For years, I have been tossing my used seeds over a two week period every month into my yard, and most of the year, they are eaten by an ever growing flock of mourning doves (and they LOVE them), and a (by now) 3 year old possum. 

I had always read to sew them in the Fall to Winter, for Spring harvesting (zone 8a, I have no idea if this instruction is specific). However, it’s generally the ones I throw out in late Spring that seem to sprout and flower.  I have gotten them from several vendors over the years, and there is always several common or corn poppies amongst the flowers that bloom.  Not a majority, but enough to notice.  At first, I was irritated, but given that it was from seeds across various vendors’ supply, I figured it was inevitable. 

This year, it’s different.  As you can see from the pictures from my yard, I’ve got a small sea of common/corn poppies, and 3-4 sleepy time plants (circled, the 4th plant is too small to see).  Here’s the strange (to me) thing - I am not getting sick for lack of alkaloids.  I feel fine, in fact, and my pain for which I’ve been using it, is **almost** as diminished as before. I do think the relief may be slightly reduced.  Or, it could all be mental.  I’m open to the possibility.

Question for you all - apart from the obvious ethical issues surrounding selling and charging for something that may not be present, do you think there are still plenty of P. Somniferum in the bunch, and they just aren’t sprouting?  Or, are the seeds really so scarce (I’ve read about how weak they are) that all the vendors are selling us majority corn poppy seeds now?  Am I actually getting relief from the corn poppies at that level (I use these when I use up my oxycodone prescription early just about every month)?   And finally, are there any health implications to this?  

Thank you all for any insight or thoughts you may have! 

Seeds majority are not P. Som