Previous Year Question

Heroin is chemically known as Diacetylmorphine or Diamorphine. Its source is the Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum).

The latex obtained from the immature capsule of the opium poppy is dried to produce opium. Opium contains several natural alkaloids, of which morphine is an important one. Heroin is not obtained directly as a natural plant product; it is produced by the chemical modification of morphine.

The sequence can therefore be understood simply as—
Opium Poppy → Opium → Morphine → Heroin

In contrast, Indian hemp (Cannabis) yields cannabis-related substances, while tobacco and arecanut are not sources of heroin.