The title of this little book says it all. Opium has been a staple of folk remedies and recereational drug use since before the first stone in the Pyramids at Giza was laid. Taken as a tea, or eaten, opium is less dangerous than coffee. The effects are mild, and pleasant. The propaganda of the last 75 years is nothing short of criminal. Hogshire's approach to his subject is two-fold. First, he presents a history of the venerable Papaver Somniferum. Then he shows the reader how to obtain opium containing poppies and extract the drug from them. Provided you exercise some common sense and discretion, the potential for running afoul of the law is virtually nil. A truly valuable primer on the use of the oldest of tonics and medicines, and tonic in itself for what it does in setting the record straight about this supposed "hard" drug. Even if you have no intention of using opium, this is a must read for anyone interested in contemporary drug-policy, and why it has so miserably failed.

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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good history of opium but not worth the money, May 30, 2002

By A Customer

This book is a decent overall history of opium use with a bit of the authors two cents thrown in.The aftertitle is very decieving though since a very minute portion of the book is dedicated to telling the reader about the extraction process even though the information is correct.I gave it three stars because the content is good but the opium extraction methods and preparation techniques are widely available on the internet for free so,basically the book is a waste of money for that purpose.Vaults of Erowid and the Lycaeum give all this information with no charge and tons more,save your money folks.
Ponder the arcane workings of capitalism...

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of proselytizing; little botanical info, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This is a fairly comprehensive guide, taking you through the history of opium use to how to buy or harvest it to how to use it.

However, Jim spends a lot of time on the benefits of this "wonderful" drug, so full of mysteries, etc. etc. etc.

However, my interest was primarily botanical (I grow thing like this for the challenge & novelty), and in that department it is fairly disappointing.

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First off the title is simply false advertisement. There is definitely nothing practical about this book at least not having to do with "growing poppies or making... Read more

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1.0 out of 5 stars Don't be a fool.
I am in fact, a card-carrying member of the ACLU. I don't believe that there are "dangerous books" any more than I think there are "dangerous ideas". Read more

Published on January 8, 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars A little good info, a lot of slanted commentary
Aside from a small amount of information actually related to a "practical guide," this book consists of one-sided, often unrealistic platitudes about opium. Read more

Published on April 4, 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Opium is Very Good....And So is This Book!
Oh my, I can't put into words the joy I experienced from the reading of this book. Jim Hogshire is a master craftsman and I felt like I was listening to an old friend talk about... Read more

Published on March 28, 2001 by Winchester Leroy

2.0 out of 5 stars opium for the masses
Opium for the masses is a very general overview of the history, cultivation and production of opium. The chapters were short and left me without a complete understanding. Read more

Published on March 18, 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars And so it goes
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Published on January 31, 2001

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