Codeine made from Petroleum

I just thought this was very interesting. It is no longer made from the poppy .

en.wikipedia.org...


Admin Edit: fixed spelling in the title.

[edit on 27-9-2008 by Crakeur]

It's CODEINE.

Codeine is the most widely used, naturally occurring narcotic in medical treatment in the world. This alkaloid is found in opium in concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 2.5 percent. However, most codeine used in the United States is produced from morphine. Codeine is also the starting material for the production of two other narcotics, dihydrocodeine and hydrocodone.

www.streetdrugs.org...

reply to post by Benarius


You were much nicer than I would have been...

Let's hear it for sympathy!!

Although Amatrine is quite correct that it can also be synthesized from petroleum or coal tar:

Source
After a large percentage of the opium and morphine in the US National Stockpile of Strategic & Critical Materials had to be tapped in order to ease severe shortages of medicinal opiates -- the codeine-based antitussives in particular -- in late 1973, researchers were tasked with and quickly succeeded in finding a way to synthesis codeine and its derivatives and precursors from scratch from petroleum or coal tar using a process developed at the United States' National Institutes of Health.

Though I'm not sure what's surprising about this. I guess it's pretty interesting in a historical/geopolitical way?

You just copied the same link !

reply to post by Benarius


Since you apparently hadn't followed it, yes.

EDIT: Maybe this one will make you happier?

Source
On January 22, 1979, Dr. Kenner Rice of the LMC discovered the critical chemical reaction enabling large-scale production of totally synthetic morphine, codeine, and thebaine, the three basic raw materials in opium.

I'm still not sure what the interest or relevance is, but codeine can in fact be synthesized in a lab.


[edit on 9/27/08 by americandingbat]

I never disputed THAT fact. But why you're repeating yourself again. I read the first, second...yes and you're NEW source. Thanks.

I'm sorry then, I must have misunderstood your first post, and chapter29's post. I understood both of them to be, basically, making fun of amatrine's statement that codeine could be synthesized from petroleum products.

If that is not the case, then I apologize. I just didn't want to see her/him ridiculed for posting a true statement.

I just thought it was interesting. I remember another thread of things that were made from petroleum, and never would have guessed that. I was looking up codine, as I am allergic to opiates and just checking to see if it was one, as I am in a lot of pain rite now. Sure enough it is.

Try Ultram (Tramal). They are opioids. They act like opiates, but are not. In my case of opiate allergy it worked. I took them before and after my back surgery.

reply to post by amatrine


Sorry to hear you're in pain -- I hope you find something that works.

It is interesting -- at least, I think chemistry is interesting. But I didn't know if you were getting at something larger.

Hope you feel better

Originally posted by Benarius
Try Ultram (Tramal). They are opioids. They act like opiates, but are not. In my case of opiate allergy it worked. I took them before and after my back surgery.

Thanks, I will look into that.

Ama