Re: Why not go back to Opium SMOKING?

	Why does heroin have a higher adictive potential than opium? From what 
i understand, heroin is stronger than opiums principle active 
constituent - morphine, because it is more soluble in lipids, and can 
therefore cross the blood - brain barrier faster, resulting in a more 
intense high. Does anybody know why the effect is related to the rate of 
change of concentration, rather than just the concentration? Is there 
some sort of compensatory mechanism at work?
	Why isnt it possible to just use more morphine to get exactly the same 
effect? if the blood conc is higher, you would expect the rate at which 
it enters the brain to be higher also. Also, heroin has to be converted 
to morphine once it get into the brain.
	Does opium have a significantly different effect, as shuffle says, and 
if so what compunds are at work?
	Does heroin have a shorter length of action than morphine?
	On a slightly different note, why does crack have a shorter length of 
action than cocaine? It enters the brain faster, cuz its alredy in the 
freebase form and does not have to be converted first, right? But it 
isnt metabolised in the brain, so this shouldnt effect the half-life. Is 
it just that cocaine is only active while its concentration in the brain 
is rising?
	Why do freebase drugs get to the brain as fast as they do? Surely, the 
fact theyre hydrophobic would stop them dissolving in the blood so fast 
and efficiently. Iv heard that smoking crack can be up to 80% efficient! 
Is this bollox?

	hope my questions are in some way intelligent, cuz otherwise im gna be 
boring you guys!!

Benn



Shuffle²³ wrote:
> Well find some way to make high grade opium as widely available as heroin so
> i can go my usual 500 metres to score and we may have a chance at trying
> this out. I for one have always disliked the fact that by refining opium to
> heroin we seem to lose most of the psychoactive effect we see described by
> the likes of Coleridge et al. I've always wanted something that induces a
> dreamy, cosy opiate like state but opium is too bulky for traffickkers to
> shift and make $£$£$£ from so its really all a PIPE DREAM.
>
>
> "nvnvbnvn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> : After all, opium is a natural, pure substance straight from the poppy.
> Heroin
> : is a man-made chemical from highly processed opium.
> :
> : If we legalized opium everyone could just smoke the shit instead of
> spreading
> : diseases with dirty needles.
> :
> : Does every drug user want the _extreme_ powerful narcotic effect of a shot
> of
> : heroin?  No.  People like myself wouldn't mind smoking opium once in
> awhile to
> : relax.  I sometimes want a more profound drug than cannabis but I dislike
> : needles.
> :
> : Not to mention, as explained in "Opium for the Masses" (Amazon.com), opium
> : contains many more alkaloids than just morphine (which heroin is made
> from).
> :
> : Injecting heroin is akin to injecting THC.  Imagine not getting _all_ of
> the
> : cannabinoids from marijuana, but just THC?  Sounds retarded doesn't it.
> Well,
> : that's how heroin is.
> :