How Collecting Opium Antiques Turned Me Into an Opium Addict

Thanks for posting this. It's been so long since the first time I read it. I wish I could've gotten into collecting this stuff when Steven Martin did - I'd probably do backflips if I found an authentic lamp or pipe for ten or twenty bucks. I tend to agree with him that the reasons for the disappearance of opium smoking (in most places) are at least as bound up in economic factors as legal ones. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for him to kick the habit, not just on a physiological level but an emotional one, as his entire life revolved around this stuff at the end. I think anyone with an interest in opium antiques should feel a sense of gratitude toward him for doing what he had to do to keep his collection intact so that others could learn from it. I hope he got to smoke at least one more time before he passed away. R.I.P., Steven Martin.

I beg to differ. For awhile in the late 80s/early 90s I was able to get authentic Afghani hash. It was opiated. Flat out superbomb shit. After a while it disappeared and all the friends I had plus myself had varying degrees of withdrawals. Sucked bad. It wasn't like full blown dope sick but definitely wasnt pleasant. And I don't recall working too hard to bring the addiction.on.

I'll never forget my first hit. Needless to say I wasn't prepared for it and wasnt warned about its potency. Had a buddy who rented a room at the Y. They were super tiny rooms so I was standing next to his bed and he more over.by the window and a third guy in between. This was a lucky arrangement for me since I was standing up when I did it. I was used to regular hash before this so I just took a normal hit. I literally blacked out for a few seconds after letting it out, fell backwards and if it wasn't for the bed catching me id have fallen straight back til I hit the floor. I came to and was just like, hooollyyy shhhittt.....

"Opiated hash sounds pretty nice too, though.."

As I recall, it was sold in long tin cans, and inside was a solid brick of black hash wrapped in wax paper. The brick itself had a stamp in the middle of it of a golden dragon. The story was that it was a stamp of purity. Whenever one of us got a new tin we all clamored for a piece of the dragon lol

That was middle to late 80s. Haven't seen anything like it since. It seemed that the Soviet invasion cut it off and it never came back

Any updated tips/tricks for YFO? Trying out a hodgepodge of recipes this weekend. Also throwing a humidifier and some fans in the room to speed things up and get it dry as a bone in there

Yes, (newbie sorry) Thanks!

After years of growing poppies and doing it wrong, i stumbled upon that bit of information that allowed me to make something worth smoking in my very own garden... When the poppies are done, dry the whole plant, collect the seeds, then grind the plants, pods, leaves, stems and all, to a powder and boil for a couple days. Strain to remove plant matter and reduce the liquid. When it starts to get thick, add some Calcium Hydroxide, aka "lime" and the morphine will precipitate as a base and fall to the bottom. Collect this white grit and add it to the next batch of goop you make, and suddenly your goop will be GOOD. otherwise it's not fit to smoke and I always just ate it.