India’s Central government is planning to collaborate with the private sector to enhance the production of concentrated poppy straw (CPS) from the country’s opium crop for medicinal purposes. These are then exported to several countries.
Understanding Alkaloids
Alkaloids are a large group of naturally occurring organic compounds containing nitrogen atoms, which lend them their alkalinity. Some well-known examples of alkaloids include morphine, strychnine, quinine, ephedrine, and nicotine. The medical properties of alkaloids vary greatly. Morphine, for instance, is a potent narcotic used for pain relief. Codeine, derived from morphine and found in the opium poppy, is an excellent analgesic and is relatively non-addictive.
Poppy Straw: An Overview
Poppy straw refers to the husk that remains after opium has been extracted from pods. Although it contains a minute amount of morphine, it can provide a high if consumed in significant quantities. State Governments regulate the possession, sale, and use of poppy straw under the State Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Rules. Farmers can sell poppy straw to those licensed by the State Governments to purchase it. Any excess poppy straw is either ploughed back into the field or is liable to prosecution under the NDPS Act if misused.
Current Extraction of Alkaloids
Currently, India extracts alkaloids solely from opium gum at facilities overseen by the Revenue Department in the Ministry of Finance. This process involves farmers manually lancing the opium pods and selling the gum to government factories. However, the Ministry is planning to adopt newer technologies following successful trial cultivation by two private firms. The results showed higher extraction of alkaloids using CPS, leading the Government to consider a public-private partnership model.
Introduction of the Partnership Model
Opium poppy can yield two types of Narcotic Raw Material (NRM): Opium gum and CPS. Up until now, only opium gum has been produced in India. But the Government of India has decided to also start CPS production. Stakeholders will develop an appropriate model involving public-private partnerships and suggest necessary changes to facilitate private investment and recommend security measures. The firms that conducted the trials faced legal issues in acquiring licenses from State governments to manufacture bulk alkaloids on their premises, which will need to be resolved.
Significance of the Move
The extraction of alkaloids from the current opium crop using CPS was found to be higher than that from opium gum. Further, with the use of CPS variety of seeds in an indoor greenhouse environment, it is possible to have two or three crop cycles in one year. The use of CPS extraction methods is expected to reduce reliance on imports of products like codeine for medicinal uses as the acreage of India’s opium crop has been steadily decreasing over the years.
Opium Cultivation In India
Cultivation and manufacture of opium became the responsibility of the Central Government after India’s independence. Presently, the Narcotics Commissioner oversees all aspects of cultivation and production of opium. The Government of India announces the licensing policy for opium poppy cultivation annually, outlining the rules and regulations for cultivators. Currently, opium poppy cultivation is confined to three states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. India is one of the few countries allowed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to cultivate opium poppy for export.
Uses of Opium
Opium has unique therapeutic value and is indispensable in the medical world. It is also used in Homeopathy and Ayurveda. The opium, which is used as an Analgesic, Anti-Tussive, Anti spasmodic and as a source of edible seed-oil, acts as a medicinal herb.