BESTFBKL: I used to know a lady who used to make poppy seed cakes for some VVIPs Parties so that they and their guest can get a high. She was charging a profitable premium for the cakes. She even gave me one cake during Hari Raya and when i knew what was part of the ingredients I got really mad.
Hopping mad over poppy seed hoo-ha
BY AKIL YUNUSTHE STAR
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians who fancy adding poppy seeds to their dishes are fuming over a recent suggestion that its consumption could land them in jail.
The recent remarks by the police that those who consume it could be found positive for morphine if subjected to a urine test have generated plenty of criticism online, with most people defending the use of the ingredient and claiming that it does not give consumers any sense of “high or euphoria” as alleged.
Facebook user Melvin Chow said poppy seeds were actually rich in nutrients and not the same as taking opium, which is derived from the same plant.
“As a cook myself, consuming poppy seeds – which is added into curry or to bake cakes – do not give people the euphoric feeling as much as consuming opium itself.
“However, since it is derived from the poppy plant, the same plant used to produce opium, it can result in false positive results in the consumer’s system, even if they do not take any opium,” he said.
Another Facebook user Martha Cheelan said she had previously eaten muffins filled with poppy seeds, but had never gotten “high”.
Meor Hizmin agreed that consuming poppy seeds could lead to a “high” similar to taking drugs, but that it would require a large portion before the effect kicks in.
“It’s true, but you’d need to eat like a dozen poppy seed cakes all at once to even get a small dose. Your stomach would probably explode before that happens,” he quipped.
Shahrulazwad Ismail said while urine tests could detect poppy seeds in a person’s system, it did not produce the same effect as the drug (opium).
Others claimed that poppy seeds were good for health and had been widely used in Malaysia to make Indian dishes such as kurma and fish head curry, without any side effects.
“In Malaysia, mamak food and kurma contain poppy seeds. It’s good for health,” said Sunil Raj.
“They use this plenty in mamak kari kepala ikan (fish head curry),” wrote Facebook user Kijalena Bay.
Another netizen going by the name Shea Hml said the police were “making a mountain out of a mole hill”.
“Been eating kas kas since I first tasted curry in my life ... and I am still sober,” she wrote.
