The cultivation of the poppy here has had a long history. It is said that it started with the prohibition of opium under Lin Tse-hsu, when growing poppies was halted in southwest China. A portion of the minority tribes crossed hill and dale to settle down in northern Thailand, and started to grow the poppy again in the mountainous areas.
種罌粟在泰北已有很長的歷史，據說起源於林則徐禁煙時代，中國大陸西南地區不能再種罌粟，部分少數民族翻山越嶺來到泰北，開始在山區種植罌粟。