Poppy plants were being grown to produce potent, addictive drug
Two men have been arrested after RCMP discovered a three-hectare opium poppy field in Chilliwack, B.C., the largest operation of its kind ever discovered in Canada. Police say there were more than 60,000 opium poppy plants were being grown to produce doda, an opium powder made by grinding the dried seed pod into a fine powder. The powder, normally consumed in tea, is a highly addictive and potent drug that produces a quick high followed by a sense of well-being. Codeine and morphine are also byproducts of opium poppy plants, which are used in pharmaceuticals and require a doctor’s prescription. The two men arrested could face charges of production of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking, police said.