based on my experience and the information i've gathered from others, in raw form,
opium is currently available in three types: a black, sticky,
pliable lump, which is the milk of the
poppy pod, and can be called "
buds" or "
buttons" depending where you are; a red, rocklike, formerly powerdy lump, usually called "
red rock"; and a white, rocklike lump, usually called "white rock". (If I'm wrong on names or anything or missing something, let me know please!)
Opium is also the source for several derivatives, including the well-known morphine, codeine, and heroin, but also methadone, oxycodone (Percoset, OxyContin), mepiridine (Demerol), and laudanum (essentially a morphine tincture in brandy). All of the previously mentioned are controlled or illegal substances. http://opioids.com/offshorepharmacy/index.html provides potential sources for certain of these derivatives.
NOTE: Providing this URL does
not constitute my condoning use of controlled and/or illegal substances.
Breaking the law's bad.
One should note that
opium and the majority of its
derivatives are highly
addictive and, if used, should be used with caution.
As a sidebar, a
Google search on opium provided LOTS of Japanese sites that my
browser wouldn't support, lots of information on the
opium wars, lots of French pages about a
band called opium, lots about growing
opium poppies, and very very little on the actual
illicit substance itself.