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There's plenty of rumors about poppies that have been grown
for low morphine content, etc., but that's bunk

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A research project was established at Tasmanian Alkaloids in 1994 in order to develop a high thebaine poppy variety to meet the anticipated demand. Several methods to block the synthetic pathway at thebaine were considered. The merits of mutagenesis versus genetic engineering were debated and the decision was made to utilise mutagenesis, which has proved wise considering the uncertainty regarding genetic engineering. Prior to starting a mutagenesis program, the techniques of inducing the appropriate rate of mutation, and most importantly, the screening techniques, were developed. Mutagenesis has been used in P. somniferum previously but the alkaloid content of large numbers of individual plants had never been tested. Tasmanian Alkaloids developed an analytical method capable of screening 1000 plants per week. The method utilised a tiny droplet of latex collected from an excised leaf. The droplet was extracted in a buffer, and analysed by HPLC utilising a very rapid method. This allowed non-destructive qualitative analysis of young seedlings for the major alkaloids found in latex. Plants with unusual alkaloid profiles were re-tested, and those passing the second test were grown to maturity.

A large number of alkaloid mutants were selected from the M2 population using this method. The most important selection commercially was the 233rd selection, which came to be known as Norman. This plant was free of morphine and codeine, and its latex contained just two major alkaloids, thebaine and oripavine. Oripavine has never previously been available in quantity. It can be methylated to produce thebaine, using a similar process to that used to produce codeine from morphine. Subsequent generations have shown that the morphine-free characteristic is due to a single recessive gene. This new variety was first grown commercially in 1996/7 (500 ha). Since that time the crop area sown to this variety has increased at 50-100% per annum, and it now comprises more than 60% of the crop contracted to Tasmanian Alkaloids. Norman produces approximately the same quantity of alkaloid per hectare as conventional varieties, but as thebaine and oripavine instead of morphine.

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