This was the claim of a man in Nanjing who recently came afoul of the law for growing opium poppies on his rooftop and balcony. He’d been dobbed in by his neighbours, fearful that something more sinister was in play.
Residents in many parts of Nanjing are fond of a spot of DIY horticulture. They may simply grow flowers to beautify their window sills, or might attempt a mini allotment in the warmth of a south-facing balcony, cultivating chives or other such condiments.
But some green-fingered residents in our city recently came across a sight they found to concern them. Opium, being grown right in front of their very eyes, on the roof of their very building.
Hence a call was made and soon local police were on the scene, together with the District Drug Control Office and staff members of the relevant sub district.
They discovered the owner to be a man living in the building surnamed Sun, reports The Paper. Further investigation took the officers to Sun’s apartment, where they discovered more poppies growing in a plant pot.
Lv Xiaoping is with the Nanjing Public Security Bureau Taihuai Branch on Ruijin Lu’s community policing unit.
“We asked him why he planted them. He said it was just for fun”, said Lv. “He admitted that he planted the opium plants.”
Sun in addition said that meats roasted with poppy seeds become more fragrant.
But Sun also argued with the police, saying, “What’s the relationship between planting and playing?”.
He was then shown the Anti Drug Law that had been brought to the scene. It therein stipulates that the illicit cultivation of more than 500 opium poppies constitutes a crime.
But Sun had only 13 poppy plants. “Which law stipulates that planting one tree is no good”, he asked.
Officers decided on no further action, other than the educating of Sun and the removal of the plants.
Sun is correct in one aspect, however. Poppy seeds are indeed a flavour enhancer often used to thicken sauces. Their nutty texture can be found in Indian cuisine dishes such as Korma. Poppy seeds also add a pleasant crunch to salads, yogurt and baked goods.
And that includes the popular poppy-seed-encrusted bagel. While the poppy seeds themselves do not contain any opiates, they do become frequently contaminated with a morphine residue while the plants are being harvested. The Encyclopaedia Britannica makes mention of numerous anecdotal reports of eating just one poppy-seed-encrusted bagel resulting in someone failing a drugs test.
