PHILADELPHIA — A few hundred pounds of dried opium poppy pods have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia this month, authorities said. According to U.S ...

Opium poppy seeds contain negligible amounts of narcotics. ... as do other physical characteristics (number and shape of petals, number of pods, production of morphine, etc.).

This article was originally featured on The Conversation. The U.S. Defense Department issued a memo on Feb. 17, 2023, warning service members to avoid eating poppy seeds because doing so may ...

“Even though most of the opium is removed from the poppy seeds during processing, in some cases the seeds sold for use in foods still have a significant amount of opium — and thus morphine ...

There are two main uses for the opium poppy. It is a source of the opiates used in painkillers, the most biologically active of which are morphine and codeine. Its seeds are also used for cooking ...

Considered a seed and a spice, poppy seeds have been cultivated since at least the sixth century. Today, the world's largest producers include the Czech Republic, Turkey, Spain, Hungary, and France.

The U.S. Defense Department issued a memo on Feb. 17, 2023, warning service members to avoid eating poppy seeds because doing so may result in a positive urine test for the opiate codeine.