Opium and Alkaloid Works
Encyclopedia
The Opium and Alkaloid Works (OAW) is an Indian government
-owned company located in the city of Ghazipur
and the town Neemuch
.
and the extraction of related alkaloids (such as Codeine
phosphates, Morphine
salts, Dionine
, Morphine Hydrochloride, Thebaine
, and more). It is the country's largest producer of opium-related products.
, since 1820. In 1945, it began extracting alkaloid
s in addition to processing opium. The Ghazipur opium factory is mentioned in the novel "Sea of Poppies" by Amitav Ghosh.
, with 123 assigned to the Ghazipur factory and 104 to Neemuch.
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
-owned company located in the city of Ghazipur
Ghazipur
Ghazipur , or Ghazipur City, previously spelt Ghazeepore, is a city/town and a municipal corporation and headquarter of Ghazipur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghazipur Division and Sub-division...
and the town Neemuch
Neemuch
Neemuch or Nimach is a town in the Malwa region in state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Neemuch shares its north eastern border with state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Neemuch District. Nimach is an abbreviation of "North India Mounted Artillery & Cavalry Headquarters"...
.
Products
The enterprise's two factories specialize in the production of opiumOpium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
and the extraction of related alkaloids (such as Codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
phosphates, Morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
salts, Dionine
Ethylmorphine
Ethylmorphine is an opiate narcotic analgesic .Ethylmorphine was invented in Germany at Merck in 1884 and was used as a weaker alternative to heroin for all indications. Chemically, ethylmorphine is a morphine molecule with a -25 group substituted for the aromatic 3- group...
, Morphine Hydrochloride, Thebaine
Thebaine
Thebaine , its name coming from the Greek Θῆβαι, Thēbai, an ancient city in Upper Egypt, is an opiate alkaloid. A minor constituent of opium, thebaine is chemically similar to both morphine and codeine, but has stimulatory rather than depressant effects, causing convulsions similar to strychnine...
, and more). It is the country's largest producer of opium-related products.
Ghazipur factory
The Ghazipur factory has existed as the Benaras Opium Agency, an entity of the East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, since 1820. In 1945, it began extracting alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
s in addition to processing opium. The Ghazipur opium factory is mentioned in the novel "Sea of Poppies" by Amitav Ghosh.
Neemuch factory
The Neemuch factory was founded in 1933. In 1976, it began extracting alkaloids in addition to processing opium.Organization
After 1976, the Chief Controller of Factories, currently Shri Ajesh Kumar, replaced the Narcotics Commissioner (Who is Central Excise Commissioner on Deputation) of India as head of the OAW.Security
Security is deputed by members of the Central Industrial Security ForceCentral Industrial Security Force
The Central Industrial Security Force is a Central Armed Police Force in India.It was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on March 10, 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently made an armed force of the Union of India by another Act of Parliament passed on June 15, 1983. Its...
, with 123 assigned to the Ghazipur factory and 104 to Neemuch.
See also
- Opium licensingOpium licensingOpium licensing is a policy instrument used to counter illegal drug cultivation and production. It has been used in countries such as Turkey and India to curb illegal opium production...
- Opium poppyOpium poppyOpium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine , thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine...
- Opium WarsOpium WarsThe Opium Wars, also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, divided into the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, were the climax of disputes over trade and diplomatic relations between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire...
- Company rule in IndiaCompany rule in IndiaCompany rule in India refers to the rule or dominion of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent...
- Pharmaceuticals in India
- OpiateOpiateIn medicine, the term opiate describes any of the narcotic opioid alkaloids found as natural products in the opium poppy plant.-Overview:Opiates are so named because they are constituents or derivatives of constituents found in opium, which is processed from the latex sap of the opium poppy,...
and OpioidOpioidAn opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...
- Indian Narcotic Substances Act
- Commission on Narcotic DrugsCommission on Narcotic DrugsThe Commission on Narcotic Drugs is the central drug policy-making body within the United Nations system. Its predecessor, the Advisory Committee on the Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs, was established by the first Assembly of the League of Nations on December 15, 1920...
- International Narcotics Control BoardInternational Narcotics Control BoardThe International Narcotics Control Board is the independent and quasi-judicial control organ for the implementation of the United Nations drug conventions...
- Single Convention on Narcotic DrugsSingle Convention on Narcotic DrugsThe Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific drugs and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research...
and Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (includes "Article 21" — Limitation of Production of OpiumProtocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic DrugsThe 1972 Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was a protocol that made several changes to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs...
)