By The Canadian Press

Federal Government Asked to Greenlight Cultivation of Thebaine Poppies

Mar 14, 2016 | 11:33 AM

LETHBRIDGE – The federal government is being asked to unravel red tape to allow farmers to cultivate a type of poppy that is currently illegal to grow in Canada.

Thebaine poppies don’t have the same narcotic properties as opium poppies and are processed into pain relievers such as morphine, codeine and oxycodone.

Canada imports about $600 million worth of thebaine each year from Australia and Europe as the poppy is not available anywhere in North America.

API Labs of Lethbridge has been doing tests and would like to build a $120-million processing plant.

Supporters suggest thebaine poppy crops could put a lot of green into the pockets of Canadian farmers and manufacturers.

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Photo provided by API Labs