Introduction

Poppy seeds, tiny but widely used in various culinary dishes, have been the center of controversy due to their potential to cause false positives in drug tests. One alarming case involved a new mother whose baby was taken away after she tested positive for drugs, a result of consuming a poppy seed salad. This raises an important question: Can poppy seeds themselves actually induce a high?

The Source of Poppy Seeds

The seeds come from the Papaver somniferum plant, the same plant that is the source of powerful drugs like opium and morphine. Due to the sensitivity of many drug tests to opiates, the U.S. Department of Defense advises military personnel to steer clear of poppy seeds in their diets to avoid any confusion during testing.

Can Poppy Seeds Induce a High?

But let’s get to the heart of the matter: Is it possible to experience a high from consuming poppy seeds alone? While these seeds typically lack intoxicating effects, it is conceivable—albeit dangerous—to get high from poppy seeds, particularly if the seeds are contaminated with opiate residues.

According to experts, while the seeds themselves are safe to consume, when harvested, they can pick up opiate residue from other parts of the poppy plant, especially if the seeds are unwashed or poorly processed. Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, explains that commercially available poppy seeds are usually processed to remove these residues. However, in some unregulated batches, the opiate levels can be startlingly high.

It would be quite a challenge to consume enough poppy seeds to achieve any actual high—estimates suggest you would need to eat around 130 pounds (59 kilograms) of them. This calculation comes from a study analyzing morphine and codeine concentrations in commercially sold seeds.

Poppy Seed Tea

However, a more potent method has emerged: brewing poppy seeds to create poppy seed tea. This concoction has gained a reputation online as a natural pain remedy, but experts warn that it's fraught with peril. Greenthal cautions that the preparation of poppy seed tea can lead to severe overdose and death because of the unpredictable levels of opiates present in different batches of unwashed seeds.

A harrowing 2021 study revealed that poppy seed tea was connected to at least 19 deaths and numerous nonfatal overdoses. Dependence is also a serious risk; in 2019, pain management physician Irving Haber recounted the story of a man whose spiraling use of poppy seed tea led to the breakdown of his personal and professional life. Haber’s clinic has treated several other addicted individuals, including an elderly woman who consumed half a gallon of poppy seed tea daily and a young man whose $1,000-a-week habit required methadone treatment for recovery.

Call to Action

In response to these alarming trends, Haber, along with the advocates of people harmed by poppy seed tea, is petitioning the U.S. government to ban the sale of opiate-contaminated poppy seeds. "We are just trying to close a door, so to speak, on another abusable source of morphine,” says Haber.

Conclusion

So, while enjoying a sprinkling of poppy seeds on your bagel may be harmless, the hidden dangers lurking in poorly processed seeds or their tea should not be taken lightly. The bottom line? Proceed with caution and be informed about what’s on your plate—your health could depend on it!