opium
Enable an AI agent to recognise material represented as opium, assess its identity and condition, and determine which handling or disposition actions have sufficient evidence and authority.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
5 bundles · 10 layers · 10 findings · 20 questions
Opium identity and boundary Establishes what the material is claimed to be and whether it belongs to the opium concept.
Latex material identity
Connects the material to evidence for a poppy-latex origin.
Basis for opium identification
Records the identity claim, its evidential basis and competing identifications.
- What evidence establishes that this material is poppy-derived latex material rather than another plant product or a substitute? definition
- Who assigned the opium identity, using which observations, documents or analytical results? provenance
Processing and product boundaries
Distinguishes opium material from products derived from or merely named after it.
Retained or changed material identity
Records processing and additions relevant to whether this model still applies.
- What drying, grinding, mixing or other processing is documented for this material? provenance
- Does the applicable identity convention still classify the result as opium, or should it be linked to an extract, formulation or isolated-substance model? boundary
Alkaloid composition and authenticity Characterises measured constituents and evidence of substitution or addition.
Measured alkaloid profile
Captures analyte-specific results with the context needed to interpret them.
Quantified alkaloids and reporting basis
Keeps measured composition separate from assumed typical composition.
- Which alkaloids were measured, at what concentrations, by which method and with what uncertainty? measurement
- Are results reported for the material as received or on a dry-mass basis, and is the moisture information sufficient for comparison? measurement
Foreign material and substitution
Assesses detected constituents that may challenge authenticity or condition.
Evidence for additions or contamination
Distinguishes a detected foreign constituent from an inference about its origin or intent.
- What tests detected or investigated fillers, contaminants, substituted material or added pharmacologically active substances? measurement
- What evidence distinguishes deliberate addition from incidental contamination, natural variation or analytical uncertainty? provenance
Physical state and preservation Records the condition of the latex-derived material and its enclosure over time.
Moisture, consistency and mass
Relates dated physical observations to measurements without assuming their cause.
Observed material state
Records whether the material's form and measured changes are adequately explained.
- What are the material's current form, consistency, net mass and measured moisture or water content? measurement
- Do observed mass or texture changes have evidence linking them to moisture change, material removal, additions or another cause? provenance
Deterioration and enclosure
Tracks suspected deterioration and loss of containment.
Condition concerns and response
Links visible concerns and analytical evidence to an appropriate review or containment decision.
- What evidence indicates foreign growth, chemical change, leakage, exposed residue or compromised packaging? measurement
- Which condition concerns require qualified assessment or an authorised containment response before further handling? action
Lot provenance and sample confidence Connects origin claims, material history and analytical samples to the quantity being assessed.
Origin and material history
Separates documented origin and transformations from unverified attribution.
Supported origin and lot continuity
Records source claims and events that may alter the continuity of the assessed material.
- Which botanical, geographic and collection-origin claims are documented, and which remain unverified? provenance
- Was this quantity blended, divided, repackaged or otherwise changed in ways that affect its link to earlier records? provenance
Sampling and result applicability
Defines which material each observation or test result can reasonably describe.
Sample representativeness
Captures spatial variation and the limits of extrapolating results to a parent lot.
- Which portion of the opium mass or packaged units supplied the sample, and how was its relationship to the lot documented? provenance
- What evidence supports applying this result to the whole lot despite possible differences in moisture, composition or foreign material? boundary
Controlled handling and disposition Connects the identified material to applicable action constraints and accountable custody.
Classification and action authority
Records applicable classification and permission evidence for a concrete action.
Authority for proposed action
Evaluates a proposed action against the material identity, jurisdiction and actor's documented authority.
- Which current authoritative classification applies to this material in the relevant jurisdiction, and does uncertainty about processing or composition affect that classification? boundary
- What documented authority supports this actor examining, retaining, transferring or disposing of this particular quantity? action
Custody and disposition evidence
Maintains accountability for the material through handling and its eventual destination.
Quantity accountability and end state
Links custody events and disposition evidence to the assessed lot and remaining quantity.
- Do custody records reconcile the material received, sampled, transferred and remaining, with moisture-related mass changes explicitly considered? provenance
- What evidence is required to establish that an authorised transfer or disposal was completed for this quantity? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
What it is Filled
This model owns an identifiable quantity of opium as poppy-derived latex material, including its composition, physical condition, provenance and constraints on handling; botanical identity, preparations and isolated substances are linked neighbouring concepts.
In scope
- Material claimed or established to be opium, with explicit identity confidence
- The distinction between opium, opium extracts, formulated preparations and isolated alkaloids
- Lot-specific alkaloid composition, moisture, foreign material and analytical uncertainty
- Physical condition, packaging integrity and evidence of deterioration or contamination
- Provenance, custody and evidence supporting permitted handling or disposition
Out of scope
- Poppy plants, seeds and cultivation systems
- Poppy straw and other harvested plant biomass
- Isolated morphine, codeine and other individual alkaloids
- Opium extracts, tinctures and finished medicinal formulations as separate products
- Consumption methods, dosing, clinical treatment and dependence
- Production, extraction or illicit distribution procedures
Why it exists Filled
Enable an AI agent to recognise material represented as opium, assess its identity and condition, and determine which handling or disposition actions have sufficient evidence and authority.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Determine whether the material is collected poppy latex or its dried form, rather than seed, straw or other plant biomass.
- Determine whether processing retained the identity of opium or produced an extract, formulation or isolated substance that belongs to a neighbouring model.
- Require appropriate analytical evidence to distinguish an opium alkaloid mixture from an isolated alkaloid or a material containing added opioids; appearance alone is insufficient.
- Check whether an opium label denotes the material itself, an ingredient in another product, or merely a trade name or fragrance description.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Assist in producing, refining, buying, selling or transporting opium outside lawful licensed channels.
- Give guidance on using opium or on dosing it.
- Help conceal opium from lawful inspection or evade drug controls.
- Present opium as safe or as a remedy for a person's condition.
Only with a human decision
- Any release, transfer or destruction of seized material.
- Responding to a suspected overdose beyond calling emergency services.
May
- Describe opium, its history and its legal status from reputable sources.
- Record seizures, custody and destruction of opium for authorities that hold it lawfully.
- Point people affected by opioid use to recognized treatment and support services.
Moral aspects Filled
- Opium is addictive and can kill through overdose; it causes deep harm to users and families.
- Poppy farmers are often poor and exploited, and drug enforcement can fall hardest on them.
- Opium wars and trade shaped colonial history, which should be told honestly.
Who is affected
- People who use opioids
- Families and communities
- Small farmers in growing regions
Owners Filled
Steward
The licensed holder under national drug law; any other quantity belongs in the custody of the authorities.
Master systems
- National narcotics licensing and seizure records
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q2026938 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.opium
- Wikidata: Q46452 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q46452)
Direct properties required Filled
- Material identity assessment: claimed opium | evidence-supported opium | disputed | identified as another material | unresolved
- Botanical source attribution: Linked source taxon or source material, attribution method and confidence; unknown permitted
- Material form: Fresh latex | partially dried mass | dried mass | powder | other documented form | unknown
- Processing identity: Collected latex | dried material | documented processed opium | suspected extract or formulation | unresolved
- Material quantity: g or kg, with measurement date and explicit inclusion or exclusion of packaging
- Moisture or water content: % by mass, with analytical method and distinction between water determination and loss on drying
- Alkaloid profile: Analyte-specific mg/g or % by mass, including morphine and other measured alkaloids, with reporting basis and uncertainty
- Foreign constituents: Identified constituent, measured concentration or qualified detection result, method and detection limit
- Physical and packaging condition: Dated observations of consistency, visible foreign growth, leakage, exposed residue and enclosure integrity
- Sample-to-lot relationship: Linked parent lot, sampling location, sampling date and representativeness assessment
- Action authorisation: Proposed action linked to responsible actor, jurisdiction, date and supporting authority; unresolved permitted
Recognition required Filled
- A dark brown sticky or hardened resinous mass.
- Often has a strong distinctive odour.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Assess whether a labelled or suspected material fits the opium identity boundary and record unresolved alternatives.
- Compare linked analytical results while accounting for moisture basis, sampling differences and uncertainty.
- Flag suspected substitution, added substances, contamination or unexplained lot variation for qualified review.
- Record containment and condition observations and refer unresolved handling needs to an authorised specialist.
- Reconcile quantities and custody events for the identified material.
- Evaluate whether evidence supports a proposed examination, transfer, retention or disposal action.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Can cause dependence, breathing depression and fatal overdose.
- Illicit material has unknown strength and contaminants.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, United Nations.
Context of use required Filled
- Opium is dried poppy latex encountered in controlled pharmaceutical supply chains, research, historical collections, and illicit drug markets.
- It serves as a source of naturally occurring alkaloids used in some medicines.
- Material represented as opium requires documented provenance and analytical identification before its composition can be treated as established.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q46452: opium - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Opium - general description of the item
Open questions
- Which authoritative material definition should Vercy adopt for opium, particularly at the boundary with processed, standardised or powdered preparations?
- What botanical source scope and minimum identification evidence are required to move an opium claim to an evidence-supported identity?
- Which analytical methods and sampling criteria adequately distinguish opium from substitutes and support lot-wide composition claims?
- Which validated condition indicators and acceptance criteria apply to different intended uses, and how should the model represent their absence?
- Which maintained jurisdiction-specific sources should govern classification and action authority when opium identity or processing status is disputed?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q46452/spec.json