Patent No. 587685 Disclosed is a poppy straw comprising a poppy straw of a stably reproducing Papaver somniferum having thebaine constituting 95% by weight or greater of an alkaloid combination, and having oripavine constituting 5% by weight or less of the alkaloid combination, wherein the alkaloid combination comprises morphine, codeine, thebaine and oripavine; and wherein thebaine constitutes 3.0% or greater of the poppy straw on a dry weight basis.