Morphine is a pain medication of the opiate family that is found naturally in a dark brown, resinous form, from the poppy plant. It can be taken orally or injected; it is also often smoked. It acts directly on the central nervous system (CNS) to increase feelings of pleasure and warm relaxation and reduce pain, and is often abused for this purpose. It can be taken for both acute pain and chronic pain and is frequently used for pain from myocardial infarction, kidney stones, and during labor. Morphine can be administered by mouth, by injection into a muscle, by injection under the skin, intravenously, injection into the space around the spinal cord, or rectally. Its maximum effect is reached after about 20 minutes when administered intravenously and 60 minutes when administered by mouth, while the duration of its effect is 3–7 hours. Long-acting formulations of morphine also exist.
