How would an opium den in 1800s San Francisco get its opium? What was the opium trade in San Francisco like at this time?

by Doe22
itsallfolklore

Importation of opium would have been easy since a great deal of material was imported for the growing Chinese population of the West Coast. Archaeology reveals a great deal of Asian material - including opium tins. The array of Chinese material culture was obviously concentrated but not exclusive to Chinese neighborhoods and dwellings. Trans-Pacific trade was very active at the time of and following the 1849 Gold Rush.