http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/opium-made-easy/

This article was posted on givemesomethingtoread.com recently, and it piqued my interest for several reasons.

First, the article itself was published April 1st, 1997.  I'm not entirely sure how or why it got dredged up from the murk of days gone by, but it did.  The article was fascinating, not just due to its content, but also as a period piece.  The world has changed a lot since '97.  When that article appeared, I was six years old.  If I had read it then, it would have led to a lot less comprehension and many more awkward questions than resulted from reading it now.  

The focus of the article was the effect of the War on Drugs on the cultivation of the opium poppy in the United States.  I haven't heard any recent reports on gardeners and their homemade drugs, but then again, I'm far from up to date on the latest news in the horticultural biz.  Instead, the current news on poppies is their growth in Afghanistan, where they are a major cash crop.  You don't hear about SWAT teams raiding people's backyards, because the government is busy burning crops overseas.  While Pollan's experiences could be regarded as old news, they are better understood as a part of the government's politically driven attitude to drugs.

"Opium Made Easy" is also interesting because of the change in policy it describes.  Towards the end of section 8, a comparison is made between the modern War on Drugs and Prohibition in its time.  While alcohol was frowned upon, opium use, often in the form of laudanum, was common.  Throughout history, different drugs have gone in and out of fashion as culture's definition of morality changes.  Today, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco are common while users of other drugs.  However, our current definitions are changing, as stricter laws regulate tobacco and medicinal marijuana is legalized.  Who can tell what substances will fall in or out of vogue in the future?

Finally, I found Michael Pollan's tone throughout the piece to be the most interesting facet of the article.  He seemed genuinely fascinated with the material, but out of a general curiosity, rather than an interest in illicit substances or laws regarding horticulture.  He began his poppy project to see if it could be done, and its scope grew as a response to what he learned.   This approach to gardening particularly appeals to me, though as an approach to life in general.  Several times Pollan attributes his interest in growing the ungrowable to the nature of gardeners.  However, I think it is merely the gardener's symptom to a greater sense of curiosity.  It is that same feeling that drives science and exploration.  I could see myself deciding to grow a troublesome plant, just to see if I could, rather than because that plant or horticulture held any particular allure.

Having read "Opium Made Easy", and thus absorbing the criminalizing knowledge, I don't think I'll be attempting to grow any poppies any time soon.  That impulse was beaten by the description of the crack down on growers.  However, I might consider my own adventure in horticulture, hopefully staying on the right side of the law.