[Source]
A woman in China’s Guizhou province has been sentenced to prison for growing nearly a thousand opium poppies on the roof of her apartment building to allegedly use them as a spice for her hot pot.
Most important points:
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The woman, identified only by her surname Zhang, received poppy seeds from her father last year.
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She claimed to use the plants as a spice for her hot pot.
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Opium poppies produce opium, whose derivatives include drugs such as heroin, morphine, codeine and oxycodone.
The details:
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Zhang planted poppy seed given to her by her late father in October 2023 on the roof of her building.
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Police from the Taijiang County Public Security Bureau discovered more than 900 suspicious plants during a routine drone patrol in the area in February. They seized them and later confirmed that they were opium poppies.
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Speaking to authorities, Zhang admitted that she planned to use the poppies as condiments for her favorite hotpot dish. The plants produce opium, whose derivatives include drugs such as heroin, morphine, codeine and oxycodone.
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Last month, the Taijiang District Court Circuit Court sentenced her to six months in prison and a one-year suspension. She must also pay a fine of 3,000 yuan (about $414).
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The judge reminded people during the hearing that planting opium poppies is illegal and that authorities should be alerted if they see the plants in public.
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Under Chinese law, anyone caught planting between 500 and 3,000 poppies can face a prison sentence of up to five years, while planting more than 3,000 poppies can result in a prison sentence of five years or more.
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