A comprehensive article from the DEA archives exploring (in great detail) the entire process of black-market opium production in the Golden Triangle area of Southeast Asia. Covers everything from an historical primer and good geographical information on the triangle, all the way to opium cooking techniques and the conversion process used to turn the raw opium into morphine, and eventually heroin for the street. Packed full of information and with a full glossary, it makes for one helluva read.

Continue reading "Golden Triangle Opium Cultivation and Processing" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 07:36 PM | Permalink

A rapid method for estimating moisture in opium samples was being looked for to enable rapid payment to Indian opium cultivators. Efforts were made to replace the traditional “hand parakh” system and conventional oven method with a method that would provide rapid, simple, precise and reproducible results. Results obtained with the microwave oven were within the acceptable limit, with a maximum standard deviation of only ±0.28, compared with the standard electric oven method.

Continue reading "Drying Opium Using A Microwave Oven" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 04:47 PM | Permalink

United States Patent: 6,177,567: A method for the preparation of oxycodone, and salts thereof, from codeine comprising oxidation of codeine to codeinone, formation of an dienolsilyl ether congener of codeinone in strong amine base, oxidation of the dienolsilyl ether congener using peracetic acid, and hydrogenation of the resulting 14-hydroxycodeinone product.

Continue reading "Method for Producing Oxycodone" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:48 AM | Permalink

United States Patent: 6,008,355: A process is provided for preparing oxycodone from codeine comprising either: (A) the steps of (1) oxidizing codeine so as to form codeinone; (2) converting codeinone to oxycodone in a two-step-one-pot reaction: first reacting codeinone with hydrogen peroxide in water in the presence of an acid at from about 15.degree. to about 70.degree. C. to form 14-hydroxycodeinone and then catalytically hydrogenating 14-hydroxycodeinone in its original reaction mixture to form oxycodone; or (B) the steps of (1) oxydizing codeine so as to form codeinone; (2) reacting codeinone with an acylating agent so as to form codeinone dienol acylate; (3) oxidizing codeinone dienol acylate with an oxidation agent in water or a solubilizing solvent mixture in the presence of an acid at from about 15.degree. to about 70.degree. C. to form 14-hydroxycodeinone; (4) hydrogenating 14-hydroxycodeinone in its original reaction mixture to form oxycodone.

Continue reading "Oxycodone from Codeine" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:47 AM | Permalink

United States Patent: 6,054,584: A process for extracting morphine from opium is described. In the process, opium is extracted with a basic alcoholic solution. The basic alcoholic solution is filtered and the alcohol removed from the filtrate to leave a residue. The residue is then extracted with a basic aqueous solution having a pH of at least 11. The basic aqueous solution may be filtered to remove any solid matter remaining after the aqueous extraction step, and then be stirred with a sufficient amount of a salt to avoid emulsion formation. The basic aqueous solution or filtrate is then extracted with benzene or toluene. Next, adjusting the pH of the basic aqueous filtrate to pH 8.5 to 9.5 allows the morphine to precipitate and be recovered.

Continue reading "Preparation of noroxymorphone from morphine" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:45 AM | Permalink

United States Patent: 6,054,584: A process for extracting morphine from opium is described. In the process, opium is extracted with a basic alcoholic solution. The basic alcoholic solution is filtered and the alcohol removed from the filtrate to leave a residue. The residue is then extracted with a basic aqueous solution having a pH of at least 11. The basic aqueous solution may be filtered to remove any solid matter remaining after the aqueous extraction step, and then be stirred with a sufficient amount of a salt to avoid emulsion formation. The basic aqueous solution or filtrate is then extracted with benzene or toluene. Next, adjusting the pH of the basic aqueous filtrate to pH 8.5 to 9.5 allows the morphine to precipitate and be recovered.

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Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:44 AM | Permalink

A shorter introduction to the major alkaloids found in Opium.

Continue reading "The Opium Alkaloids" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:33 AM | Permalink

A detailed introduction on the chemical structure of Opium alkaloids.

Continue reading "The Structure of Morphine" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:20 AM | Permalink

A note on the morphine content of lanced poppy capsules purchased as "dried flowers". Four opium poppy capsules, without seeds, which had already been used for opium production by lancing were analysed for their morphine content using a spectrophotometric method. The capsules were found to contain between 0.15 to 0.34 per cent of morphine.

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Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:16 AM | Permalink

The poppy capsules (with stalks not more than 10 cm in length) are thrashed, dried and then treated with an extracting liquid which consists of a solution of sodium bisulphite in water. The resultant aqueous extract is concentrated in vacuo using the "counter-current principle" method until it attains a syrupy consistency. The pasty substance thus obtained, which has a morphine content of 1% to 1.2%, is then treated with alcohol or other organic solvent. The solution-which, besides morphine, contains a lesser amount of other extractable material than the aqueous extract-is then distilled, yielding an extract having a morphine content of 2% to 4%. From this mixture of alkaloids in alkaline medium the morphine base can be precipitated by treating the mixture with ammonium sulphate in the presence of benzene. The product will have a morphine content of over 50%, and, by means of repeated precipitation or crystallization, it is possible to obtain from it the pure morphine base and morphine salts or semi-synthetic derivatives.

Continue reading "Hungarian Extraction of Alkaloids from Poppy Straw" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:15 AM | Permalink

Paper chromatography was used with good results for the determination of morphine in opium tincture. By this method, one can estimate the morphine content in opium. As only a small quantity of opium is employed, it is possible to determine the morphine content of opium from one poppy capsule - i.e., between 0.03 and 0.5 g of opium per poppy head, and to compare the morphine content in opium from successive lancings of the same poppy capsules. This report confirms the decline in morphine content with successive lancings.

Continue reading "Determination of Morphine in Opium by Chromatography" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 06:10 AM | Permalink

Bagels or Opiates, that is the question. This article describes how a "two bagel breakfast" can cause a false positive for opiate abuse in a urinalisys.

Continue reading "Poppy Seed Bagels and Urine Tests" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 04:04 AM | Permalink

Weighing in at over half a megabyte of information, resident mad scientist and forum member Guru brings us his comprehensive introduction to the basics of drug and pharmaceutical chemistry. Compiled from across the net and beyond, Guru's "big guide" is intended as a primer for the newbie chemist, but can also be a handy reference for the more experienced.

Continue reading "Guru's Big Guide to Chemistry" »

Posted by Ayatollah Jones at 01:25 AM | Permalink