Also, not discussed much is how this drug makes its way from far-off growing areas to the United States. The abuse of heroin-whether by inhalation, ingestion, or injection-is the last step in a process of many, and it is those preceding steps that we will discuss. Opium poppyfields in the northern Shan State of Burma. Flowering Opium Poppy Mexican Black Tar Heroin Heroin #4, also known as Smack, China White, and Horse. .
Heroin is derived from raw opium gum, which is produced only by the opium poppy plant, although other varieties of poppy exist. The California, Flanders, and Oriental poppy are three types grown domestically. Poppy "both the opium-producing and non-opium-producing varieties "can be found in many different climates all over the world. Opium poppy has been grown in Asia for many years, and more recently has been cultivated in Latin America. About 60 percent of the world's opium is produced in the remote parts of Southeast Asia, especially in the aptly named Golden Triangle, which includes parts of Burma, Laos, and Thailand. Other primary growers include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Colombia, and Mexico.
The leading producers of opium poppy in the world are the hill tribe people of Southeast Asia. They live under very primitive conditions with no electricity and no running water. They are very poor "opium is their currency, and it is sold or traded for basic necessities like food, clothing, and utensils. Opium is also used locally as a substitute for modern medicines because few medical supplies are available in these remote areas. .
The hill tribe growers use a technique called slash-and-burn farming to prepare the poppyfields for planting. After all the trees have been cut down and vegetation cleared and burned, the farmers take handfuls of seed and spread them over the field. Poppies take about three months to mature, and the farmer may weed the fields once or twice during that time.