Uhh.. so wait a sec. Are there massive legal opium-growing operations in the US?

Because like...opioids in various forms account for a huge chunk of prescription medications. Or do they just synthesize it? Where is it all coming from?

[edit on 12/3/09 by Yazman]
**I guess I should have put this in Narcotics Conspiracies... any mod can move it?

[edit on 12/3/09 by Yazman]

The funniest thing about opium in the United States, in my opinion... Is that it cannot be regulated. The most popular poppies grown in our grandma's backyards is the opium variety - papauver somniferum.
The only power the War on Drugs has, is that most people don't know this.

As for big Pharma, I think they contract Afghanistan and Tasmania to grow for medication use... Shame, we could be growing them and keeping the profit here, but then the people might find out that opium poppy seeds can be bought in any store. Or dried out in the floral shops.