is thatit allows plants to be transplantd and re-transplanted from

38

Chapter FourOveniew Of Hydroponbs

one growing vessel to another. A grower can germinateseeds in one-inch plugs, transfer all the good starts intotwo-inch cubes for further growttu and finally place theminto four-inch blocts on a four-foot slab. When employinga topfeed system, a slick of blue-green algae will form onthe blocks and eventually on the slab. There is no cause foralafin, this is surply nature's way of saYrng, 'Everything isworking fine!" The algae is beneficial to your pop'pies; itprovides dissolved oxygen to their roots and removes car-bon dioxide from the nutrient mixture. Your plants willthank you for it!

Rockrvool must be handled very carefully when dry be-cause of its glassy, fibrous naturc. If you do get a rock-wool splinter, alleviate it by running water over the irri-tated area. This will cause the splinter to soften and comeout.

A problem npst new rockwool users encounter is thatwhen it first gets wet, it froths yellow! To avoid introduc-ing this harmless foam into your hydroponic sptern, pre-wash all rockrrool with tap water prior to use. Anotherminor problem with rockwool; its pH can be as high as 9!Be sure to add pH down to your nutrient mixture until thepH nurnbers fall into line in the nrnoff water. Sonre excel-lent brand narps of rockrnoot Cultilene, Grodan andHortiwool.

Seashells (Crushed)Cnrshed seashells are an uncorilnon, but worthwhile,

npdium to use in a hydroponic sptem- When cnrstred fineenough (similar to saltwater aquarium substrate), andmixed with perlite, seashells can add minerals like calcium

39

Eydmponic EercinHow To Gmw Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

and magnesium to tbe nutrient mixture. Not only are theseninerals important for the plants' metabolisrn, tbey arealso excellent pH bufrers. Cnrshed coral and dolomite canalso be used as buffers in hydroponic systems. This tlpe ofaggregate can be found at any saltwater aquarium shop. Ifyou already have a system in use, and you would like toadd these anpndrnents to the mix, just throw a couple ofhandfuls into the reservoir.

VcrmiculiteVermiculite, like its cousin perlite, is a high-tenperature

treated mineral Mica is pressure cooked until it expandsto 2,000 tirnes its original volurne, while retaining its initialwerght. Its water retention properties are nearly doublethat of perlite! It tends to bneak down after a season ofSowing. For these reasons, vermiculite is more of a soilenhancer than a sole aggregate. As with perlite, be calefulnot to bneathe in the dust from a bag of vermiculite.

Volcanic Rock (Lava Rock)Nature's best for an ebband-flow system! These brick-

red porous rocks can be found at rnany garden stores,nurseries and retail stores. They are inert, non-toxic, can-not becorne waterlogged or rot, hold the perfect arnountof air and nutrients in their pores, and best of all - theycan be used indefinitely! The only drawback for volcanicrocks is that if you choose to create a large garden, it willweigh a ton! However, for a smaller systen, it can't bebeat.

N

Chapter FourOvemiew Of Hydroponics

Y*t, et@irrl

This chart allows tbe gardener to determine which ag-gregate is tbe best overallfor his living conditions (e.9., nolarge lava rock gardens on the second floor!), mnetarysinration and gardening experiene.

Cod ttDrY, LllrrPrn ll20l}l T.EW.t tur.

4t

Bdc*sCat utiarArFlie|3CqdClay Bat3GratrglP€rbFodalodVemlodltoVolcanlc Rod(

trlglVuncNrlow/Hdtlil,lovvtrlgtYnncttmeduncitlrldvuttcttlor{medlourmedlilffidthldunctt

6 monlhs6 monft8lndellrilielndoltnlblndefrnltolnddrille1 yes2yeeF6 monthsktdoinlb

lbk&ood Ca, Slhlgtula'F Ca, Slbrvrfiur Inedpocrgood Ce, LlSItgh,t{gh ln€rtlil/rned Ce" Slrnedm€d lmdtrlgh,low hrttilgh,lor lneilmedfn€d Ined

mkrybf,lowrpdhhbflrrh

Bllt Wryil. Fot *fp*?

This chart demonstrates which aggregate is best suitedfor a particular hydroponic systeno" No additives such assand are included, so each redium must stand on its ownproperties.

The tpes of systerns to grow opiumpoppbs are as fol-lows: topdrip, which sees the plants receiving constantdrops of nutrient solutbn from above the root line; ebband flow, which sees tbe plants' roots flooded and drainedwith nutrient solution at intervals; ad wick' in which theplants are in a container filbd with a redium that will act

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

as a capillary agent, drawing nutrient solution from alower reservoir through cloth wicks.

For the amateur grower, a wick system is the absolutebest, requiring little attention and still producing excellentresults.

Ebb lnd Flow

Chapter FourOverview Of Hydroponics

30Vo water andTUVo air! Compare this to rockwool's 807owater and 20Vo air, and one can clearly see that it wouldbe nearly impossible to overwater plants using foam slabsas a npdiurn The only adjustnrcnt that would have to bemade using foam slabs is the feeding schedule. Due to thehigh flow-through nature of the slabs, feedings would haveto be much more frequent, even constant.

Light SystemsAfter weeding through the nunrcrous hydroponic sys-

tems and picking the one which is right for your situation,you have one more important choice to make to completethe unit; a light source. The most important (and expen-sive) decision you have as a guerrilla gardener must bemade. Although we have cheapskated our way through thehydroponic systerns labynnth, we cannot scrimp one bit onlight choice. The two types of lights that are acceptable forgrowing poppies are fluorescent tubes (which are the bestchoice) and high-intensity discharge lamps.

FluorescentsFluorescent lights are a great alternative for someone

who wants to grow, but can't afford the heat output of thehigh-intensity discharge lamps due to confined growspace. Fluorescent or tube lights are filled with inert gases,mercury vapor and phosphor. When the current is passedthrough the tube via ballast, the chemicals are excited andemit a glow. Most of the heat that is emitted by a fluores-cent system is by the ballast. If you choose tubes and heatis a problern, ask the light store attendant about a rernoteballast. They cost more, but the crop will be worth it!

4342

BridcCat LltbrAir FllterCoralChy BalbGrawlPedibRodcodVemlculitelava Rock

falrpoorgoodgoodgoodlalrPoorgoodpoofgood

goodpoorpoorfalrgoodtairpoorpoorPoorgood

poorgoodpoofpoorpoofPoofgoodfairfairpoor

lrcryt*WeA,h,4.

Polyuretlune Slab M ethodThe polyurethane (or PU) slab npthod is the newest

crazn, to conp out of the Netherlands. The slabs, whichcan be found at any carpeting or warehouse-t)?e garden-ing store, are used in topdrip systems in the place ofrockwool The advantages are quite clear: foam slabs arepH neutraf rockwool can raise your pH; foam slabs arenot irritating to the skin and lungs, rockwool poses thesanp health threat as asbestos; foam slabs are reusable in-definitely (they offer a ten-year guarantee on horticulturalslabs), rockwool bneaks down after a season; and, possiblythe best reason to use foam slabs over rockwool, is itswater retention property. Polyurethane slabs hold only

rfr

Eydroponic HenoinHow To Grow Opium Poppies \ilithout Soil

Fluorescent tubes fall under thre power categories:standard, HO (high output), and VHO (very high output).The standard tubes usually colnurte 10 watts per foot oflength. The HO tubes consune five or six tirrBs the watt-age, and the VHOs can consunrc as much energy as ahigh-intensity discharge lary. Tbe ballasts are tbe samefor the standard and HO, but difrer for tbe increased volt-age needs of the VHOs.

The best full-spectrum tubes to use are the HO T-10's.They are made by Vita-Lite and produce a whopping2,750 lurpns per four-foot tube (non-twisted). A lumen isa standard unit for rreasuring light flow. One lumen is€qual to the amount of light that ore candle would pro-duce on one square foot of surface one foot away. The T-l0's are guaranteed to match 9l% of the sun's colorspectrum and last \&0 hours (five yean).

Always use electronic ballasts wben they can be found.They are quite costly, but are well worth it in the long run.Ebctronic ballasts are silent, extend tube life up to 30%,reduce luren depreciation by l0%, make HO tubes burn4O% brighter, and use only 62% of the power a normalbdlastwould.

n<$,v,ta*\ D;trdaae l;$,fi

McbI EaIilIcsMetal halides wene discovered for horticuhural purposes

by, of all peopb, tree-trimrrem in the suburbs of large cit-bs! When tbese citbs replrced standard incandescentsheet larys with HID retal halides, the tee trimmers no-

4

Chapter FourOvemisw Of HYdroPonics

45

ticed that they were doing twice as much work' Turns out

that these new nptal halide lanps were keeping the trees

bathed in light all night and they were getting a double-

daylight photoperiod!fne t,OOOwatt nptal halide stands far above the rest of

the pack, producing 110,000 lunrens! For a few dollars

,*ri, you qrn buy super halides that produce 117,00G'

125,000. The best single bulb on the market is the Agro-

sun HO halide. Ttrese color-corrected halides not only

have the blue spectrum that the other halides are known

for, they also have reds that maximize fruiting (especially

in marijuana). These enhanced spectnrm bulbs nrake all

other single bulb systerns obsolete. They cost a little lmre'

but you get what You PaY for.fitr run nptal halide lanp produces light by passing

voltage through halide gases within a quartz arc tube'-

They-must be used in the position stamped on the base of

the bulb (HOR horizontal' VER vertical' I'JNW universal),

so it is suggested that a lary be bought with a universal

stanping. This rerpn"s the hassles associated with baving

to position a bulb a sPecific waY.If you live in an area that has frequent power outages'

this may not be the best bulb for you, because there is a

five minute restrike tinp after a MH is shut off due to in-

ternal gas cooling. Each consecutive outage will' like

bumps to a hot bulb, shorten the life of the bulb'ff, zu sorre strange reason you need to remve the

bulb, wait until it bas cooled ofr coryletely. The beat

causes the base to expand and it couH break offin yow

band. Super hot glass fragments in your hand could craryyo* ttyt"t Also, if the bulb ever bneaks (if a droplet of

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

water were to hit it), turn it offwithout looking at it. Eventhough it might still be operating, UV radiation will beleaking out of it.

High-Pre ssure Sodium LampsHigh-pressure sodium lanps have been a favorite of

guenilla marijuana growers for years. You have probablyseen them on top of light poles illuminating dark parkinglots in industrial areas. This heavy-duty usage attests totheir remarkable light output; one l0Gwatt bulb can pro-duce 140,000lumens! This is equivalent to 3,500 standardfluorescent tubes!

There are two sizes of high-pressure sodium lights as faras the closet gardener is concerned: the 400-watt and theking 1,00Gwatt. If you decide to buy one of these electricstars, splurge and buy the l.,00Gwatt. It illuminates better,reduces harvest tinp and increases the vigor in all photo-synthetic creatures!

The HFS lanps work by sending a current through va-porized mercury and sodium in an arc tube. The sodiumglows a rich yellow that is high in the red-orange-yellowspectrunl mimicking the fall sun.

The HPS can be positioned in any direction" unlike someof the metal halides. The ballast for a 1,00Gwatt unitweighs 60 pounds, so be sure to get one that has a remoteballast unless you want your ceiling to cave in at some in-opportune moment.

High-pressure sodium bulbs have the longest duration ofany high-intensity light. Used for Vl lroun per day, theHPS will burn for ?r4,0U hours.

Chapter FourOverview Of Hydroponic s

Yow CA^akt

Llght Type Watts Lumens Llfe-hours Prlce

$5-10$8$15$40$60$80$60$80

that will show the complete costs of

4746

lncandesc€ntGro 300Fluorescent 40HOTube nVHOTube 110HID Halide 400

1000HPS 400

1000

Below is a chart

lncandesc€ntFluorssc€ntHO FlrcrescentVHO FluorescentHID Metal Halile

HPS

1800 6,5001500 12,0.J02100 24,00027fi 24,0634.000 20,000117,000 12,00050,000 20,000140,000 24,W)

buyrng a lighting system for a medium-sized (10'x8')

opium poppy garden. The prices include all of the neces-

sary hardware such as hangers, lens, reflectors and an

electronic timer. Try and buy the most expensive system

you can afford, as it will usually last longer (and can be

used to grow marijuana and other illegal species!) and give

better results than a cheaper one. Also, the more expensive

lights conre with warranties, which can be useful should

your high-dollar, fake sun break down.

System Watts Wan. Bulbo Prlce

12001601605602fi400100040010@

4€00 watt4-40 wattzl-zl0 watt&140 watl

$60$65$235$350$20s$250$'315$26s$410

nomy€syesy€syesyesy€sy€s

Hydroponic HeroinIIow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

fAuaat "ag

Tl. hal ahfUl,laap;ale Ddali,ot"

As you may already know, the Man has conputeizpdsystems that enable him to catch the unwary guerrillagrower. After you read this and put these npthods of"hide and seek" into action, you will no longerbe unwary!

Thermal and W detection stems from the advent ofHID lights comrnonly found in indoor gardens. The ther-maf or heat-seeking, radar uscs super-cooled gases todetect abnormal heat emanating from a source. The Wscanner enploys a filter, such as a butterfly has, to detectabnorrnally high amounts of the normally unseen ultravio-let radiation. Fluorescent lights are exerpt from thesetlpes of scans. Keep this in mind when planning your sys-tem.

How can we keep the fuzz at bay with his super-sophisticate4 hieh-dolar light finders? Easy: with a littlecommon sense. These forms of radiation are just like anyother in that they can be contained. Preventing the pigsfrom peeping is the least expensive and the nrost stress-rcducing thing you can do before setting up.

To be 100% sure that the cops can't detect your lightingsystem from the great outdoors, follow these no-brainersteps.

Place a couple of black sheets over each window thatthe grow room might be located in. This step is for yournosy neighbors. Next, place a blanket or quilt over theplastic sheets. Make sure that this corryletely covers thewhole window. It should be at least four inches larger than

4948

Chapter FourOverview Of Hydroponics

the window all around. If you can get a black or whiteblanket, all the better! The quilt is to absorb (or reflect, inthe case of the white one) any stray radiation that makes itpast our heat barriers. If you don't live in a big city withmillions of dollars to spend on black helicopters and allthat garbage, you can probably stop here and be safe. Ifthe city you live in has heavy air traffic, read on!

Take several slabs of styrofoam and make a solid wall ofthem the size of your window by taping them togetherwith duct tape. Tape the plate of styrofoam to the wallaround the window. DO NOT nail the plate to the wa[ asthis would give radiation a way to escape. The styrofoamcould shift as the nails tear into it creating an unseenbreach. The styrofoam serves as a heat insulator againslinfrared detection, and serves as a physical barrier againstall W waves.

Finally, take a couple of sheets of aluminum foil or my-lar and cover the window completely, shiny side towardyou. This will be the primary reflector and barrier for allwavelengths.

When done, shine your brightest and hottest lamps di-rectly on the window from the inside. Go outside at darkand see if you can see anything coming through the win-dow, and put your hand on the glass to test for heat. Morethan likely, the job is done.

Your total cost may be as little as $5.00 for this barrierthat the police have paid $1.5 million to break. The funnything is, they can't! Score: Clever gardener-2, Silly cops-0.Sorry, Mr. Policeman, no doughnut!

If, after you have set up and your opium poppy gardenstops flourishing, use this nutrient deficiency/overload

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

checklist to cross-reference the problem with cure. Mostphysical signs of distress can be cured by simple npans(change nutrient solution concentration, alter room tem-perature, pH, TDS, etc.). This list is very basic, and theavid grower may want to buy a more complete how-tohydroponic system diagnosis manual.

Chapter FourOverview Of Hydroponics

horne-grown stones, he will re*oguzn imnrediately that thebenefits of a superior garden far outweigh the initial costs.Keep in mind these products are ONLY for the most seri-ous and experienced guerrilla gardener.

When inquiring about these products, don't act strangeor make any references as to what they are for. If you areasked what tlpe of garden you have, tell them a flowergarden. DON'T pay for the items with a check or creditcard, as these types of stores have been busted by theDEA and their sales records used to gain access to illegalgardens.

Chmate ControllcnAs a cold-weather plant, the poppy could benefit greatly

from a climate controller. These electronic units contrin apre-set thermostat that activates an air conditioner or ex-haust blower when atnnspheric conditions start creepinginto the hot zone. Therc is also another type that regulateshumidity as well Ideal mountain-like growing conditionscan be duplicated with this type of s)rstern Price: $l2Gr80.

CO2 SystemsCarbon dioxide emitters or generators are a heaven-sent

for the guerrilla grower. CO2 gas increases plant size andspeeds growth up to 100%. A carbon dioxide emitterworks by using a tank of conpressed gas (easy to find),and a generator produces gas by burning liquid propanefueL The emitter is the only system which is plausible for apoppy garden, as the generator tends to create excessheat. Price: $160 without tank rental.

5 l50

fltfu/r.,?e D<l;v;all0vcnlnaL ClunlJ'rat

Symptoms Deflclency

Gowih slows, lourer leaves yellowLeaves discolor brown or purple,curl backwardLeaf tips display a 'bum'Lower leaves lum brown, dry outLeaf veins remains green, remainingleaf palesBlack spots after iron rem€qLeaves display yellow spotsNewest growing tips die, bro$,n spotsapp€ar on poppy capsul€Capsule ripening delayedYellowing leaves, capsule laib lobbomPlants turn brown and die

Nitogen

PhosphorusNitrogenPotassium

lron

Copper

CalciumNitrcgen

ManganeseAll nutrients

x

x

x

x

X

x

l14a 4 HW+r.1,qail.4^rv^* e4,;pnta*l

There are a few high-tech gardening implements whichcan be bought at your local hydroponic grow store thatwill ensure a vigorous indoor crop and substantially in-crease opium latex yield. Sonp of these items are quitecostly, but if the grower is serious about having his own

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

Dght BalanccrcLight balancers are a must for a large indoor garden.

The light is affixed to a moving chain on a rail and therroverrcnt imitates the east-west sun cycle. Light balanc-ers also keep equal amounts of light on each part of thegarden, sonrcthing not possible with a single-fixed lightsysten A larger indoor garden can be realized without theexcess costs of electricity bills and of providing an extrahigh-intensity light. Price: $1 1G300.

Liquid NutriontsLiquid nutrients are a boon for all hydroponic enthusi-

asts. Most of them are all-natural, adding an organic tasteto your opium instead of a ctremical taste due to the pres-ence of inorganic fertilizen in the comnon hydroponicnutrient solution. Sonp of these fertilizers even containhelpful bacteria cultures and naturally occuning horrronesto boost the plant's growth and overall yield. Price: $25-50 per gallon.

Protein Skimmerc and Ultraviolet SteriHzenFor the hardcore hydroponic grower with thousands of

dollan of psychotropic plants on the line, these two de-vices are necessary when the guenilla grower makes aliving by selling his green wat€s.

Protein skimmers work by rennving all organic wastefrom the reservoh by foam fractionalization The d re-suft is a super-clean nutrient solution that will las bngerbenveen sfuanges, thereby promoting vigorous poppies.

Ultraviolet sterilizers are placed in-line in a recirculatingsystem and work by radiating the passing water with W

52

Chapter FourOvemiew Of Hydroponics

rays. This kills all of the bacteria (in solution) and virusesto which nutrient rich water eventually gives rise. Thepoppies will be less susceptible to air and waterborne dis-ease, and this will buy the professional grower sonre peaceof mind. Price: $50-150.

53

Chapter FiveFrom SeedTo lYeed

55

Chapter FiveFROI' SEED TO WEED

The first thing the guerrilla poppy gtower needs to ac-quire is a good supply of poppy seeds. Surprisingly, youcan get some high-germination rate seeds at your localgrocery store in the spice aisle. Depending on freshnessand the source from which they were exported, gtrocery-store seeds can be a cost-effective alternative to over-priced mail order seeds.

If you have the money and would like some really pow-erfut hyfuid seeds that would produce huge latex-steamingrnonster poppies, there is an excellent source for rnail-order somnifenrm seeds in Canada For $27.00 they willsend you five grams (5000 seeds) of fresh poppy seedstaken from giant plarrts in ASoa Turkey! They also guar-antee a rearly lW% gerrrination success rate! Contactthem af izmir@saltspring.com, or write them at:

Iznir Oil & Spice CompanyP.O. Box 316 Ganges Stn.Saltspring Islan4 B.C. V8K2V9Canada

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

For a better deal, but of unknown origin and germina-tion rate, there are a few seed dealers to be found in theclassifieds n High Times. They sell the Papaver somnif-erum seeds for about $15.00 per ounce.

Seed Tech1935 S. Plum Rd.Palatine,IL 60067

Hawaiian SeedsP.O. Box 4908Macon, GA 31208

Obviously, the best deal is at the grocery store. A 35gram bottle of McCormick Brand Poppy Seed containsroughly 35,000 seeds and goes for $4.00! Most of thegrowers that I know use these exclusively and claim a 75-9OVo sucrnss rate. During my research, I germinated a to-tal of 500 grocery store seeds and found that, surprisingly,$U9OVo of them were viable and germinated vigorously!

Germinating poppy seeds is a very simple task thatleaves the grower with limitless options. Since the poppyis not too keen on being transplanted, the glower mustattempt to germinate the seeds directly in the hydroponicsystem (quite difficult unless using a wick system), orgerminate in a transferable medium such as peat pots,polyurethane slabs or rockwool.

After choosing your hydroponic and lighting systern,and nraking surc that the hydroponic sptem doesn't leakafter a couple days of usage, stick hundreds of the tinyseeds an eighth- to a quarter-inch deep into the chosen

Chapter FiveFrom SeedTo Weed

mediunr, water heavily, and place in a sunny window.Germination for the Poppy is alnpst immediate (three tofour days), with the seedlings becoming leggy two daysafter enrcrgerrce. Make sure the nredium staln moist, notsoggy, and don't fertilize at this point. Ttrc poppy's rootsystem consists only of a tap and a couple of micro-hairs,so any nitrogen would burn and kill your plants.

When the seedlings show a second set of leaves (at fiveto ten cm), the baby poppies are ready to transplant intothe hydroponic systern Use a weak nutrient solution (257o

of recomnpnded amount) combined with a splash of B-12and Rootone at first, and keep fluorescents lG24 inchesdirectly over the s),sterL High-intensity discharge lanpsrequire more distance (30-36 inches), as super-hot bulbtemperatures can cook the tender seedlings. A good gaugefor distarrce is the hand test. Place your bare hand over theseedlings and rmve the light system up and down until theheat from ttre lary no longer burns your hand after 30seconds. Set the light timer on a schedule of 12 hoursontt} hours off. During the off-cycle, no stray light canenter the grow arca, so make sure that when the lights go

off, th plants are bathed in conplete darkne.ss for 12hours.

True to their classification, the poppies will grow likeweeds under thc correct light and nutrient conditions. Af-ter the plants break past the ten cm barrier' change the di-lute nutrient sohrtion and replace with a haf-stnength dos-age (no rmre tban 250-350 TDS above your water solids).This ircrerrental ircrease will ease tbe poppies into majorgrowth mde without shocking tbe bn out of them with afull nutrient load all at ore. Tbe gradual ircrease also at

57

Hydroponic HeroinIIow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

lows beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria to form and massin the media of the hydroponic system.

As the plants grow, raise the lights accordingly. If fluo-rescents are being employed, they may be allowed to comewithin six to ten inches of the fast-growing poppies. Noprovisions for metal halides can be made at this point, dueto the fact that opium poppies suffer in hot conditions. Ifyou have a metal halide in your grow roorn, it will rnorethan likely raise room temperature 15-20 degrees. Remedythis situation quickly by keeping a wall-unit air conditioneraimed at the plants. Remember that the maximum daylighttemperature for the poppies is 75'F.

TA;**a*

The painful task of thinning the weak from the strong isat hand. By the tinre the largest plants arc 20 cm, a notice-able vigor gradient will have appeared as plants withweaker genetics lean over and tend to be stunted. Take apair of sharp scissors and weed out the smaller plants,leaving only groups (4-6) of large ones spaced six to nineinches apart.

To cope with the pain of losing so many plants, maketea as described in Chapter 7, if you have enough thin-nings.

Change half-strength nutrient solution and replace itwith full-strength. By now, the poppies will be used to thefertiltzer and will experience another spurt of growth.From this point on" the nutrient solution will need to bechecked daily for pH and total dissolved solids and

58

Chapter FiveFrom Seed To Weed

changed every ten days to two weeks. Also, watch forsigns of nutrient overload or deficiency, as this can happenat any time after the nutrient solution is at full strength.

Light system timer should now be bumped up to 13hours on/I1 hours off.

Srr,il.n- R g,l"d,@4- T;''r,a

Specific systems require specific nutrient solution feed-ing tinres to be programmed into the electronic timer thatcontrols the system's solution pump. Below is a timing listfor the most plausible hydroponic systems. Not includedare the wick systems, as they are self-regulating via mois-ture gradient.

Type Syslem eCglogato nm€ or/off

59

Flow-lhu.rghorEbb & Fbrr

Togfeed rccirculating

sandgrawlclay ballsperliteP.U. slabroclelroolvermiculitevolcanic rock

sandgrar/€lclay balbperliteP.U. slabrochroolwrmbtdiievdcanh rcd<

10 min orVl hour offi0 min ory'1O min off10 min on80 min oll10 min ory'1 hour off10 min on6 min off15 min ory'4 hours off15 min or/8 hours off30 min ory'4 houa off

conbnUl drodsecconstant streamconstanul droC4 s€cconstanul doC10 secconsiant sfuearnconstanul drcpAO secnot applktbleconstanUl dto/lO s€c

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies rilithout Soil

After the plants have reached 12 inches, cull the weakestfrom each group, leaving only the single strongest plantssix to nine inches apart. Change the nutrient solution fromone high in nitrogen to one high in phosphorus and raiselight schedule to 14 hours on/10 houn off.

],nlut'tt od, 4 FlDtteArr,h*

Once the critical photoperiod has been bneached, tlrcrernaining poppies will prepare to go into full floweringrnode. When the poppies are 28-30 inches tall (around thefourth or fifth month), turn on tbe light and leave theplants in the fake sunshine for 72 burs. Monitor the poppies' room tenperature closely during this stage, as highheat can ruin all of the care that you have put into thernAfter the thnee-day perid, start tbe lights back on a 16hours on/8 hours off schedule, which is the oPtirnal pho-toperiod to induce flowering in the somniferum species.

This play with the lights mimics the onset of spring, withever-increasing light hours. Ttre plants will reqpond byproducing flowers rapidly to manufacture their seeds be-fore the burning heat of "sumtrtf,'" arrives. Once tbe flow-ers start to fill out, you can reduce th light cycle to 15hours onlg hours off. This slows tbe flower production"allowing tirre for larger flowers (capsules) to fornu This isorrc of the best reasons to grow poppies indoors (besidesnot being arrcsted). With a variable light cycle, the growercan control how large and how fast his poppies gow.

Chapter SixOptimal Harve st Paramete rs

6l60

Chapter SixOPTIHAL HfrRVEST

PfrRfrI'6TER5D<1<**,an"a1;ot*

"[ S."l' UP4^le

Rirle<r^zt4

There are three deciding factors when preparing toharvest opium from the seed pods: petal dropping, capsulecolor and firmness. When the opium poppy nearssenescence (death) by dropping its flower petals, the timeis nearing for latex gathering. When half of the petals havefallen and the capsule's color is a pale green, start gentlysqueezing the capsule daily. When the walls of the seedpod fill with the liquid, they will start to firrn By the timethe last petals have dropped, the seed pod should be theperfect color and firmness. If it is not firm yet, it isprobably still manufacturing latex and needs a few moredays to collect and build up wall pressue within thecapsule.

Collection ternperature has always been debated anrongpoppy growers. Some growers swear that morning(coldest) collections are the best, and sorne live by thenoon (hottest) collection rule. My personal experience is

Hyroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

62

that there is no right or wrong time of the day forcollection, but there is an optimal time for opium potency.

The cool morning temperatures allow the latex to oozewithout having to struggle against the evaporating heat ofmidday, but it has been my experience that when the latex

is collected in the heat, a protective fikn (like the skin onold Jell-O) dries on and protects the flowing resin. Thiskeeps the opium fresh (12-137o moisture content) and

maintains maximum constituent potency. It is also howopium as been collected in India for a thousand years, sowho can argue against its effectiveness?

At 7 a.rn, no more than three days after all of the petalshave dropped, bend the main stalk over so that the opiumseed capsule touches the ground. This will cause all mobilefluids contained within the plant matter to move dowr;increasing poppy head pressure, and thereby, firmness.

Be sure to allow the largest plant to mature and die,

because this will be your seed stock for the next crop.

l-arge, high-yielding plants come from the best seeds, sodon't give in to temptation and slice the biggest pods.

By noon, the lowered heads will have firmed and you

can now take the first of four opium harvests. Take a new

razor blade and make several shallow incisions, tightlytogether, along the capsules' longitudinal planes frombottom to top.

Only harvest a quarter of the poppy's latex per day, as itwill continue to give a harvest for four consecutive days.

The latex will flow freely IF your cuts were not too

deep. If they were too deep, the latex will spill into the

seed hollow and be hell to collect. Allow the latex to dryon the capsules' surfaces until it becomes brown and tarry,then scrape off with a butter knife and place in the

Chapter SixOptimal Hame st Parameters

63

refrigerator in an airtight container. Continue this processuntil you have taken all the latex from the plants, at whichtirne the smart guerrilla grower will disassemble down andhide the hydroponic and light systerns, and discard allvegetative matter (thoroughly chopped) in a public trashreceptacle. To get a second flower crop from yourhydroponic systern, cut the used seed pods off where thestalk attaches to another branch. This will cause newflowers to form (if you are lucky).

You can also boil the chopped and spent capsules,flowers, leaves and stems to mrudmize your yield. Thisconcoction will make a much more powerful tea thanplantlet thinnings. Knead the dried opium into a singlegum ball and weigh it for research history. Also, kneadingthe opium distributes the variant constituents into ahomogenous, narcotic mixture which is easier to store andtransport than flakes or grains. This ball of opiates, nowrr-ady for abusage or refining, will remain fresh muchlonger than the average grower can resist smoking it.

Aal;'a6 a. Ho+"rt lL *.A Stocl.

If you have realized an excellent harvest and want tocontinue to grow poppies, you can take this whole processa step further by selecting and breeding your own privatestock. To breed or inbreed poppies indoors, wait until theflowers have fornpd and brush the flowers with a smallpaintbrush. This takes the place of insect fertilization,which probably won't happen indoors. Allow the plant tornature and die, then smash the dried head to pick out thenunprous seeds. Seeds placed in fihn containers with a

Hyroponic HercinIIow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

&

desiccant should bebreeders say tluee,speed better).

up to two years (somefresh seeds' germination

viable forbut I like

Dricd poppy seed pods rest in a bowluntil thc nen planting season

Chapter SixO ptimal Harv e st P aramet e rs

65

ernalt;*'r,t 4 ab IBL

For the most serious opium lover, an inbred line (IBL)can be established. The advantages to having an inbred lineare obvious: constant high-performing yields, increaseddisease resistance, narcotic profile blend of choice andidentical maturities. Some inbred lines have already beenestablished for the opium poppy (Inperial Whites), butyou can create your own familiar blend after a bit of opiumsmoking and sampling from various varieties.

To start an inbred line with poppies (it would only rnakesense to do it with weaker varieties), breed the strongestand largest plants (rarents, or Pls) and use the resultingseeds to breed with another large, constant vegetativeplant that is directly related to the Pl. A constantvegetative poppy can be obtained until the seeds are rcadyby keeping the ptant on a 12 hour on/12 hour off lightschedule with a steady atrnosphedc temperature.

Cloning may be an option for the experienced grower inestablistring an excellent inbred line. Siryly cut peripheralbranches from the poppy of your choice and root them inrooting hornpne-soaked rockntool cubes under a moisturelid. When the clones extribit roots in two to four weeks,place them in your hydroponic system and rnature tbemnormally.

When the flowering stage starts, breed the clonestogetber. Since the clones bave tbe sarr exact geneticcode, the grower will end up with seods that carry thetraits of the clore donor. This can cause mrtations wbbhmay house desirable or undesirable traits, so if, whc'ninbreeding by clone or otherwise, you get a mnster popPy

HyroPonic IleroinHow To Grcw Opium Poppies Without Soil

66

Sy.-:!gi.:!!.$.,j-!.!s;::.v.!is;l!5F:r.:!i$t:nir::i::l::1i

How big-time growers take their pods to town!This picture was taken inTurkcY,

Clnpter SevenCreation Of Medicinal And Recreatiorwl products

From Exuded Latex67

Chapter SevenCRERTNN OF HEDICINfrL

frA/D RECRE frTIONALPRODUCTS FROttEXUDED LNTEX

Medicine is poison in the tunds of the inexperienced;poison is rnedicine in tlu han^ of thc experienced.

Once you have taken the poppy harvest and have areaff supply of opium later; the, stage is set for refiningand creating nur'rous medicinal andiecreational concocltions and derivatives. There are a slew of dnrgs one couldtfo" from raw opiur4 but the ones most gardeners (anddrug usen) are concerned with are morphine and heroinThese are the opiate heavy hitters.

If a gardener has a decent level of basic chemistry train-ing, be can support himself financially by selling tn" p*i-fied products to acquaintances. When ,"fioiog, -A*"y,

,"tup, cook and finish in the shortest amount oi tir* possi-ble. Dawdling and procrastination leave you wide open toa conspiracy charge.

Hydnoponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soit

R.la lp+ Ilo^. Rdi.w';64

ITIEYER: leave the lab while in progress, smoke while'tooking," aoswer the door while cooking, buy chemistryglassware, tell anyone what you ate up to, cook under theinfluence of any drug, refine heroin if you are not chemi-cally inclined, buy the chemicals with a credit card, showyour real identification, cook in rnetal kitchenware, usenrtal utensils, refine heroin over an open flanrc in an un-ventilated space, cook when you have warrants outstand-ing, cook when sonpore knows you grow poppies, nrnwith scissors, cook if any of your friends have outstandingwarrants, take your chemicals straight to the lab, driveyotr own car to the chemical supply house, buy acetic an-hydride, or spill acetic anhydride on younelf.

ALWAYS: cook conpletely at one interval, destroyglassware and chemical containem after cooking, discardpoppy capsules before set-up, steal chemicals and supplieswhen possible, use a fake identification" use friend's car,search purctmsed chemicals and glassware for tracers be-fore returniqg to lab, drive around town before returningto lab, keep poppy cultivation secret, use adequate venti-lation whsa refining heroiq have a fire extinguisher handy,clean and desEoy glassware after cooking, follow refiningprocedures to tbe letter, look both ways before crossingthe road, and conceal the refined substance in an area anarcotics-sniffing dog cannot reach.

68

Clnpter SevenCreation Of Medicinal And Recreational Prodrcts

From F.xuded Latex69

Eiaad;o+" 4 Ho4qA;aa HA

What you will need for every 10 grams raw opium:500 ml demineralized water60 gnms calcium chloride200 ml concentraled ammonia4 coffee filters

The removal of the basic constituent of raw opium is

relatively easy and can be done without purchasing anyexpensive chemicals. Even the chemically challenged canoUt"in a decent supply of morphine from three to fourdozen average-sized Papaver sornnifenrms. This refiningprocess is not worth the trouble if a small garden is har-vested; the theoretical yield of morphine is around l0%o of'

the weight of the raw latex.Add 1G'30 gams opium latex (dry) to a liter of demin-

eralized water (available in grocery stores on the bottledwater aisle) and slowly raise the terryerature(approximately l70o-190'F) while stirring, until the latexconpletely dissolves. Remove from heat and add enoughlime fertilizer (calcium chloride) so that the plants' organicmatter falls out of suspension. This milky top layer of thesolution contains the dissolved morphine hydrociloride'

Briskly stir the liquid and pour the solution through acoffee filter. Discard filter and place the solution back onthe heat until it reaches 170o-190' F. Wben the solutionbegins to steam, add concentrated annnonia (antrydrous is

noi nocessary) until cr5rutals stop forming. White crystalswill fall out of solution and can be collected by pouring the

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

solution through a second coffee filter and allowing themto dry overnight. The crptals should be chop@ fine andare usable at this point. Snorting would be the preferableadministration route here, as inexperienced cooks couldfuck somebody up if impurities remain and tbey get in-irted. On the other hand, if the gardener is a chemist, thefluS crystals can be dissolved in distilled water andbanged. Keep in mind that most users conplain that intra-venous injection of morphine HCI causes unpleasant tin-gling sensations. See Dosage Chart (Ctrapter Eight) foradrninistration artounts.

Nuhlta r anl 4 lle 0:6"

There are two grades of heroin: number 3 and nurnber4. These numbers refer to the corresponding steps in thefour-stage refinement process. Only gardeners with at leasttwo years of college-level chemistry would have a ctranceof symthesizing srnack The key ingredient, acetic anhy-dride (concentrated acetic acQ, should only be handled byexperienced clandestine chemists or govenuFnt bureau-crats. Acetic anhydride is also a listed chemical on theDEA's rnost-watched chemical list. This is the best reasonfor nraking friends with chemists who have access to acollege lab or breaking into chemical supply houses.

Tlrc chemicals used, unless specifically called for, arenot needed in exact anpunts. Most tirnes the undergroundchemist adds chemicals until the precipitate stops falling.Heroin cooking isn't an exact science. It basically involvescornmon sense and a keen eye for clandestine chemistry.

70

ChaPter SevenCreation Of Medicinal And Recreational Products

From F.xuded I'atex7T

Cooking heroin also requires a larger garden of poppies

due to the multiple steps involved in its refinement. Eachconsecutive step will reduce the actual yreld a little more,so a garden of 60+ poppies is called for- Don't fret, as I

have'tiends" who have grown 400 plants in a single bed-room!

What is needed for every 10 grams of morphine HCI:15 grams of acetic acid50 grams sodium carbonate200 ml water50 grams activated carbon200 ml chloroform200 ml ethyl alcohol200 ml muriatic acid200 ml ethyl ether4 coffee filters

Step Number IAdd equal amounts of morphine and acetic anhydride

and bring the tenperature to 185' F. Use caution if you

don't live in a rural area, as acetic acid is what gives the"smell" to vinegar, and is close to unbearable if the chem-ist is not cooking in a barn or other well-ventilated area.

One keeps the temperature constant and stirs periodicallyfor a period of no less than six hours. At this point, thechemist has bonded the acid to the opiate to form a crudeheroin (diacetyl morPhine).

Ilydroponic lferoinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

Step Number 2The product is mixed vigorously with water and chloro-

form (l:l rvater:chloroform) and drained off. This extractsany unreacted products or impurities. Pour off the water-chloroform mixture and add sodium carbonate to the her-oin solution. This will cause heroin crystals to form andfall out of the solution.

Step Number 3Filter the solution through a couple of coffee filters to

collect the heroin crystals. Dry the crystals overnight andthen add them to a portion of alcohol and activated char-coal chips. Shake vigorously for a couple of minutes andfilter chips through coffee filter. Evaporate alcohol offwith a low heat. The product remaining is known as Nunrber 3 Heroin. It can be used in this form or further purifiedto 99Vo in step number 4.

Step Number 4This step takes the heroin and turns it into super-potent,

super-pure crystals. The purity will vary, but even an aver-age chemist can realize a product that is 75Vo pure! Thedangers of acetic anhydride are mild compared to the pre-cipitator in this case: ether.

Dissolve heroin crystals in a portion of alcohol and addsimultaneously: muriatic (HCl) acid and ethyl ether. Thiswill precipitate the Number 4 Heroin. Filter the crystals asin the previous step and spread them on a glass plate. po-sition a standard 40-watt light bulb 16 inches above theplate and allow to dry overnight. When the crystals are dryand crunchy, they can be used accordingly. CAUTION!

Chapter SevenCreation Of Medicinal And Recreational Products

From Exuded l-atex73

Number 4 Heroin can kill in low doses in the intolerantindividual See Dosage Chart (Chapter Eight) for admini-stration amounts.

LaudanumThe cure-all and be-all of the 19th century, l,audanum is

easily prepared and does cure nuny ailnpnts. Maladiescured include: general aches, nervousness, congestion, di-arrhea and dysphoria. Due to its alcohol content, theopium is taken up quicker than if eaten by itself. It is verypleasurable to abuse, even more than opium alone.

The ingredients are srmple and easy to conrc by; distilledwater and the clear, high-proof alcohol of your choice(clear rum l5l, vodk4 pure grain alcohol, etc.). [,auda-num also has the prestige to be able to be cooked in thekitchen without the normal safety constraints. Also, nochemical skills are needed to whip up this old favorite.

In a clean Pyrex pot, combine two fluid ounces of waterand two fluid ounces of alcohol Add 1-2 ounces of rawopium and slowly raise ttre temperature while stirring untilthe opium completely dissolves. Remove from heat andpour into a dark glass container; keep out of sunlight. Itstores well and will cure syrptoms you didn't even knowyou had!

AnodyneAnodpe is an old brand of British topical anesthetic

which sports an opium active ingredient. This liniment isgood for bruises, muscle soreness, ilint pains, strains,sprains and tears.

72

Hydroponic IleroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

Anodyne is very srmple to make; combine one bottle ofLaudanum and an equal bottle of soap liniment or skin lo-tion. Apply salve to affected area; the alcohol is evapo-rated by the skin temperature, and the opium osmoses(slowly, but very effectively) through the skin.

Opium TeaIf you have managed to get away with having a large

garden, you will have pounds of trimmings from removingless vigorous plants. What to do with them? Make a po-tent narcotic tea! Studies have shown that these trimmingscontain high percentages of alkaloids. Just because thepoppies are 10 centinpters tall doesn't mean that theydon't pack a major punch. If the youngsters are healthy,they will contain close to I mg of opiates per gram ofdried trimmings! So, if you have a pound of trimmings,you will have nearly half a gram of alkaloids (five or sixglasses).

Boil each pound of dried trimmings in two quarts ofwater until the water has been reduced in volunp to onequart. Strain the mix through a coffee filter, add six teabags and a lemon, sliced thin. Makes five moderate dosesof foul-tasting elixir. If effects are not noticed within anhour, boil remaining tea until the volume is reduced furtherand bry again.

This recipe can (and should) also be used with the har-vested seed capsules, chopped flower petals, leaves andstems. This makes for a very strong alkaloid brew. Theonly drawback is that this solution will not store very long,so you should use it within a week of brewing.

Chapter SevenCreation Of Medicinal And Recreational Products

From Exuded Latex75

Seed TeaIf you get impatient waiting for your capsules to ripen,

there is a recipe that allows the grower to experience thealkaloid "trip" without sacrificing plants. The seeds of thepoppy (most varieties) contain the same alkaloids, save formorphine, as the mature plant, only in minule amounts.

To benefit from this knowledge, the grower would needto acquire 9-10 35 gram bottles of poppy seed from thelocal supermarket (steal thenr, or it will run you $36-50).While you are there, steal a half-dozen lemons. Empty thebottles into a large glass container and cover the seedswith the lemon juice. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutesand then add some hot (185'F) water and allow to soakanother 15 minutes. Strain out the seeds tlrough a coffeefilter and boil the remaining liquid until it takes on the ap-pearance of syrup.

Choke down the synrp and find somewhere safe tovegetate for about five hours. The alkaloids in the brewwill hit the user in about an hour and will keep the opiate-head tripping for three to four more, depending on thefreshness and strain of the seeds.

Other Assofted OpiatesMany other opiates can be synthesized using morphine

as a base. If the grower is also a real chemist and has ac-cess to a labratory he can manufacture dntgs up to ninetimes as powerful as morphine! Such a drug would be in-valuable on the street. The profit potential for such a po-tent dmg would be phenonrcnal due to the minusculeamount needed by an addict. To rnanufacture such a face-

74

&

Hydnoponic HeroinEow To Grow Opium Poppies rilithout Soil

slapper, look up the opiates in the Merck Index. Full reci-pes and ingredients are contained therein.

Clnpter EightDosage s, Addbtion, P otential Dange rs

Chapter EightDOSfrqES, ADDICTION,POTENTffiL DnNqERS

Although the nredia would have us believe that heroin isthe most powerful narcotic on the planet, this is far fromthe truth. There arc at bast three prescription drugs (nottoo comrpn) that, when abused, can be rnore dangerousthan smack.

Below is a clnrt that shows how much of a specificopiate inlrtion it takes intramuscularly to equal the pain-killing properties of 130 mg codeine. As you can see, her-oin is the fourth one down on the list. This rnay seem likea nrde bunch of chemicals until you realize that 60 mg ofnicotine will kill a grown man!

WDotaeTalr lahlrcdon Anpurt In m

Orymonnme (tlunorpttan)

llydomophqte (Dtaudld)

lsrofptnnO (Ilomonn)

llerch

Mophhe

1

1.5

2

5

10

Ilydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

78

Msthadono

Onrcodone (Percocet)

Meperidine (Demerol)

10

15

75

The table above is for a non-abuse situation; post-surgery, cancer and nerve-damaged patients usually getthese types of drugs. If recreational effects are desired,these amounts could increase at least tenfold. Further-more, the majority of these chemicals would be 'told-shaken" (a term referring to the opiate pilt being droppedinto the syringe, filled with water, shaken and injected intoa vein) instead of injected into the muscle.

The reason that heroin and other opiates are not ascommonly eaten for recreation is that the liver destroys themajority of the active ingredients. This calls for the opiate-eater to consunre much larger amounts to surpass this obstacle. Below is a chart that shows the marked increase indosage for eaters to equal 200 mg of orally ingested co-deine.

O4aL lt"ga;w* TaI'LOphte Oral llosags In mg

Lwophanol (Dlomoran)

Hyrhornrphon (DihrldiQ

Oxymotphone (Numotphan)

Mdutlone

O4rcodon€ (P€rcocat)

ltlorphlne

l,leloin

4

7.5

10

n30

60

60

Chapter EightDosage s, Addiction, P otential Dangers

It is very easy to see that heroin and morphine are notgood choices for eating! Eating 60 mg of heroin wastes 55mg! This nrans that the liver destroys 92Vo of the totaldosage. The gtower would be wasting his time eatingheroin if produced from poppies, unless he had a gardenthe size of a football field.

lq,f.n rcrt or.+ Oue /^or. lllaarr^;6*

Mainlining heroin is a very risky business when it conresfrom the street. When true fatal overdoses ire reported,they are usually because of the 'tut" found in street-levelsmack. Such comnnn allergy-producing cuts are babylaxative, baking soda, lactose, procaine, table sugar, andquinine.

Quinine, a non-phenanthrene alkaloid derived from theopium poppy, is a street adulterant used to make the ad-dict believe the heroin is more potent. It appears and tastesidentical to heroin" but can cause heart failure because ofits powerful vasodilatation properties. The rnajority of trueoverdose deaths are attributed to this opiate.

NEVER consunr alcohol or barbiturates when usingany opiate. Studies have shown a number of overdose fa-talities occurred when the s)4nergy of these three downerscarne into play. All of these drugs can cause respiratorydepression separately, but when combined, the user canexperience lung failure or can drown as his lungs becomefilled wittr fluid (pulmonary edema).

Another mystery surrounding the overdoses of knownaddicts is attributed to atmosphere. Addicts who normally

79

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

take 1-2 grams per day in the sarne environrnent die whentheir doses remain the same, but they change their sur-roundings. Surroundings can even refer to different peo-ple, weather conditions, music or time of day. This wouldreasonably funply that to shoot up safely, one must pick thesame spot and people (never IV alone) every time.

OtDbLl" Talardl "Q

Tolerance for opioids is another factor to consider whenpartaking for recreation. The user quickly finds that hernay take ever-increasing amounts and still not experiencethe satisfaction found when he first started using. It is forthis precise reason that many users detoxi$ their systemsto lower their resistance for a better rush.

This is the other lethal overdose demon: the addict stops(involuntarily or voluntarily) shooting up for a period oftwo weeks, and his tolerance goes down to zero. His usualtotal daily dose would be 1,200-1,500 mg. He attempts toIV using the sarne annunt that he was used to taking be-fore the abstinence, and dies almost instantly. Opiates arein a class by themselves in the tolerance factor. Alwayskeep this fact in mind before detoxing for increased effector relapsing after abstinence.

UlDe Ahi^t Dwx M;tllrnmla)

Because what goes up must corne down, heroin and itsabusable cousins are capable of producing sonp of theworst (non-deadly) physical and psychological withdrawal

80

Clnpter EightDosage s, Addiction, Potential Dangers

syrptoms known to man. When the tolerant user runs outofsupply, he can expect to feel the very equal and oppo-site synptoms from those that a good dose creates. Anxi-ety instead of well-being, uncontrollable diarrtrca insteadof constipation, high blood pressure instead of low, andterrible chills instead of the usual pleasant warmth whichaccompanies a fresh dose.

The reason why opium withdrawals are so nasty is di-rectly related to the section of the brain which opiates de-press. The locus coeruleus is a part of the bnain stem thatis responsible for fear, and when the depressant-opiatesare absent, the locus becornes hlperactive and sends mul-tiple agitation and alarm signals to the conscious part ofthe brain causing intense feelings of anxiety in tbe tolerantaddict.

The ability to cope with the conrcdown is what sepa-rates the npn from the boys. Severely addicted individualscan experience delirium trcmors and hallucinations harsherthan those resulting from a saturation dose of ISD. Chippers, people who control their addiction by only using onthe weekends, rarely experience such withdrawal syrptoms.

Hel^oh loL U;*,e to E4q+nbu@ Ml;ul;ox Pdot't^aL

Morphine and heroin can be used recteationally if theuser has a bit of conruron sense. The fint rule of opiate useis to limit frequency. An old Chinese proverb states that:"One who uses opium daily for a week has a lifelong

8l

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

quest." This is especially true when the opiates used aresynthetic. Never use ntore than two days consecutively,and always allow two weeks between each usage.

Smoking and snorting are two methods by which a per-son can get a synthesized 'frx" and not suffer such awfulwithdrawal symptoms. Snorting allows a full dosage with-out drawing blood, thereby circumventing dirty needle us-age and needle tracks. The rush when snorting isn't asthrilling, and the high not as high, but this is not alwaysbad.

Smoking is by far the safest route to download someheroin, morphine or opium gurn A user can determinepurity and dosage imnrediately, and overdoses for smokersare almost nonexistent. The downside to smoking is thatsome of the product (only applies to crystalline powders)gets charred and wasted in the process. Most smokerssprinkle their powdered product on tobacco or marijuanaand roll it into a cigarette and light up. The rush fromsmoking is almost immediate, and if the first-tirner doesn'tlike the feeling, he can get off the horse by simply puttingthe cigarette out.

There are a number of easy ways to srnoke opium if thepowders are not your idea of a good tirp. A match head-sized piece on a bed of tobacco in a marijuana pipe willsuffice for the first-tinpr. Since opium burns at a muchhigher terryerature than leaf rnatter, use a torch-t1pelighter.

Another popular way for experienced opium users to gettheir smoke on is the activated carbon glass-needlenethod. Take a dfune-sized piece of activated aquariumcarbon and top it offwith a small ball of opiurn Cover this

Chapter EightDosages, Addiction, P otential Dangers

with a clear drinking glass and heat a hypodermic syringeneedle with the torch lighter. Raise the glass slightly andtouch the opium with tbe heated needle. This will cause itto snnke, filling the glass with a narcotic cloud. Stick astraw under the rim of the glass and suck in the smoke.

Mltulata lo+ O7D;ttfra

If you or one of your friends should go out of controland eat too much opiunl shoot too much heroin or mor-phine, there are ways of getting back to earth. Opium isnot very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream via thestornac[ so when you think you have had too much, drinksonr symp of ipecac and it will rernove the remainingportion of the tar. Don't ery)ect to come down any soonerthoug[ as the system will have to remove the opiate-saturated portion of the bloodstream at its normal rate. Aweak solution of water and potassium permanganate (5grains in a half-pint) can be ingested and then expelled tomake sure all of the residue is washed oul

Amyl and butyl nitrate (poppen) can be sniffed tomaintain blood prcssure in the event of a heroin overdose.The lucky penon should then get a shong coffee (not hot)errcrna and be forced to move about to prevent the inevi-table onset of corna. Mld electric shock has worked onsorre addicts, and some people even keep s@ andadrenaline close by fu use in just such emergencies.

83

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grcw Opium Poppies Without Soil

CA;v,a Ml^d;ot" eutnlP OP;u.*' All;vfi

The Chinese would be expected to prepare chemicals fordetoxification, since they consider opium addiction veryanti-Confucian. This Asian ptant is hard to come by, but ifyou can get it in a seed catalog, Combretum sundaicum iswell worth it. Cook the mature leaves in a 350o F ovenuntil roasted and tlrcn prepare like tea by steeping in boil-ing water. It would appear as if the chemicals in the leafacts as a locusdepressant, allowing the user to comedown with a bit more ease.

84

Chapter NineGlossary

85

Chapter NineqLossnRv

ACETIC ACID: Oxygen-containing acid used in the her-oin refinement process. Chemical symbol HCzHrOz.

ACTIVATED CARBON: Pelletized carbon or charcoalthat is used in puriSing processes. It acts as an impuritysponge in the heroin refinement process.

AGGREGATE: Inert medium used to anchor roots in ahydroponic system; bricks, gravel and sand are examplesof aggregate.

ALBUMIN: Naturally occurring protein found in aninnls,eggs, and even some plants' exuded latex.

ALKALOID: Psychoactive nitrogen cornpound; some ex-amples of alkaloids are LSD, morphine and psilocybin.

AMMOMA: Noxious reactive chemical Chemical sym-trol: NHr.

AI.IALGESIC: Pain-killing drug; can be narcotic or non-narcotic in nature.

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

ANODYNE: Any chemical that relieves mental or physicalpain; alleviates distess.

ANNUAL: A plant that germinates and dies within oneyear.

ANTIDIARRHETIC: Chemical that promotes slower bo-lus movement or reduces water level in the lower gas-trointestinal tract.

ANTISPASMODIC: Chemical that calms nerves, therebyreducing muscle spasms.

ARTICLE 215: California law that allows for the dispens-ing of marijuana by the prescription of a physician.

ASBESTOS: Cancer-causing agent found in automotivebrake pads, ceiling tile and insulation used in the '70s.

B-1: Vitamin that encourages root growth; staves shockand wilt in newly tansplanted seedlings and clones.

BALLAST: Electronic device that regulates the high-volt-age needs of fluorescent and high-intensity dischargelamps.

BANG: Injecting a drug directly into a vein; also mainline,fix, slam, jam.

BLLJE-GREEN ALGAE: Beneficial plant form that formson exposed surfaces in a hydroponic system; removescarbon dioxide and saturates solution with oxygen.

86

Chapter NineGlossary

87

BUFFER: Any substance that helps maintain a constantpH in a hydroponic system.

CALCIUM CHLORIDE: Chemical commonly found infertthz,er, used to precipitate plant acids in the morphine-refinement process. Chemical symbol: CaCIz.

CHIPPER: A person that uses heroin only at intervals;weekend user.

CHLOROFORM: Noxious, volatile chemical that is usedfor an anesthetic. Used as a purifier in the heroin refine-ment process. Chemical symbol: CHCI3.

CODEINE: Narcotic found in the opium latex of thepoppy plant. Commonly used as an anrlgesic and expec-torant.

DAMPING OFF: A fungal disease caused by an atmos-phere that contains an excess of humidity.

DEMINERALITFD WATER: Water that has been dis-tilled and purified so that no solids such as calciunl existin solution. A necessity when doing chemical processeswhere no casual reactants can be involved.

DESICCANT: Drying agent; found in packets for elec-tronic equipment. Silica gel is the ingredient in mostcases. Drierite can be used in its place.

DIACETYL MORPHINE: Chemical correct name formorphine that has been bonded to acetic acid; heroin.

Ilydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

EBB AND FLOW: Hydroponic system that has the plants'roots stuck in aggregate and flooded, then drained at in-tervals.

ETHYL ALCOHOL: Alcohol that is derived from a plantsource such as corn or potatoes. Used as a solvent in theheroin refining process. Also called ethanol, chemicalsymbol: CH3CH2OH.

ETHYL ETHER: Highly explosive, volatile solvent usedin the heroin refinement process. Can be bought at mostpharmacies.

EXPECTORANT: Drug that loosens phlegm in the lungs.

FLOWERING STAGE: The time in a plant's life cyclewhen it puts all energy into producing seeds.

FRACTIONALIZATION: Process by which proteins areremoved from a nutrient solution via pressurized air inan air-water column.

GENETIC DRIFT: Mutations that occur when there areseveral attempts at inbreeding. Syrptoms include: low-ered potency, dd physical structure and vigor loss.

GERMINATION: hocess by which the plant breals fromits seed coat and sprouts.

HOMOGENOUS : Evenly distributed mixnre.

IIYBRID: Offspring of plants from different varieties.

88

Chapter NineGlossary

89

HYDROPOMC: From the Greek words'hydor," nrcaningwater, and "ponos," rneaning work. Type of gardeningthat does not use soil.

HYPNOTIC: A drug that induces hypnosis; drowsy state.

IBL: Inbred line. Offspring from plants of the same geneticcode.

LACTIFEROUS: Producing or containing milk.

LACTOSE: White, powdery adulterant used to cut rnanynarcotic mixtr,rres; derived from milk sugars.

LATEX: Milky liquid that exudes from sorne plants, usu-ally solidifies after exposue to air.

LEAF BLJRN: kaf+ip browning caused by an excess ofnitrogen in the hydroponic nutient solution.

LIFE-HOURS: Arnount of tinre from initid start-up toburn-out in light systems.

LINIMENT: Liquid medicine for the skin; acts as a balm.

LONGITUDE: The lines running north-south on a hemi-spherical or ovoid object.

LUMEN: Measure of light oueut. One lurcn is equal tothe amunt of light that wouH fall on a ore-square-footsurface one fmt away from a candle.

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Gruw Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

LYE: Caustic chemical used in a dilute solution to raisepH in a hydroponic nutrient solution. Chemical symbol:NaOH.

MAINLINE: Intravenous drug use; see bang.

MAWSEED: Synonym for the opium poppy.

MICRO-HAIR: Tiny hairs that form on the main root;used for anchorage and to draw in water and nutrients.

MERCK INDEX: Heavy-duty reference book that giveschemical synthesis for countless chemicals.

METHADONE: Synthetic heroin substitute; used in de-toxification and rehabilitation programs for addicts.

MORPHINE: Narcotic opiate derived from the opiumpoppy.

MUCILAGE: Adhesive gum secretion found in someplants; houses and binds the narcotics in opium poppylatex.

MIJRIATIC ACID: Commonly found diluted (32-35Vo)hydrochloric acid. Chemical symbol HCl.

MYLAR: Plastic reflective sheeting used to increase lightavailability to closet-grown plants. Mylar reflects over95Vo of the light that strikes it.

Clupter NineGIossary

9l

NITROGEN-FDilNG BACTERIA: Naturally occurringbacteria found in the soil or rggregate of a hydroponicsystem that prepares ammonium for uptake and usageinto plant.

NOSTRUM: Any cure-all medicine; snake oil.

N-P-K kimary nutrient percentage found on tbe labels ofall garden amendments.

OPIATE: Any narcotic that dulls senses, especially whenderived from the opium poppy.

OSMOSIS: Tendency of liquids to pass through porousmembranes like the skin.

PATNA OPILJM: High-grade opium grown near andshipped from Calcutta India.

PEAT POTS: Snall growing pots that are coryosed ofdried peat rpss; allows roots to grow though whenwet.

PERENNIAL: A plant that grows all year.

pH: Latin for pondus hydrogenii, it is a rrcasure of acidityard aftalinity. The pH scab range is 0-14, with 0 beingthe mst acidic, 14 the most alkaline, afr 7 being neu-Eal.

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil

92

PIIENANTHRENE: Active narcotic alkaloid found inopiurn fuomatic chemical used in explosives, dyes anddrug manufacturing.

PHOTOPERIOD: Amount of hours a plant receives in a24-hourperid.

POLYIJRETHANE SLABS: Layers of foam rubber usedas a rnedium for hydroponic systems. Can be found atany carpeting store or large gardening center.

POTASSI{.JM PERMANGAI{ATE: Chemical used as anoverdose remedy for opium eaters. Chemical symbol:KMnO4.

PROCAINE: Local anesthetic used to cut heroin and co-caine.

PSYCHOTROPIC: Refers to a drug that alters nrentalbeing.

PYREX: High-temperature glass used to manufacturecookware and utensils.

QUARTZ: Common hard mineral.

QLJININE: Non-phenanthrene alkaloid used to treat yel-low fever.

ROOTONE: A brand-nanre plant horrnone used to aidroot growth in clones and transplants.

Chapter NineGlossary

93

ROSETTE: A plant that has a circular flower.

SEED POD: Ovoid capsule that contains the seeds of theopium poppy.

SENESCENCE: Death of an annual plant after seed for-mation.

SODIUM CARBONATE: Basiffing agent used in heroinsynthesis. Chemical symbol: NazCOr.

SPECTRLJM: Visible light waves important to all photo-synthetic rcsponse. Spectrum range is red, orange, yel-low, green, blue, indigo and violet.

STOMATA: Breathing apparatus found in plant leaves.Responsible for all respiration within a plant.

STIGMA: Reproductive part of a plant that receives thepollen.

SYNERGY: Combined action of two or more drugs orparticipants.

TDS METER: Total dissolved solids; refers to the amountof non-water items contained in the nutrient solution ofa hydroponic syst€m.

THERMAL SCANNER: High-tectr" multimillion dollardevice that enploys super-cooled gases to detect ab-normally high heat emanating from a source. i

Hydroponic HeroinHow To Grow Opium Poppies lVithout Soil

TOLERANCE: Ability to resist a drug. Also, ability totake more of a drug with each consecutive usage.

TOP-DRIP: Hydroponic system that sees the plants re-ceiving small drops of water from a hose 1-2" above theroot line.

TOLJRMQUET: Any length of material used to wraparound a limb to raise blood pressure; makes it easier to"hit" veins. Some addicts use bandannas, rubber bands,surgical tubing, shoestrings or towels.

UV SCANNER: High-tech device used by the police todetect abnormal stray radiation emanating from sus-pected growing houses. They pick up the specific lightwaves emitted from HID's.

VASODILATATION: Lowering of blood pressure by adrug.

VEGETATIVE STAGE: The tinp in a plant's cycle whenit puts all its energy into growing taller and producingfoliage.

WATER SOLIDS: Dissolved chemicals commonly foundin tap water. Calcium and salt are cornnronly identifiedwater solids.

WICK SYSTEM: Hydroponic s)'stem that uses clothstrips immersed in a nutrient solution to draw liquidsinto a tight growing medium.

94

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-OPIUM POPPY GARDEN, Wlliam Griffith, Cultivation & Harvest, 77 p9s...............$14_PSYCHEDELIC UNDERGROUND LIBRARY Ronin Publishing, 190 pgs.................$24_UR{NE TROUBLE, Kent Holtorf M.D., Pass Drug Tesls, 200 pgs.............................$20_PLANTS OF THE GODS, Schultes & Hofmann, Hallucinogenic Powers, 192 pgs..$23_PSYCHEDELIC SHAMANISM, Jim DeKorne, Psychedelic Plants, 155 p9s.............$20_PASS THE TEST, Potter Ph.D. & Orfali M.A., A Guide To Drug Testing, 152 p9s.....$16

FS Book Company, P.O. box 417457, Sacramento CA95841Orders 1-800-635-8883 Questions 1-916-771-4203

CHEMISTRY TITLES-OXY Otto SnoW Narcotic Synthesis From Orienlal Poppies, 264 p9s........... ...$32

-GRANDDAD'S WONDERFUL BOOK OF CHEMISTRf, K. Saxon, 434 pgs..............$45-OPIUM FOR THE MASSES, Jim Hogshire, Cultivation & Harv€st, 112 pgs.............$18

-LSD-25 & TRYPTAMINE SYNTHESES, O,tto Snow, OverviedReference, 1s0 pgs..$23

-PSYCHEDELIC SHAMANISM, Jim DeKorne, Psychotropic Plants, 155 p9s...........$22

-LAUGHING GAS: NITROUS OXIDE, M. Shedlin & D. Wallechinsky, 88 pgs.............$14-CLANDESTINE LABORATORIES, Jack B. Nimble, Revised 1994, 124 pgs.............$20

-RECREATIONAL DRUGS, Professor Buzz, Lab "Cookbook", '160 pgs...................$25_PRACTICAL LSD MANUFACTURE, Uncle Fester, 115 pgs............................. ... ....$20

-SECRETS OF METHAMPHETAMINE MANUFACTUBE #€, Uncle Fester, 183 pgs,..$35

-AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESES, Otto Snow, Revised Industrial Edition, 276 p9s......$35

-ADVANCED TECHNIQUES / AMPHETAMINE MANUFACTURE, Fes{er, 189 p9s.....$32

-TOTAL SYNTHESIS ll, Strike, Meth & Ecstasy Manufacture, 291 pgs......................$38

-SOURCES, Strike, Reference of Supply Houses & Resources, 226 p9s.................$30_THE LITTLE BOOK OF ACID, Cam Cloud, 82 pgs.................. ............$12

-PIHKAL: A CHEMICAL LOVE STORY*, Alexander & Ann Shulgin, 978 p9s.............$22-TIHKAL: THE CONTINUATION-, Alexander & Ann Shulgin, 804 pgs................ . ... .....$25

-PSYCHEDELIC CHEMISTRI Michael Smith, Lab "Cookbook", 200 p9s................ $22-CANNABIS ALCHEMY D. Gold, The Art of Modern Hashmaking, 109 pgs.............$14

UNDERGROUND TITLES-THE ANABCHIST COOKBOOK, William Powell, Uncensored Edition, 160 pgs..... $30_PRIVACY: HOW TO GET lT, HOW TO ENJOY lT, Bil l Kaysing, 128 pgs....................$18

-THE WHOLE SPY CATALOG*, Lee Lapin, A Resource Encyclopedia, 426 p9s.......$45

-PAPER TRIP, Vol. lll, Eden Press, Master Guide to New ldentity, 159 pgs...............$29-1.D. BY MAIL, Eden Press, Get l.D, 20 Sources Fully lllustrated, 62 pgs.................$25

-POOR MAN'S JAMES BOND', K. Saxon, Weapons & Explosives, 476 p9s...........$39

-HOW TO GET ANYTHING ON ANYBODY, Lee Lapin, 2ffi p9s................ . ...........$40

-GASLIGHTING, Victor Santoro, How To Drive Your Enemies Crazy, 116 pgs........$15

-REBORN lN THE U.S.A., Trent Sands, Expanded Third Edition, 165 p9s...............$16-THE OUTLAW BIBLE, E.X. Boozhie, The Best'UailHouse" Law Book, 322 pgs....$20

MUSHROOM TITLES-THE MUSHROOM CULTIVATOR-, Paul Stamets & J.S. Chilton, 415 pgs...... ........$3s_PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS OF THE WORLD, Paul Stamets, 245 p9s........... ......$29

-GOUHMET & MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS-, Paul Stamets, 592 pgs...........................$45

-GROWING WILD MUSHROOMS, Bob Harris, Beginners Guide, 88 pgs..................$12

-INVISIBLE MARIJUANA & MUSHROOM GARDENS, Robert Bunch, 136 pgs..........$18PSILOCYBIN GROWER'S GUIDE, O.T. OSS & O.N. Oeric, 88 pgs............................$16

-PSILOCYBIN PRODUCTION, Adam Gottl ieb, Grower's Guide, 81 pgs.....................$10

-SACRED MUSHROOMS & THE LAW, Richard Glen Boire, 118 pgs.............. . . ...$12

-HALLUCINOGENIC AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS, G. Menser, 124 pgs.............$14_MAGIC MUSHROOMS AROUND THE WORLD, Jochen Gartz, 129 pgs.......

-FS BOOK COMPANY CATALOG, Pictures, Descriptions & Prices, 40 pgs.....

FS Book Company, P.O. Box 417457, Sacramento CA 95841Orders 1-800-635-8883 Questions 1-916-77'l-4209

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