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raviolijr t1_j9s4yce wrote

Was opium illegal in Britain while they were in porting it to China during the Opium Wars

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Doctor_Impossible_ t1_j9t5d0u wrote

No, and 'Britain' wasn't importing it into China. It was imported by merchants that were British, American, Indian, and Chinese. Neither the Royal Navy nor the East India Company imported opium into China before the Opium War, because it was technically illegal, despite usage being commonplace. Independent traders imported it, and handed it off to Chinese smugglers before it reached China, because foreigners, outside of some very small enclaves, were not allowed into China.

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raviolijr t1_j9vtunz wrote

And once the Opium war happened was when Britain actually started importing opium to China

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Kobbett t1_j9vm66b wrote

Opium was unregulated in Britain until about 1862, when sales were restricted to pharmacies only. Serious regulation didn't happen until 1920 when sales of opiates required approval by a doctor.

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