Morphine-free poppy
23 September 2004
Beautiful yet sinister, opium poppies are floral factories for prescription painkillers and illicit drugs. Now future poppy-rustlers may have their plans foiled thanks to the creation of Norman, the no-morphine poppy, by Australian scientists. Antenna gets the seedy story.
This work was published in Nature on 23 September 2004
Image: CSIRO
What's special about Norman the
no-morphine poppy?
Normally the opium poppy's chemical manufacturing process makes morphine as its finished product - which can be turned into the addictive street drug heroin.
no-morphine poppy?
Normally the opium poppy's chemical manufacturing process makes morphine as its finished product - which can be turned into the addictive street drug heroin.
But Norman's production line stops short, leaving growers with a product called thebaine. Pharmaceutical companies use thebaine to make painkillers and drugs to treat addiction, but crucially it can't be made into heroin.
Opium poppies for the pharmaceutical industry are grown in secret locations in the UK.
'Poppies have to be grown under strict control to prevent them falling into the hands of those who might use them for illegal purposes.'
David Turley, crops expert, Central Science Laboratories
David Turley, crops expert, Central Science Laboratories
If Norman makes the grade it'll foil any thieves wanting to make heroin. But before they can be grown in the UK all new plants must be assessed to check there's no risk to the environment. This will take time, so the poppy thieves are not thwarted yet.
Image: Sarah Scorer