Mid Term

Mid-Term Paper Student’s Name Institution Course # and Name Instructor’s Name Submission Date Question 1: Discuss The "Opium Poppy" From Its Origin to Contemporary Times The opium poppy, more scientifically termed Papaver somniferum, is a living example of the interconnectivity between human civilization and the plant kingdom. Rooted in the Mediterranean region, this botanical miracle has been embedded in the fabric of human history, spreading itself over cultural, medical, literary, and socio-economic landscapes throughout the centuries (Lal, 2022). The opium poppy crops, since the ancient civilizations, have been a symbol of deep meaning, interwoven into human belief systems and rites. For the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek cultures, it was more than just a botanical specimen but also the medium through which they could access the depth of symbolism and spiritual meaning. The deities in the mythology of these cultures embodied the opium poppy more than its plant form and represented notions of sleep, death, and rebirth. In Greek mythology, the goddess of harvest and fertility, Demeter, was often seen holding the poppy flowers in her hands, the crimson color of its petals meant to symbolize the cyclical nature of life—its end and rebirth. Opium poppy started to play the leading role in religious ceremonies and rituals, as the ecstatic feeling was believed to be a way to reach the Divine and open the doors to the other world. These rituals, in turn, were meant to please the deities and to understand the secrets of the universe, and their peace and enlightenment came from the poppy's delicate blooms. Medically, the opium poppy’s legacy is one of unsurpassed usefulness and recovery. Ancient civilizations have used the opium poppy for its analgesic and sedative properties, and it has played a crucial role in pain relief and anesthesia during surgical procedures (Cruz & Rafful, 2022). The 19th century was a turning point as the isolation of morphine, opium-derived analgesic discoveries, which changed the entire field of medicine. Even to this day, morphine is an irreplaceable ingredient in the management of acute pain, but derivatives like codeine and thebaine are also exploited as alternative medicines (Kapoor, 2020). Still, medicines made from opium are in wide use today. The poetic literary masterpieces glimpse the opium poppy, especially in the Romantic novels. Famous authors like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas De Quincey outlined the irresistible and dangerous aspects of opium in their works, thus creating a unique blend of literary genius and opium's mystique. Coleridge's chief masterpiece, "Kubla Khan," is believed to have originated from a poppy-induced dream (Stroe, 2023). The poet's mind drifted to an ethereal realm, where the ether of the poppy was infused with a dazzling array of imagination. Furthermore, "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" by De Quincey is a heartfelt narration of the drug's impact on the mind, for it explores the concepts of altered realities and human existence. Not only does opium poppy cultivation have a positive effect on a country's economy, but it also carries a great danger. In the 19th century, the Opium Wars were ignited by the British East India Company's greed for the opium trade with China, which was the source of their profits. The competition for these regions led to geopolitical strife and worsened economic exploitation. The wars plunged the regions into turmoil and sowed the seeds of discord reverberating down the times. Although in modern times, opium is not as widely used as it was before, opium cultivation is still a significant income source for farmers in certain areas, especially in parts of Asia and the Middle East (Moore & Pithavadian, 2021). Nevertheless, this economic lifeline is often intertwined with the dark and dangerous aspects of the drug trade and organized crime, and it continues to grow the cycles of poverty, violence, and instability in the communities that are affected by it. References Cruz, S. L., & Rafful, C. (2022). A Brief History of Opioids and the Evolution of Concepts Associated with Substance Use Disorders. In Opioids: Pharmacology, Abuse, and Addiction (pp. 3-23). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/ Kapoor, L. (2020). Opium poppy: botany, chemistry, and pharmacology. CRC Press. https://www.routledge.com/Opium-Poppy-Botany-Chemistry-and-Pharmacology/Kapoor/p/book/9780789002020 Lal, R. K. (2022). The opium poppy (Papaver et al.): Historical perspectives recapitulate and induced mutation towards latex less, low alkaloids in capsule husk mutant: A review. J. Med. Plant Stud, pp. 10, 19–29. Available at https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/86971291/Opium_poppy_10_3_4_887_j_of_Med_Plant_Studies-libre.pdf?1654332987=&response-content- Moore, A. M. D., & Pithavadian, R. (2021). Aphrodisiacs in the global history of medical thought. Journal of Global History, 16(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1740022820000108 Stroe, M. A. (2023). Romanticism, ST. Coleridge and the origins of the Xanadu story. Creativity (2639–5614), 6(2). DOI 10.22381/c6220232 Question 2 The role of the Western Powers in the expansion of opium The role of the Western Powers in the expansion of opium and heroin from the 5th Century until World War II is a complicated and multifaceted story that includes interrelated cultural, military, economic, and criminal threads. From the 5th century onwards, the Western powers, notably the European nations, launched an exploration, colonization, and trade practice that would later impact the opium market for centuries (McCoy, 2021). In terms of culture, the Western Powers played a significant part in the spread of the use of opium and the development of opium derivatives. As the colonies and trading routes were set up in Asia, they met with the people who were using opium for healing and spiritual purposes. Western traders, who were already familiar with the opium culture, capitalized on this pre-existing cultural acceptance by promoting the recreational use of opium and its derivatives among both the colonial settlers and the indigenous population (Fortune, 2021). The cultural diffusion promoted the need for opium products, and therefore, that was the beginning of its widespread distribution. The military operations contributed to the opium trade being increasingly Westernized. During the 19th century, the European forces, led by Britain, conducted forceful colonial campaigns aimed at occupying opium-producing regions in Asia. The British East Indies Company, supported by military force, dominated the opium trade with China. The company managed to saturate the market with opium cultivated in India and managed to attain significant amounts of wealth (McDonagh & Wickes, 2020). This opium trade, with military backing, had not only consolidated the Western hegemony but also created the Opium Wars, which had caused immense suffering to the affected populations and strengthened Western control over profitable opium markets. Profits for Western powers came in abundance from their participation in the opium trade in economic terms. The opium trade was the very backbone of the colonial economies of the European merchants and the colonial administration as well, which brought large sums of money. Profits from the opium trade went into the...