View source for Khat

{{Short description|Psychoactive species of plant}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Speciesbox
|name          = Khat
|image         = Catha edulis.jpg
|image_caption =
|status        = LR/lc
|status_system = IUCN2.3
|status_ref    =<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Hilton-Taylor, C. |date=1998 |title=''Catha edulis'' |volume=1998 |article-number=e.T34617A9878762 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T34617A9878762.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
|genus         = Catha
|species       = edulis
|authority     = ([[Martin Vahl|Vahl]]) [[Peter Forsskål|Forssk.]] ex [[Stephan Endlicher|Endl.]]
}}
{{Contains special characters|Ethiopic}}

'''Khat''' ('''''Catha edulis'''''), also known as '''Bushman's tea''', especially in [[South Africa]], is a [[flowering plant]] native to eastern and southeastern Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:941530-1|title=Catha edulis (Vahl) Endl. &#124; Plants of the World Online &#124; Kew Science}}</ref> It has a history of cultivation originating in the [[Harari Region|Harar]] area (present day eastern Ethiopia) and subsequently introduced at different times to countries nearby in [[East Africa]] and [[Southern Arabia]], most notably [[Yemen]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Elmi |first=A. S. |date=August 1983 |title=The chewing of khat in Somalia |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=163–176 |doi=10.1016/0378-8741(83)90052-1 |issn=0378-8741 |pmid=6139513}}</ref> Cultivated by farmers, its leaves are sold on the market to be chewed as a [[Recreational drug use|recreational stimulant]]. The world's largest consumers are Eastern Africans, particularly Somalis, and nearby Yemen, with the largest producers/exporters being Ethiopia and Kenya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Khat is big business in Ethiopia – DW – 07/10/2019 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/khat-is-big-business-in-ethiopia/a-49523289 |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>

Khat contains the [[alkaloid]] ''[[cathinone]]'', a [[stimulant]] which causes greater sociability, excitement, mild [[Anorectic|loss of appetite]] and mild [[euphoria]]. Among communities from the areas where the plant is native, khat-chewing has historical relevance (as a social custom, especially among men) dating back thousands of years, analogous—but slightly different—to the use of [[coca]] leaves in [[South America]]'s [[Andes Mountains]] or the [[betel nut]] preparations in [[South Asia]].<ref name="Kciy" />

Since 1980, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) classifies khat as a "[[drug of abuse]]" that can produce [[psychological dependence]],<ref name="King">{{cite journal|last1=Nutt|first1=D.|last2=King|first2=L.A.|last3=Saulsbury|first3=C.|title=Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse|journal=Lancet|volume=369|issue=9566|pages=1047–53|date=March 2007|pmid=17382831|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60464-4|last4=Blakemore|first4=Colin|s2cid=5903121}}</ref> although the WHO does not consider khat addiction to be a serious global problem.<ref name="Kciy" />

The legality of khat varies by region and country; in many territories, khat might pass "under-the-radar" as a [[Plantae|botanical species]] (thus not be a specifically controlled substance), but its recreational use may, nevertheless, be illegal under more general laws. It is strictly a [[controlled substance]] in many regions, often at the highest degree, including in [[Australia]], [[Canada]], the [[European Union]], [[India]], [[Jordan]], [[New Zealand]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates]] (UAE) and the [[United Kingdom]] (UK). In the [[United States]] (US) and [[Turkey]], the botanical specimen (plant) ''Catha edulis'' is not prohibited, but the consumption and distribution of harvested leaves or possession for recreational use is illegal. In the UAE, the punishment for possession, use, or distribution of khat can include life imprisonment. By contrast, its production, sale, and consumption are all fully legal—or not mentioned in a legal context at all—in the nations where its use is culturally significant, including [[Djibouti]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Kenya]], [[Somalia]], [[Sudan]], [[Uganda]] and [[Yemen]].<ref name="cox2003">{{cite journal | doi=10.1192/apt.9.6.456 | title=Adverse effects of khat: A review | journal=Advances in Psychiatric Treatment | date=November 2003 | volume=9 | issue=6 | pages=456–463 | last1=Cox | first1=Glenice | last2=Rampes | first2=Hagen | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Hafmc">{{cite journal|title=Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic |journal=Journal of Psychoactive Drugs |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=1–10 |year=2009 | doi=10.1080/02791072.2009.10400669 |pmid=19455904 |last1=Manghi |first1=Rita Annoni |last2=Broers |first2=Barbara |last3=Khan |first3=Riaz |last4=Benguettat |first4=Djamel |last5=Khazaal |first5=Yasser |last6=Zullino |first6=Daniele Fabio |s2cid=30637165 }}</ref> In [[Israel]], which hosts a population of [[Yemenite Jews]], only the consumption of the plant's leaves in its natural state is permitted; "khat extracts" are illegal, after they became a street drug and were popularly abused in the 2000s.<ref>''Sadeh ve'yerek'' – Newspaper of the Vegetable Growers Association, Issue 230, Tel-Aviv (March 2011). [Hebrew]</ref>
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==Nomenclature==
The [[botanical name|genus name]] ''Catha'' is a Latinization of the [[Arabic]] name {{Lang|ar|قات}}, which is regularly [[Romanization of Arabic|romanized]] as ''qāt''.  Other romanizations include ''kat'', ''quatt'', ''qaad'', ''qhat'', ''ghat'', and ''chat''.<ref>''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', 1st edition, 1901 [https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/102615 ''s.v.'']</ref><ref name="Tooea">{{cite book|last=Dickens |first=Charles |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EdUnAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA176 |chapter=The Orsons of East Africa |title=Household Words: A Weekly Journal, Volume 14 |year=1856 |orig-date=Digitized 19 February 2010 |page=176 |access-date=9 January 2014 |publisher=Bradbury & Evans}} {{open access}} {{link note|note=Free eBook}}</ref>

The khat plant is known by a variety of names, such as ''qat'' and ''gat'' in [[Yemeni Arabic]], ''qaat'' and ''jaad'' in [[Somali language|Somali]], and ''chat'' in [[Harari language|Harari]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hill |first1=Bob |title=Č̣at (Catha edulis Forsk) |journal=Journal of Ethiopian Studies |date=11 March 1965 |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=13–23 |publisher=Institute of Ethiopian Studies |jstor=41965724 }}</ref> and [[Amharic]].<ref name="Kciy" /> It is also known as ''jimaa'' in the [[Oromo language]], ''mayirungi'' in [[Luganda]], and as ''miraa'' and ''muguka'' in [[Swahili language|Swahili]]. In the [[African Great Lakes region]], where ''Catha edulis'' is (in some areas) cultivated, it is known as ''miraa'', ''muhulo'', ''muguka'' and ''muirungi''.<ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | access-date = 10 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite book|last=Rätsch|first=Christian|title=The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications|year=2004|publisher=Park Street Press, U.S.|isbn=978-0-89281-978-2}}</ref>

It also goes by various descriptive names, such as ''Abyssinian tea'', ''Arabian tea'', ''kafta'', ''jimaa'', and ''Somalian tea'' in its endemic regions of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula.<ref name="Tooea"/><ref name=AlZarouni>{{cite book|last=Al Zarouni|first=Yousif|title=The Effects of Khat (Catha Edulis)|year=2015|publisher=Yousif Al Zarouni|location=London|isbn=978-1-326-24867-3|edition=First}}</ref>{{rp|4–5}}<ref name="Adfkf">{{cite web|title=Khat facts|url=http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/khat|publisher=ADF|access-date=14 May 2013|archive-date=3 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403070501/http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/khat}}</ref> In South Africa, the plant is known as ''Bushman's tea''.<ref name="dwaf">{{cite web|url=http://www2.dwaf.gov.za/dwaf/cmsdocs/4116___poster%20protected%20trees.pdf |title=Protected Trees |date=3 May 2013 |publisher=Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Republic of South Africa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705085122/http://www2.dwaf.gov.za/dwaf/cmsdocs/4116___poster%20protected%20trees.pdf |archive-date= 5 July 2010 }}</ref> The plant is also known as ''chat tree'' and ''flower of paradise''.<ref name="encyclopedia"/>

== Vernacular names ==
In the Indian subcontinent, ''Catha edulis'' is sometimes referred to by its [[Unani medicine|Unani]] name ''Kat'' or ''Qaat'' in traditional texts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Khan |first=A.Q. |title=Unani Pharmacopoeia |publisher=Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine |year=2005 |page=214}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Harar Chat qat.jpg|thumb|Khat leaves of [[Harar]]]]
Khat is a slow-growing [[shrub]] or tree that typically attains a height of {{convert|1-5|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}. However, it can reach heights of up to {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}} in equatorial areas. The plant usually grows in [[Desert climate|arid]] environments, at a temperature range of {{convert|5|-|35|C|F|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Pfgce">{{cite web|title=Growing Catha edulis |url=http://www.plot55.com/growing/c.edulis.html |publisher=Plot55 |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826115643/http://www.plot55.com/growing/c.edulis.html |archive-date=26 August 2013 }}</ref> It has [[evergreen]] [[Leaf|leaves]], which are {{convert|5–10|cm|abbr=off|sigfig=1|sp=us}} long and {{convert|1-4|cm|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} broad.

[[File:Qat tree,yemen.jpg|thumb|Qat tree, Yemen]]
It takes seven to eight years for the khat plant to reach its full height. Other than access to sun and water, khat requires little maintenance. Ground water is often pumped from deep wells by diesel engines to irrigate the crops, or brought in by water trucks. The plants are watered heavily starting around a month before they are harvested to make the leaves and stems soft and moist. A good khat plant can be harvested four times a year, providing a year-long source of income for the farmer.

The shrub's flowers are produced on short axillary [[Cyme (botany)#Determinate or Cymose|cymes]] that are {{convert|4-8|cm|abbr=on}} in length. Each flower is small, with five white petals.

The [[Samara (fruit)|samara]] fruit is an oblong, three-valved capsule, which contains one to three seeds.

==Society and culture==

===Cultivation===
[[File:Khat fields in western yemen.jpg|thumb|Khat cultivation in western Yemen near [[At Tawilah]]]]
Khat has been grown for use as a stimulant for centuries in the [[Horn of Africa]] and the [[Arabian peninsula]]. There, chewing khat predates the use of [[coffee]] and is used in a similar social context. Its fresh leaves and tops are chewed or, less frequently, dried and consumed as tea, to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. The leaves or the soft part of the stem can be chewed with either chewing gum or fried peanuts to make it easier to chew.

In [[Uganda]], it is grown in the central region, especially in [[Kasenge]] ([[Wakiso]]), [[Butambala District]], [[Mabira Forest]], and in some parts of the western region of the country.<ref name="Kciy"/> In [[Kenya]], it is grown in [[Meru County]] and [[Embu County]].

One reason for the widespread cultivation of khat in Yemen is the high income that it provides for farmers. Some studies done in 2001 estimated that the income from cultivating khat was about 2.5&nbsp;million [[Yemeni rial]]s per hectare, while fruits brought only 0.57&nbsp;million rials per hectare. Between 1970 and 2000, the area on which khat was cultivated was estimated to have grown from 8,000 to 103,000 hectares.<ref name="encyemen">{{Cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Yemen |edition=2nd |publisher=Alafif Cultural Foundation |pages=2309–14 |year=2003 |language=ar}}{{full citation needed|date=September 2013}}<!-- Title of entry, original/transliterated titles of the book, and ISBN, please. --></ref> In 2000, according to a [[World Bank]] estimate, khat accounted for 30% of Yemen's economy.<ref name="ec" />

===Uses===
[[File:Khat picnic in Yemen.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A khat picnic in Yemen]]

Although the practice of khat-chewing is still primarily restricted to its original area of cultivation in the [[Red Sea]] area,<ref name="Kciy"/> the khat plant is native to the whole of the eastern side of Africa from Kenya southwards to [[Tanzania]], [[Malawi]], [[Zambia]], [[Zimbabwe]], where it grows on rocky outcrops and around the fringes of woodlands. In southern Africa the shrub's range is scattered but still grows in the [[KwaZulu-Natal]], [[Eastern Cape]], [[Western Cape]] and [[Mpumalanga]] provinces of [[South Africa]], in addition to [[Eswatini]] and [[Mozambique]].<ref name="Pzce">{{cite web |title=Catha edulis |url=http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cathedulis.htm |publisher=PlantZAfrica.com |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=22 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722075019/http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cathedulis.htm }}</ref>

Traditionally, khat is used as a socialising drug as in Yemen, where khat-chewing is predominantly a male habit combined with conversation, hookah smoking, and tea drinking.<ref name="Sanaa">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6530453.stm |title=Yemen's khat habit soaks up water |first=Alex |last=Kirby |newspaper=BBC News |date=7 April 2007 |access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref> Khat is so popular in Yemen that its cultivation consumes much of the country's agricultural resources. An estimated 40% of [[Water supply and sanitation in Yemen|Yemen's water supply]] goes towards irrigating it,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/story/752130/yemen-legal-high-is-fueling-extremism |title=Yemen: Legal High Is 'Fueling Extremism' |first=Tim |last=Marshall |newspaper=[[Sky News]] |date=15 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070003/https://news.sky.com/story/752130/yemen-legal-high-is-fueling-extremism |archive-date=2016-03-04 |access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref> with production increasing by about 10% to 15% every year. One "daily bag" of khat requires an estimated {{convert|500|L|gal}} of water to produce.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/04/11/110411fa_fact_filkins?currentPage=all |title=After the Uprising |first=Dexter |last=Filkins |newspaper=[[The New Yorker]] |date=11 April 2011 |access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref> Water consumption is high and [[groundwater]] levels in the [[Sana'a]] basin are diminishing, so government officials have proposed relocating large portions of the population of the city to the Red Sea coastal areas.<ref name="Sanaa" />

In countries outside the core area of growth and consumption, khat is sometimes chewed at parties or social functions. It may also be used by farmers and labourers for reducing physical fatigue or hunger, and by drivers and students for improving attention.

More recently, in 2019, reports indicate that [[child soldiers in Yemen]] have been chewing khat in order to remain alert on the battlefield.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-crisis-meet-the-child-soldiers-who-have-forsaken-books-for-kalashnikovs-10187235.html |title = Yemen crisis: Meet the child soldiers who have forsaken books for|work = [[The Independent]]|date = 19 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/world/middleeast/yemen-saudi-arabia-child-soldiers.html |title = For Yemen Child Soldiers, a Refuge Mixes Play with Saudi Propaganda|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 22 February 2019|last1 = Kirkpatrick|first1 = David D.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/01/04/the-drug-that-is-starving-yemen |title=The drug that is starving Yemen |date=4 January 2018 |magazine=[[The Economist]] |access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>

===Distribution===
[[File:Qat_Dealers_(2285813285).jpg|thumb|Qat dealers]]

In recent years, improved roads, off-road motor vehicles, and air transportation have increased the global distribution of this perishable commodity and, as a result, the plant has been found in places such as Australia, [[Netherlands]], Canada, the [[United Kingdom]], the [[Levant]], [[Rome (Italy)]], New Zealand<ref name="NZ_Herald_10415187">{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/concerns-over-african-methamphetamine-like-drug-in-hamilton/AKRI7CPLWSYLDJZRVKR77AW6AA/ |title=Concerns over African methamphetamine-like drug in Hamilton |first=O'Rourke |last=Simon |date=13 December 2006 |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=12 April 2025}}</ref> and the United States. In the US, freshly-packed khat leaves are sold in the African and Middle Eastern markets of [[Boston]], [[Dallas]], [[Los Angeles]], and [[New York City]], where the demand is highest.<ref>Zecharia Madar, "The Khat Phenomenon in Yemen and the Dangers it Poses", in: ''Ascending the Palm Tree – An Anthology of the Yemenite Jewish Heritage'', Rachel Yedid & Danny Bar-Maoz (ed.), E'ele BeTamar: Rehovot 2018, p. 144 {{OCLC|1041776317}}</ref>

==Effects==
{{more medical citations needed|section|date=May 2018}}
[[File:HarmCausedByDrugsTable.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Table from the 2010 ISCD study ranking various drugs (legal and illegal) based on statements by drug-harm experts. Khat was found to be the 17th overall most dangerous drug.<ref name="Nutt_2010">{{cite journal | vauthors = Nutt DJ, King LA, Phillips LD | title = Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis | journal = Lancet | volume = 376 | issue = 9752 | pages = 1558–1565 | date = November 2010 | pmid = 21036393 | doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6 | s2cid = 5667719 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.690.1283 }}</ref>]]
[[File:Rational harm assessment of drugs radar plot.svg|thumb|Addiction experts in psychiatry, chemistry, pharmacology, forensic science, epidemiology, and the police and legal services engaged in [[Delphi method|delphic analysis]] regarding 20 popular recreational drugs. Khat was ranked 17th in dependence, 20th in physical harm, and 20th in social harm.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nutt|first1=D|last2=King|first2=LA|last3=Saulsbury|first3=W|last4=Blakemore|first4=C|title=Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse.|journal=Lancet|date=24 March 2007|volume=369|issue=9566|pages=1047–53|pmid=17382831|doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(07)60464-4|s2cid=5903121}}</ref>]]

Khat consumption induces mild [[euphoria (emotion)|euphoria]] and excitement, similar to that conferred by strong coffee.<ref name="Kciy" /><ref name= "ZMadar2018" /> Individuals become very talkative under the influence of the plant. Animal testing has shown that khat causes an increase in motoric activity.<ref name= "ZMadar2018">{{Citation |contribution=The Khat Phenomenon in Yemen, and the Dangers it Poses|title=Ascending the Palm Tree: An Anthology of the Yemenite Jewish Heritage|last1=Madar|first1=Zecharia|editor1=Rachel Yedid|editor2=Danny Bar-Maoz|publisher=E'ele BeTamar|place=Rehovot|page=147|year=2018 |oclc=1041776317 }}</ref> The effects of oral administration of cathinone occur more rapidly than the effects of amphetamine pills; roughly 15 minutes as compared to 30 minutes in amphetamine.{{medical citation needed|date=May 2018}} Khat can induce [[mania|manic]] behaviours and [[hyperactivity]], similar in effects to those produced by amphetamine.<ref name="Kalix">{{citation|last=Peter |first=Kalix |chapter=The Pharmacology of Khat and of the Khat Alkaloid Cathinone |editor1-first=M. |editor1-last=Randrianame |editor2-first=K. |editor2-last=Szendrei |editor3-first=A. |editor3-last=Tongue |title=The Health and Socioeconomic Aspects of Khat Use |year=1983 |location=Lausanne, Switzerland |publisher=Intl. Council on Drug and Addictions |pages=140–43}}</ref><!--can't tell what format this is supposed to be (conference or book) so used {{Citation}}-->

The use of khat results in [[constipation]]. [[Pupillary response|Dilated pupil]]s ([[mydriasis]]) are prominent during khat consumption, reflecting the [[sympathomimetic]] effects of the drug, which are also reflected in increased heart rate and blood pressure. Long-term use can precipitate permanent [[tooth]] darkening (of a greenish tinge), susceptibility to [[peptic ulcer|ulcer]]s, and diminished [[Libido|sex drive]]. Khat is an effective [[anorectic]], causing loss of appetite.<ref>{{cite journal| first1 = Andrine M. | last1=Lemieux | first2 = Bingshuo | last2 = Li | first3 = Mustafa | last3 = al'Absi | title = Khat use and appetite: An overview and comparison of amphetamine, khat and cathinone| journal = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | date = 3 February 2015| volume = 160 | pages = 78–85 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2014.11.002 | pmid=25435289 | pmc = 4281284 }}</ref>

It is unclear if the consumption of khat directly affects the mental health of the user or not.<ref name="drugs"/> Occasionally, a psychotic episode can result, resembling a [[hypomanic]] state in presentation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Giannini |first1=A.J. |last2=Castellani |first2=S. |title=A manic-like psychosis due to khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) |journal=Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=455–59 |date=July 1982 |pmid=7175990 |doi=10.3109/15563658208992500}}</ref> In humans, its prolonged consumption creates an uplifted mood and a sense of release from time and space.<ref name= "ZMadar2018" />

Khat is mainly chewed by men, but there are cases of its use by women, and in particular it has been associated with increased likelihood of adverse outcomes during pregnancy.<ref name=pregnancy>{{cite journal|title=The effects of khat use during pregnancy on perinatal and maternal outcomes: a meta-analysis|year=2023 |pmid=36689029 |last1=Yitayih |first1=Y. |last2=Vanderplasschen |first2=W. |last3=Vandewalle |first3=S. |last4=Rita |first4=V. D. |last5=Gilbert |first5=L. |journal=Archives of Women's Mental Health |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=11–27 |doi=10.1007/s00737-023-01293-5 |s2cid=256104043 |hdl=1854/LU-01GSDH896EZMZ7XE4W43AFYSAM |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

===Effects by timeframe===
'''Immediate'''
*alertness<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|6}}
*arousal<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|5}}
*concentration<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|7}}<ref name="Kalix" />
*confidence<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|6}}
*constipation<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|9}}
*dilated pupils
*[[euphoria]]<ref name="Kciy" />
*friendliness<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|7}}
*increased blood pressure<ref name="Kciy" /><ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|6}}
*increased heart rate<ref name="Kciy" /><ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|5}}
*insomnia<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|7}}
*[[mania]]
*[[psychosis]]<ref name="AlZarouni" />{{rp|8}}
*suppressed appetite<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|8}}
*talkativeness<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|8}}
*[[thought disorder]]<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|9}}
*verbosity<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|8}}

'''Long-term'''
*[[Depression (clinical)|depression]]<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|10}}
*infrequent hallucinations<ref name="Kciy" /><ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|10}}
*impaired inhibition (similar to [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]])<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|10}}<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Long-term effects of chronic khat use: impaired inhibitory control |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |volume=1 |page=219 |publisher=Frontiers in cognition |date=12 January 2011 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00219 |pmid=21833274 |pmc=3153824 |last1=Hommel |first1=Bernhard |last2=Bajo |first2=Maria Teresa |last3=Van Den Wildenberg |first3=Wery P. M. |last4=Ruiz |first4=Manuel J. |last5=Colzato |first5=Lorenza S. |doi-access=free }}</ref>
*increased risk of [[myocardial infarction]] (heart attack)<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|10}}<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Al-Motarreb |first1=A. L. |last2=Broadley |first2=K. J. |title=Coronary and aortic vasoconstriction by cathinone, the active constituent of khat |journal=Autonomic & Autacoid Pharmacology |volume=23 |issue=5–6 |pages=319–26 |date=October–December 2003 |doi=10.1111/j.1474-8673.2004.00303.x|pmid=15255816 }}</ref>
*oral cancer<ref name="ADF20092006">{{cite web|url=https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/khat/|title=Khat – DrugInfo|date=20 September 2006|publisher=Alcohol and Drug Foundation|access-date=28 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hassan |first1=Nageeb |last2=Gunaid |first2=Abdullah |last3=Murray-Lyon |first3=Iain |url=http://www.al-bab.com/bys/articles/hassan05.htm |title=British-Yemeni Society: The impact of khat-chewing on health: a re-evaluation |publisher=Al-bab.com |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607133117/http://www.al-bab.com/bys/articles/hassan05.htm |archive-date=7 June 2010 }}</ref>
*[[psychosis]] in extreme cases in the genetically predisposed<ref name="Kciy" /><ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|11}}
*[[weight loss]]

'''Indeterminate'''
*[[death]]<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|12}}<ref name="Khat Chewing: A smokeless gun">{{cite journal|last1=Mateen |first1=F. J. |last2=Cascino |first2=G. D. |title=Khat Chewing: A smokeless gun? |journal=Mayo Clinic Proceedings |volume=85 |pages=971–73 |pmid=21037041 |doi=10.4065/mcp.2010.0658 |issue=11 |pmc=2966359 |date=November 2010}}</ref>
*stroke following [[acute coronary syndrome]] (clogging of the artery)<ref group="note">either from impaired insight into symptoms by the khat chewer, delay to care, or poorly understood [[pathophysiological]] mechanisms</ref><ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|12}}<ref name="Khat Chewing: A smokeless gun"/>

==Chemistry and pharmacology==
[[File:S-Cathinone.svg|thumb|right|Cathinone structure]]
The stimulant effect of the plant was originally attributed to "katin", [[cathine]], a [[phenethylamine]]-type substance isolated from the plant. However, the attribution was disputed by reports showing the plant extracts from fresh leaves contained another substance more behaviourally active than cathine. In 1975, the related alkaloid [[cathinone]] was isolated, and its [[absolute configuration]], (S)-2-Amino-1-phenylpropan-1-one,<ref>[[cathinone]], IUPAC name</ref> was established in 1978. Cathinone is not very stable and breaks down to produce cathine and [[norephedrine]]. These chemicals belong to the [[phenylpropanolamine|PPA (phenylpropanolamine)]] family, a subset of the [[Substituted phenethylamine|phenethylamines]] related to [[amfetamine|amphetamines]] and the [[catecholamine]]s [[epinephrine]] and [[norepinephrine]].<ref name="drugs">{{cite web|url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/khat.html |title=Complete Khat Info |author=Drugs.com |date=1 January 2007}}</ref> In fact, cathinone and cathine have a very similar molecular structure to amphetamine.<ref name="cox2003"/> Khat is sometimes confused with [[methcathinone]] (also known as ''cat''), a [[Convention on Psychotropic Substances#Schedules of Controlled Substances|Schedule I]] substance that possesses a similar chemical structure to the khat plant's cathinone active component. However, both the side effects and the addictive properties of methcathinone are much stronger than those associated with khat use.<ref name="Dfk">{{cite web |url=http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/khat |title=DF – Khat |website=Drugfree.org |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-date=27 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727215952/https://drugfree.org/drug/khat/ }}</ref>

When khat leaves dry, the more potent chemical, cathinone, decomposes within 48 hours, leaving behind the milder chemical, cathine. Thus, harvesters transport khat by packaging the fresh leaves and stems in plastic bags or wrapping them in banana leaves to preserve their moisture and keep the cathinone potent. It is also common for them to sprinkle the plant with water frequently or use refrigeration during transportation.

When the khat leaves are chewed, cathine and cathinone are released and absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth as well as the lining of the stomach. The action of cathine and cathinone on the [[reuptake]] of [[epinephrine]] and norepinephrine has been demonstrated in lab animals, showing that one or both of these chemicals cause(s) the body to recycle these neurotransmitters more slowly, resulting in the wakefulness and insomnia associated with khat use.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ahmed |first1=M.B. |last2=El-Qirbi |first2=A.B. |title=Biochemical effects of Catha edulis, cathine and cathinone on adrenocortical functions |journal=J Ethnopharmacol |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=213–16 |date=August 1993 |pmid=7903110 |doi=10.1016/0378-8741(93)90039-8}}</ref>

Receptors for [[serotonin]] show a high affinity for cathinone, suggesting this chemical is responsible for feelings of euphoria associated with chewing khat. In mice, cathinone produces the same types of nervous pacing or repetitive scratching behaviours associated with amphetamines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970615054349/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Entrez/ |url-status=live |archive-date=15 June 1997 |title=Behavioral Effects of Cathinone }}</ref> The effects of cathinone peak after 15 to 30 minutes, with nearly 98% of the substance metabolised into norephedrine by the liver.<ref name="cox2003" />

Cathine is somewhat less understood, being believed to act upon the [[adrenergic receptors]] causing the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Adeoya-Osiguwa |first1=S.A. |last2=Fraser |first2=L.R. |title=Cathine, an amphetamine-related compound, acts on mammalian spermatozoa via beta1- and alpha2A-adrenergic receptors in a capacitation state-dependent manner |journal=Hum. Reprod. |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=756–65 |date=March 2007 |pmid=17158213 |doi=10.1093/humrep/del454|doi-access=free }}</ref> It has a [[half-life]] of about three hours in humans. The medication [[bromocriptine]] can reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms within 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Giannini |first1=A. J. |last2=Miller |first2=N. S. |last3=Turner |first3=C. E. |title=Treatment of khat addiction |journal=J Subst Abuse Treat |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=379–82 |year=1992 |pmid=1362228 |doi=10.1016/0740-5472(92)90034-L}}</ref>

==Demographics==
[[File:Khat 01.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Man in [[Mogadishu]] dividing khat into bunches for guests in preparation for a long evening of tea, conversation and chewing]]
An estimated 5 to 10&nbsp;million people globally use khat on a daily basis.<ref name="Balint">{{cite journal | last1=Balint | first1=Erica E. | last2=Falkay | first2=George | last3=Balint | first3=Gabor A. | title=Khat: a Controversial Plant| journal=Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift | volume=121 | issue=19–20 | year=2009 | pages=604–614 | doi=10.1007/s00508-009-1259-7 | pmid=19921126 | s2cid=22816940 }}</ref><!-- <ref name="Hafmc">{{cite journal|title=Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic |journal=Journal of Psychoactive Drugs |volume=41 |publisher=Haight-Ashbury Publications |year=2009 |page=3|doi=10.1080/02791072.2009.10400669 |pmid=19455904 |author=Manghi RA, Broers B, Khan R, Benguettat D, Khazaal Y, Zullino DF}}</ref> --> It is grown principally by communities in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, where khat-chewing has a long history as a social custom dating back thousands of years.<ref name="Kciy" />

The traditional form of khat chewing in Yemen involves only male users; khat chewing by females is less formal and less frequent. Researchers estimate about 70–80% of Yemenis between 16 and 50 years old chew khat, at least on occasion. Approximately 60–90% of male and 35% of female Yemenis chew khat daily.<ref name="Balint"/><ref name="ec" >{{cite news|title=The drug that is starving Yemen|url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21734015-famine-yemen-could-be-avoided-if-men-chewed-less-qat-drug|access-date=5 January 2018|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=4 January 2018}}</ref> Before [[Yemeni unification]] in 1990, khat chewing was largely confined to the north-west mountains of the country, where khat grows.<ref name="ec" /> Yemenis spend an estimated 14.6&nbsp;million [[man-hour]]s per day chewing khat. Researchers have also estimated that families spend about 17% of their income on khat.<ref name="encyemen" />

In Ethiopia, khat is chewed by 19.5% of the population and is more commonly chewed by men than women.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ayano |first1=Getinet |last2=Ayalew |first2=Mohammed |last3=Bedaso |first3=Asres |last4=Duko |first4=Bereket |date=January 2024 |title=Epidemiology of Khat ( Catha edulis ) Chewing in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2022.2155735 |journal=Journal of Psychoactive Drugs |language=en |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=40–49 |doi=10.1080/02791072.2022.2155735 |pmid=36508190 |issn=0279-1072|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Qat man.jpg|thumb|right|Man chewing khat in [[Sanaa]], Yemen (January 2009)]]

The inhabitants of [[Ifat Sultanate]] were the first to be recorded using khat in the 14th century by [[Arab]] historian [[Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Braukhamper |first1=Ulrich |title=Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia |year=2002 |publisher=LitVerlag |page=25 |isbn=978-3-8258-5671-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HGnyk8Pg9NgC&dq=the+sacred+plant+of+the+east+ethiopian+and+yemenite+muslims+is+described&pg=PA25}}</ref> The khat plant likely originated in the [[Horn of Africa]] specifically Ethiopia-Somali area, from there it spread to [[Kenya]] and the [[Arabian Peninsula]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Everything about Qat/khat/kat |url=https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Hornet/qat.html |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=www.africa.upenn.edu}}</ref> According to nineteenth century British explorer [[Richard Francis Burton|Richard Burton]], khat originated in the [[Emirate of Harar]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Admassie |first1=Yeraswork |title=The Khat Conundrum in Ethiopia Socioeconomic Impact and Policy Directions |date=5 November 2018 |publisher=Forum for Social Studies |isbn=978-99944-50-63-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r6x7DwAAQBAJ&dq=birthplace+of+the+kat+plant&pg=PA49}}</ref>

[[Sufism|Muslim Sufis]] in the surrounding areas also used it to intensify their [[Mysticism#Union with the Divine or Absolute and mystical experience|mystical experience]] and to facilitate a sense of union with God.<ref>[http://oceanindien.revues.org/851 "Khat in the Western Indian Ocean – Regional Linkages and Disjunctures"] Neil Carrier et Lisa Gezon, 42–43 | 2009 : ''Plantes et Sociétés'', pp. 271–97.</ref>

The earliest known documented description of khat is found in the ''Kitab al-Saidala fi al-Tibb'' {{lang|ar|كتاب الصيدلة في الطب}}, an 11th-century work on [[pharmacy]] and [[materia medica]] written by [[Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī]], a [[Islamic science|Persian scientist]] and [[Islamic medicine|biologist]]. Unaware of its origins, al-Bīrūnī wrote that khat is:<ref>{{Cite book|first1=Kenneth F. |last1=Kiple |first2=Kriemhild Coneè |last2=Ornelas |year=2001 |title=The Cambridge World History of Food |pages=672–73 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-40216-3 |oclc=174647831}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|[A] commodity from [[Turkestan]]. It is sour to taste and slenderly made in the manner of ''batan-alu''. But ''khat'' is reddish with a slight blackish tinge. It is believed that ''batan-alu'' is red, coolant, relieves biliousness, and is a refrigerant for the stomach and the liver.}}

It is mentioned again in a 13th-century publication by the physician Naguib Ad-Din.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Giannini |first1=A.J. |last2=Burge |first2=H. |last3=Shaheen |first3=J.M. |last4=Price |first4=W.A. |title=Khat: another drug of abuse? |journal=Journal of Psychoactive Drugs |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=155–58 |year=1986 |pmid=3734955|doi=10.1080/02791072.1986.10471395|s2cid=1804158 }}</ref>

In 1854, [[Malaysia|Malay]] author [[Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir]] noted that the custom of chewing khat was prevalent in [[Al Hudaydah]] in Yemen:<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1080/713672763 |title=Munshi Abdullah's voyage to Mecca: A preliminary introduction and annotated translation |year=2000 |last1=Ché-Ross |first1=Raimy |journal=Indonesia and the Malay World |volume=28 |issue=81 |pages=173–213|s2cid=162579224 }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|You observed a new peculiarity in this city&nbsp;– everyone chewed leaves as goats chew the [[cud]]. There is a type of leaf, rather wide and about two fingers in length, which is widely sold, as people would consume these leaves just as they are; unlike [[betel]] leaves, which need certain condiments to go with them, these leaves were just stuffed fully into the mouth and munched. Thus when people gathered around, the remnants from these leaves would pile up in front of them. When they spat, their [[saliva]] was green. I then queried them on this matter: 'What benefits are there to be gained from eating these leaves?' To which they replied, 'None whatsoever, it's just another expense for us as we've grown accustomed to it.' Those who consume these leaves have to eat lots of [[ghee]] and [[honey]], for they would fall ill otherwise. The leaves are known as ''Kad''."}}

In 1856, English writer [[Charles Dickens]] also described the custom of khat chewing in the Horn region and the adjacent Gulf territories, likening it to drinking strong [[green tea]]:<ref name="Tooea"/>

{{Blockquote|And one may sleep well if, during the day, too much kat has not been chewed. The leaves of the drug called kat are the chief source of pleasurable excitement in these districts of East Africa. Botanists, taking the native name for the plant, turn it into Catha edulis, eatable kat. It is much used by the Arabs, to whom it is sent in camel loads, consisting of a number of small parcels, each containing about forty slender twigs, with the leaves attached, carefully, wrapped so as to avoid exposure to the air. These leaves are chewed, and act upon the spirits of those using them, much as a strong dose of green tea acts upon us in Europe, when it acts agreeably. Europeans used to stronger stimulants, are little affected by the use of kat, but among the more temperate Arabs it is so welcome a provocative to good humour, that about two hundred and eighty camel-loads of it are used every year in Aden only.}}

[[File:HarariMen.jpg|thumb|[[Harari people|Harari]] men consuming khat in the street of [[Harar]], Ethiopia]]
Nowadays khat consumption is limited to [[East Africa]] and South Western [[Arabia]]. These countries include [[Djibouti]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Kenya]], [[Somalia]] (includes [[Somaliland]]), [[Uganda]], and [[Yemen]]. The author Yousif Al Zarouni writes in his book:<ref name=AlZarouni />{{rp|4}}

{{Blockquote|The plant is native to the [[Arabian Peninsula]] and the [[Horn of Africa]], despite its native grounds it is only legal in one of the several countries of the [[Arabian Peninsula]], [[Yemen]]. The plant however is widely available and legal in [[East Africa]], some [[Africa]]n nations on the other hand such as [[South Africa]] consider it as a [[protected species]].

The plant is mostly used by East Africans and South West Arabians, rarely by people from other places.}}

Following a ban on khat in the British-governed [[Aden Protectorate]], the Qāt Commission of Inquiry in Aden concluded: "Qāt does not create an addiction, like opium or hashish, in that those who are suddenly deprived of it, do not suffer physical consequences."<ref name="HehmeyerSchönig2012">{{cite book|author1=Ingrid Hehmeyer|author2=Hannelore Schönig|author3=Hanne Schönig|title=Herbal Medicine in Yemen: Traditional Knowledge and Practice, and Their Value for Today's World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gm-bCFRcMHoC&pg=PA92|year=2012|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-22150-5|pages=92–}}</ref>

==Legal status==
[[File:Khat legality.png|thumb|right|300px|Legal status of khat by country]]
[[File:Burao qat seller (vertical).jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Burao khat seller displays his products.]]
In 1965, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) Expert Committee on Dependence-producing Drugs' ''Fourteenth Report'' noted, "The Committee was pleased to note the resolution of the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|Economic and Social Council]] with respect to khat, confirming the view that the abuse of this substance is a regional problem and may best be controlled at that level."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/bulletin/bulletin_1965-01-01_4_page007.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030830160515/http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/bulletin/bulletin_1965-01-01_4_page007.html |archive-date=30 August 2003 |title=World Health Organization Expert Committee on Dependence-producing Drugs: Fourteenth Report |publisher=United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime}}</ref> For this reason, khat was not scheduled under the [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]]. In 1980, the WHO classified the plant as a [[drug of abuse]] that can produce mild to moderate [[Substance dependence|psychological dependence]] (less than tobacco or alcohol),<ref name="King" /> although the WHO does not consider khat to be seriously addictive.<ref name="Kciy" /> It is a controlled or illegal substance in some countries, but is legal for sale and production in others.<ref>''see'' Law Library of Congress (May 2015) [https://www.loc.gov/law/help/legal-status-of-khat/legal-status-khat.pdf ''Legal status of khat in selected jurisdictions'']</ref>

===Africa===

==== Morocco ====
Khat is illegal in Morocco.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Khat {{!}} Office of Justice Programs |url=https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/khat |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=www.ojp.gov}}</ref>

====Ethiopia====
[[File:At The Chat Market (Detail) (2782041206).jpg|thumb|Khat market in Ethiopia]]
Khat is legal in Ethiopia.<ref name="Hafmc" />

====Somalia====
Khat is legal in Somalia.<ref name="Hafmc" />

====Djibouti====
Khat is legal in Djibouti.<ref name="Cotwatlyt">Thomson Gale (Firm), ''Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook 2007'', Volume 1, (Thomson Gale: 2006), p. 545.</ref>

====Kenya====
Khat is legal in Kenya. However, two of its active components, cathinone and cathine, are classed as Class C substances.<ref name="SAPTA">{{cite web|url=http://www.sapta.or.ke/alcohodrug-information |title=SAPTA – Khat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718093414/http://www.sapta.or.ke/alcohodrug-information |archive-date=18 July 2012}}</ref>

====South Africa====
In South Africa, ''Catha edulis'' is a protected tree.<ref name="dwaf" />

The use of khat is illegal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Local/UD-News/what-is-khat-20160127|title=What is khat?|date=28 January 2016|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-date=30 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230085514/http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Local/UD-News/what-is-khat-20160127}}</ref>

====Uganda====
Khat is illegal in Uganda as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-08 |title=Museveni Signs Law Banning Khat in Uganda |url=https://taarifa.rw/museveni-signs-law-banning-khat-in-uganda/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Taarifa Rwanda |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Asia===
====Bangladesh====
Khat is illegal in [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/crime/2018/09/24/who-runs-the-khat-smuggling-ring-in-bangladesh|title=Who runs the khat smuggling ring in Bangladesh? |website= Dhaka Tribune|date=16 July 2019}}</ref>

====China====
Khat is illegal in [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://in.chineseembassy.org/eng/gdxw/t1152267.htm|title=Visitors Please Do Not Carry Khat into China|date=4 May 2014}}</ref>

====Hong Kong====
Khat is regarded as a dangerous drug in [[Hong Kong]]. Traffickers can face a penalty up to HK$5 million as well as life imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201711/30/P2017113000517.htm|title=Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected ketamine and khat leaves (with photo)|website=www.info.gov.hk}}</ref>

====Taiwan====
In Taiwan, khat is illegal. It is classified as a narcotic drug.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://dph.tycg.gov.tw/nodrugs/home.jsp?id=28&parentpath=0,26&mcustomize=onemessages_view.jsp&dataserno=201903060001&aplistdn=ou=data,ou=Ondrugs,ou=nodrugs,ou=topicwebsite,ou=ap_root,o=tycg,c=tw&toolsflag=Y | title=桃園市政府毒品危害防制中心 | date=25 July 2016 | access-date=24 August 2022 | archive-date=24 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824234823/https://dph.tycg.gov.tw/nodrugs/home.jsp?id=28&parentpath=0,26&mcustomize=onemessages_view.jsp&dataserno=201903060001&aplistdn=ou=data,ou=Ondrugs,ou=nodrugs,ou=topicwebsite,ou=ap_root,o=tycg,c=tw&toolsflag=Y }}</ref>

====Israel====
Khat, called "Gat" in Israel, is consumed mainly by [[Yemenite Jews]] and [[Beta Israel]]. The activity of chewing its leaves is called "lekhazen" ({{langx|he|לכזן}}). The process of chewing the Gat can take up to several hours. Some chew the Gat in a gathering which is called "takhazina" ({{langx|he|תכזינה}}). The Gat is grown traditionally in private gardens, but it may be found in some markets.

Gat is legal in Israel as long as it is consumed in its natural form, but the distillation of its components is illegal. Some use the plant as a hedge since it is an evergreen.

In 2003, Hagigat, a pill based on extracted [[cathinone]], began to be sold in kiosks in Israel.<ref>{{cite news|last=Urquhart |first=Conal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/04/israel |title=Drugs and dance as Israelis blot out intifada |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 September 2004}}</ref> Following several cases of hospitalisation, the [[Israeli Ministry of Health]] classified cathinone as a dangerous drug, and ''Hagigat'' was outlawed.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Bentur | first1 = Y. | last2 = Bloom-Krasik | first2 = A. | last3 = Raikhlin-Eisenkraft | first3 = B. | title = Illicit cathinone ("Hagigat") poisoning | journal = Clinical Toxicology | volume = 46 | issue = 3 | pages = 206–10 | year = 2008 | pmid = 17852166 | doi = 10.1080/15563650701517574 | s2cid = 23603259 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Doward |first1=Jamie |last2=Shah |first2=Oliver |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/apr/26/drugs-legal-substances-highs |title=There are many drugs that help people get out of their minds yet stay within the law – they're called 'legal highs' |work=The Guardian |publisher=The Observer |date=26 April 2009}}</ref> The plant itself is allowed to be chewed and sold in its natural state, as no harm was found in normal quantities.

As of June 2012, the Israeli anti-drug authority announced that beverages containing Khat are considered illegal as per the dangerous drug ordinance of the state of Israel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/391/570.html |title=חדשות - בארץ NRG - הסוף למיץ גת: המשקה הפופולרי לא חוקי |access-date=2015-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920062946/http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/391/570.html |archive-date=20 September 2015 }} nrg</ref>

====Indonesia====
Khat is illegal in Indonesia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bnn.go.id/_multimedia/document/20171017/uu352009.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115194856/http://bnn.go.id/_multimedia/document/20171017/uu352009.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2017 |website=BNN Indonesia |title=Undang-undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 35 Tahun 2009 Tentang Narkotika (Laws of the Republic Indonesia Number 35 Year 2009 About Narcotics) |language=id |date=27 October 2009 }}</ref>

====Saudi Arabia====
Khat is illegal in Saudi Arabia.<ref name="Ekce">{{cite web |title=Khat (catha edulis) |url=http://ekhat.org/all-you-want-to-know-about-what-is-khat-plant-qat-catha-edulis |publisher=Ekhat |access-date=29 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521013624/http://ekhat.org/all-you-want-to-know-about-what-is-khat-plant-qat-catha-edulis |archive-date=21 May 2013 }}</ref>

==== Singapore ====
Khat is prohibited in [[Singapore]] by the [[Central Narcotics Bureau]] (CNB).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plants that Contain Controlled Drugs |url=https://www.cnb.gov.sg/drug-information/plants-that-contain-controlled-drugs |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.cnb.gov.sg}}</ref>

====United Arab Emirates====
Khat is illegal in the [[United Arab Emirates]] under federal law number 14 of 1995 on the Countermeasures against Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Schedule No. 4, Part 2(5) prohibits the cultivation and possession of khat.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ministry of the Interior|first1=Department of Drug Control|title=Federal Law No. 14 of 1995 on the Countermeasures against Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances|url=https://www.unodc.org/res/cld/document/are/federal-law-no-14-of-1995_html/UAE-fedlaw_14-95.pdf|website=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime|publisher=The State of the United Arab Emirates|access-date=1 December 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182309/https://www.unodc.org/res/cld/document/are/federal-law-no-14-of-1995_html/UAE-fedlaw_14-95.pdf}}</ref> The possession and selling of khat may lead to life imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Al Jandaly|first1=Bassma|title=65-year-old Emirati serving life for using qat|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/65-year-old-emirati-serving-life-for-using-qat-1.653906|website=Gulf News|date=14 July 2010 |access-date=1 December 2017}}</ref>

==== Vietnam ====
Khat is classified as a narcotic drug in Vietnam.<ref>{{Cite web |orig-date=25 Aug 2022 |title=Nghị định số 57/2022/NĐ-CP của Chính phủ: Quy định các danh mục chất ma túy và tiền chất |trans-title=Government Decree No. 57/2022/NĐ-CP on the Lists of narcotics and precursors |url=https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2022/08/57-cp.signed.pdf |language=vi}}</ref> The illegal cultivation, possession and distribution of khat are criminally prosecuted.<ref>{{Cite web |orig-date=27 Nov 2015 |title=Luật số 100/2015/QH13 của Quốc hội: Bộ Luật Hình sự |trans-title=National Assembly Statute No. 100/2015/QH13: the Criminal Code |url=https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=183216 |language=vi}}</ref> The use of khat may lead to mandatory rehabilitation.<ref>{{Cite web |orig-date=30 Mar 2021 |title=Luật số 73/2021/QH14 của Quốc hội: Luật Phòng, chống ma túy |trans-title=National Assembly Statute No. 73/2021/QH14: the Law on the prevention of narcotics |url=https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2022/01/73luat.pdf |language=vi}}</ref>

====Yemen====
{{See also|Culture of Yemen}}

[[File:Khat, Yemen (10849857665).jpg|thumb|right|200px|A man chewing khat in Yemen.]]
Khat is legal in Yemen.<ref name="Hafmc" /> However, cultivation of the crop and the selling of its leaves are governed by a series of regulations. In 2007, the Yemeni government passed a law that restricted the cultivation of khat in a number of agricultural flatlands and basins with high water stress. The Law Concerning the General Sales Tax in 2005 also set the tax rate on khat at 20% of its [[Suggested retail price|retail price]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gatter |first=Peer |year=2012 |title=Politics of Qat – The Role of a Drug in Ruling Yemen |publisher=Ludwig Reichert Verlag|location=Wiesbaden |isbn=978-3-89500-910-5 |pages=260, 335–36}}</ref>

The widespread cultivation of khat in Yemen has exacerbated a [[Water supply and sanitation in Yemen#Water resources|severe water shortage]]. Khat is much more water-intensive to grow than other crops.<ref>{{cite news|last=Heffez |first=Adam |title=How Yemen Chewed Itself Dry |newspaper=Foreign Affairs |date=23 July 2013 |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/139596/adam-heffez/how-yemen-chewed-itself-dry |access-date=29 July 2013}}</ref> It has also played a major role in [[Famine in Yemen (2016-Present)|a famine]] in the country.<ref name="ec" />

===Europe===
====Belgium====
Khat has been illegal in Belgium since 2006.<ref name="Druglijn.be">{{cite web|url=https://www.druglijn.be/drugs-abc/speed/veelgestelde-vragen/wat-is-khat |title=Druglijn – Wat is khat? Veelgestelde vragen|access-date=13 April 2017}}</ref>

====Denmark====
Khat has been illegal in [[Denmark]] since 1993.<ref name=":0"/> In 2009, the [[Danish Health Authority]] investigated khat use among [[Somalis in Denmark]]. A questionnaire with 848 respondents was used. The responses indicated that 48% of Somali males and 16% of females used the narcotic on a monthly basis and that 29% of males and 6% of females used it two times or more a week.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.sst.dk/da/udgivelser/2009/~/media/06B82985E17B41C4B8605D870153F8FC.ashx|title=Brug af khat blandt dansk-somaliere – undersøgelse af omfang og holdninger|publisher=[[Danish Health Authority]]|year=2009|pages=1–3, 6|access-date=25 December 2017|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704010547/https://www.sst.dk/da/udgivelser/2009/~/media/06B82985E17B41C4B8605D870153F8FC.ashx}}</ref> Half the respondents had never used khat.<ref name=":1" /> The responses indicated that Somalis constituted the great majority of users in Denmark.<ref name=":1" />

The report also investigated attitudes towards khat use among Somalis in Denmark. In total, two out of three respondents stated that khat is a problem for [[social integration]] into Danish society, while one in three users stated the same.<ref name=":1" /> Responses indicated that two out of three considered khat to be part of Somali culture, although two in three also stated that they agree that khat should be banned in Denmark.<ref name=":1" />

====Finland====
Khat is classified as an illegal drug in Finland,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Khat+use+on+the+increase+in+Finland/1135233645151 |title=Khat use on the increase in Finland |newspaper=Helsingin Sanomat |access-date=23 May 2011 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226020237/https://www.hs.fi/english/article/Khat+use+on+the+increase+in+Finland/1135233645151%20/ }}</ref> and possession, use and sale of the substance is prohibited and punishable. As with all illegal drugs, operating a motor vehicle with detectable levels of Khat or its metabolites in one's system can also lead to a conviction for [[driving under the influence]], even if the driver does not appear intoxicated.

====France====
Khat is prohibited in France as a stimulant since 1957.<ref name="drugs"/>

====Germany====
In Germany, cathinone is listed as a "non-trafficable substance", which makes the possession, sale and purchase of fresh khat illegal. The derivative cathine, with "norpseudoephedrine" listed as an alternate name, is only available on prescription.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gesetz über den Verkehr mit Betäubungsmitteln (Betäubungsmittelgesetz - BtMG) |trans-title=Law on trafficking in narcotics|url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/btmg_1981/BtMG.pdf |access-date=24 October 2021 |language=German}}</ref>

In 2017, 5815&nbsp;kg of khat was discovered by customs officials in Frankfurt. In June 2018, 324&nbsp;kg of khat was discovered in packages from East Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/121246/4013294|title=HZA-F: 324 Kilo Khat vom Zoll am Flughafen Frankfurt am Main sichergestellt |trans-title=Frankfurt Customs Office: 324 kilos of khat secured by Customs at Frankfurt am Main |website=presseportal.de|language=de|access-date=2018-12-29}}</ref>
====Greece====
In the Hellenic Republic, khat is classified as an illegal narcotic under Law 3459/2006 (the Code of Laws on Narcotics).{{cn|date=August 2025}}

In August 2025, Greek customs officials at Athens International Airport seized a record 500 kilograms of khat with an estimated street value of €1.5 million, underscoring its continued prohibition and enforcement.<ref>{{cite news |title=€1.5 mln of khat, a stimulant drug, seized at Athens airport |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1278295/e1-5-mln-of-khat-a-stimulant-drug-seized-at-athens-airport/ |work=Ekathimerini |date=2 August 2025 |access-date=18 August 2025}}</ref>

====Iceland====
In August 2010 the Icelandic police intercepted khat smuggling for the first time. 37&nbsp;kg were confiscated. The drugs were most likely intended for sale in Canada.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/08/18/hald_lagt_a_fikniefnid_khat_i_fyrsta_sinn/ |title=Hald lagt á fíkniefnið Khat í fyrsta sinn |date=2010-08-19 |language=is}}</ref> Again in May 2011 the police intercepted around 60&nbsp;kg.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2011/05/18/60_kilo_af_fikniefnum/ |title=60 kíló af fíkniefnum |date=2011-05-18 |language=is}}</ref>

====Ireland====
Khat is a controlled drug for the purpose of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988. As such its possession and supply is prohibited.

====Italy====
Khat is inserted in the Table I of the Italian official list of psychoactive drugs under the name "Catha edulis pianta" (English: "Catha edulis plant") and thus possession is forbidden.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/temi/p2_6.jsp?id=3729&area=sostanzeStupefacenti&menu=vuoto | title=Tabelle delle sostanze stupefacenti e psicotrope | access-date=13 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020222959/http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/temi/p2_6.jsp?id=3729&area=sostanzeStupefacenti&menu=vuoto | archive-date=20 October 2017 }}</ref>

====Netherlands====
In the Netherlands, the active ingredients of khat, [[cathine]] and [[cathinone]], are qualified as hard drugs and forbidden. Use is mostly limited to the Somali community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infopolitie.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1331:khat&catid=183:middelen&Itemid=46 |title=khat |publisher=Infopolitie.nl |language=nl |access-date=2 April 2010}}</ref> In 2008 [[Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Netherlands)|health minister]] [[Ab Klink]] decided against qualifying the unprocessed plant as drugs after consultation with experts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.depers.nl/binnenland/163037/Qat-niet-verboden.html |title=Qat niet verboden |publisher=DePers.nl |language=nl |access-date=2 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719073529/http://www.depers.nl/binnenland/163037/Qat-niet-verboden.html |archive-date=19 July 2011 }}</ref> However, on 9 January 2012 the Dutch government announced a ban on khat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nu.nl/politiek/2711346/kabinet-verbiedt-qat.html |publisher=Nu.nl |title=Kabinet verbiedt qat |date=10 January 2012 |language=nl |access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref>

====Norway====
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|caption=Weight of khat (in kg) confiscated by Norwegian Customs Service 2009-present. The number of confiscations was about 200–350 per year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.toll.no/no/om-tolletaten/om-oss/statistikk/beslagsutvikling2016/khat/?_t_id=24617bd0-12ad-42fb-9d6c-2856a067b68f&_t_q=khat%20statistik&_t_hit.id=Inett_toll_Content_Pages_ContentPage/_3b0f8081-3ae2-43f0-9e65-e8b28c5b8319_no&_t_hit.pos=1#|title=Khat – Tolletaten|website=Toll.no|language=no|access-date=2017-12-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223215717/https://www.toll.no/no/om-tolletaten/om-oss/statistikk/beslagsutvikling2016/khat/?_t_id=24617bd0-12ad-42fb-9d6c-2856a067b68f&_t_q=khat%20statistik&_t_hit.id=Inett_toll_Content_Pages_ContentPage%2F_3b0f8081-3ae2-43f0-9e65-e8b28c5b8319_no&_t_hit.pos=1|archive-date=23 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.toll.no/no/om-tolletaten/om-oss/statistikk/beslagsutvikling2016/khat/history/khat-09-14/|title=Khat 09-14 – Tolletaten|website=Toll.no|language=no|access-date=2017-12-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223215852/https://www.toll.no/no/om-tolletaten/om-oss/statistikk/beslagsutvikling2016/khat/history/khat-09-14/|archive-date=23 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.toll.no/no/om-tolletaten/om-oss/statistikk/beslagsutvikling2017/khat/|title=Khat – Tolletaten|website=Toll.no|language=no|access-date=2018-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324041043/https://www.toll.no/no/om-tolletaten/om-oss/statistikk/beslagsutvikling2017/khat/|archive-date=24 March 2018}}</ref>
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In Norway, khat is classified as a [[narcotic]] drug and is illegal to use, sell and possess. Most users are Somali immigrants and khat is smuggled from [[#Netherlands|the Netherlands]] and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nova.no/index.gan?objid=11648&subid=0&language=1 |title=NOVA paper 1/06 |date=16 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218064926/http://www.nova.no/index.gan?objid=11648&subid=0&language=1 |archive-date=18 December 2008 }}</ref>

Norwegian Customs seized 10 metric tons of khat in 2010, an increase from less than 4 in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toll.no/templates_TAD/Topic.aspx?id=218995 |title=Official statistics from the Norwegian Customs and Excise Authorities |language=no |date=1 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719233406/http://www.toll.no/templates_TAD/Topic.aspx?id=218995 |archive-date=19 July 2011}}</ref>

In 2016, Oslo municipality estimated 50–70% of [[Somalis in Norway|Somali immigrant]] males to be habitual users.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/x8XOX/Annenhver-somalier-tygger-khat|title=Annenhver somalier tygger khat|work=Aftenposten|access-date=2017-12-03|language=nb-NO}}</ref>

====Poland====
In Poland, khat is a classified narcotic drug, and is illegal to use, sell and possess.<ref name="dzust">{{cite web|url=http://isip.sejm.gov.pl/servlet/Search?todo=open&id=WDU20090630520 |title=Dz.U. 2009 nr 63 poz. 520 }} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

====Slovenia====
Khat is classified as an illegal drug in Slovenia.<ref name="silaw">{{cite web|url=http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=URED6743|title=Uredba o razvrstitvi prepovedanih drog (Uradni list RS, št. 45/14, 22/16, 14/17 in 4/19)|language=sl}}</ref>

====Sweden====
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|caption=Khat (in kg) confiscated by the [[Swedish Customs Service]] and [[Swedish Police Authority|Swedish Police]] from 2000 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://tullverket.se/download/18.792224361590183a4d33ffa/1484816923713/Drogsituationsrapporten_2013-2016_webb.pdf|title=Drogsituationen Lägesbild i Sverige 2013–2016 / Dnr ANA 2016- 271|publisher=Polismyndigheten / Nationella operativa avdelningen|year=2016|page=44}}</ref>
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The drug was prohibited in Sweden in 1989, without research. In 2007, it was estimated that 30% of [[Somalis in Sweden|Somali males in Sweden]] were using khat.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116260/occ95.pdf|title=Khat: Social harms and legislation A literature review|last=David M. Anderson and Neil C. M. Carrier, University of Oxford|date=July 2011|website=gov.uk|publisher=United Kingdom [[Home Office]]|access-date=2 December 2017}}</ref> Smuggling seizures by police amounted to about 9 tonnes annually.<ref name=":0" />

====Switzerland====
In Switzerland, khat is illegal and it is classified as a narcotic drug.<ref name="chlaw">{{cite web|url=http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified-compilation/19981989/index.html|title=Loi fédérale sur les stupéfiants et les substances psychotropes|language=fr}}</ref>

====United Kingdom====
Khat was made illegal in the UK on 24 June 2014.<ref name="legislation">{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1376/introduction/made|title=The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (Amendment) (No. 2) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2014|publisher=legislation.gov.uk|access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref> Concerns had been expressed by commentators, health professionals and community members about the use of khat in the UK, particularly by immigrants from [[Somalia]], [[Yemen]] and [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="Klein">{{Cite book |chapter-url=http://www.radcliffe-oxford.com/books/samplechapter/0932/Chapt5-25459c40rdz.pdf |chapter=Khat and the creation of tradition in the Somali diaspora |first=Axel |last=Klein |pages=51–61 |title=Drugs in Society: European Perspectives |editor1-last=Fountain |editor1-first=Jane |editor2-last=Korf |editor2-first=Dirk J. |year=2007 |location=Oxford |publisher=Radcliffe Publishing |isbn=978-1-84619-093-3 |access-date=21 August 2010 |archive-date=23 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723214932/http://www.radcliffe-oxford.com/books/samplechapter/0932/Chapt5-25459c40rdz.pdf }}</ref><ref name="Warfa">{{Cite journal|title=Khat use and mental illness: A critical review |first1=N. |last1=Warfa |first2=A. |last2=Klein |first3=K. |last3=Bhui |first4=G. |last4=Leavey |first5=T. |last5=Craig |first6=S. |last6=Alfred Stansfeld |journal=Social Science & Medicine |year=2007 |volume=65 |issue=2 |pmid=17544193 |pages=309–18 |doi=10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.04.038}}</ref> Studies of the effects of khat use by immigrants on their mental health suggested that there was a need for better research on khat-chewing and its possible link with psychiatric disorders; it also suggested that public discourse on the issue displayed elements of a [[moral panic]].<ref name=Warfa /> Some Somali community organisations also campaigned for khat to be banned.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0508/p06s04-woeu.html|title=More Somali migrants say Britain should ban khat|first=Aidan|last=Jones|work=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|date=8 May 2009|access-date=7 August 2010}}</ref> As a result of these concerns, the [[Home Office]] commissioned successive research studies to look into the matter, and in 2005, presented the question of khat's legal status before the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. The study concluded that most of the participants who were using khat were using it moderately in terms of both the quantity used and the frequency and duration of chewing sessions, and that khat use was typically a social activity. Only a small minority of the study participants' khat use was judged to be excessive.<ref name="Home Office khat study">{{Cite web|url=http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr4705.pdf|title=Khat use among Somalis in four English cities|first1=Shilpa L.|last1=Patel|first2=Sam|last2=Wright|first3=Alex|last3=Gammampila|publisher=[[Home Office]]|work=Online Report 47/05|year=2005|access-date=7 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705045707/http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr4705.pdf|archive-date=5 July 2010}}</ref> After a careful review of the evidence, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommended in January 2006 that the status of khat as a legal substance should remain for the time being.<ref name=Klein/>

In 2008, [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician [[Sayeeda Warsi]] stated that a future Conservative government would ban khat.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jun/15/drugspolicy.somalia |title=Conservatives will ban khat |first=Sayeeda |last=Warsi |work=Comment is free |publisher=The Guardian |date=15 June 2008 |access-date=21 August 2010 |location=London}}</ref> The website of the Conservative Party, which in 2010 became the larger party in a [[Cameron–Clegg coalition|UK coalition government]], previously stated that a Conservative government would "Tackle unacceptable cultural practices by", amongst other measures, "classifying Khat".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Community_Relations.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429143306/http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Community_Relations.aspx |archive-date=29 April 2010 |title=Where we stand: Community relations |publisher=Conservative Party |website=Conservatives.com |access-date=21 August 2010}}</ref> In 2009, the Home Office commissioned two new studies in the effects of khat use and in June 2010, a Home Office spokesperson stated: "The Government is committed to addressing any form of substance misuse and will keep the issue of khat use under close scrutiny".<ref name="Sky">{{Cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/The-Legal-Drug-Khat-Is-Causing-Social-Problems-Among-The-East-African-Community-In-The-UK/Article/201006315650862?lpos=UK_News_Top_Stories_Header_2&lid=ARTICLE_15650862_The_Legal_Drug_Khat_Is_Causing_Social_Problems_Among_The_East_African_Community_In_The_UK |title=Call for new controls on legal drug khat |newspaper=Sky News |date=19 June 2010 |access-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140603192103/http://news.sky.com/story/786736/call-for-new-controls-on-legal-drug-khat |archive-date= 2014-06-03 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During a parliamentary debate on the legality issue on 11 January 2012, [[Mark Lancaster, Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton|Mark Lancaster]], the Conservative Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes, stated that the importation of Khat into the UK stands at 10 tonnes every week.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120111/debtext/120111-0004.htm#12011187000608 |title=Hansard 11 Jan 2012 |publisher=Hansard |date=11 January 2012 |access-date=12 January 2012 |archive-date=22 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022020214/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120111/debtext/120111-0004.htm#12011187000608 }}</ref>

On 23 January 2013, the [[Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs]] (ACMD) said there was "insufficient evidence" that khat caused health problems. The ACMD said there was "no evidence" khat was directly linked with serious or organised crime, and was chewed to obtain a "mild stimulant effect much less potent than stimulant drugs, such as amphetamine".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/144120/report-2013.pdf |title=Khat: A review of its potential harms to the individual and communities in the UK |publisher=Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs |date=23 January 2013}}</ref>

On 3 July 2013, the [[British Home Secretary]] [[Theresa May]] announced that khat was to be banned in Britain, designating it a Class C substance under the [[Misuse of Drugs Act 1971]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/khat |title=Written statement to Parliament: Khat |publisher=HM Government |date=3 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23163017 |title=Herbal stimulant khat to be banned |newspaper=BBC News |date=3 July 2013}}</ref>

Alex Miller, a journalist from the Montreal, Canada-based magazine and television channel [[Vice (magazine)|Vice]], looked into the use of the substance and the potential impact of the ban for BBC nightly current affairs programme Newsnight<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-25854577 |title=Khat: What impact will UK herb stimulant ban have? |work=BBC News |access-date=24 January 2014}}</ref> and for a Vice documentary.<ref name="youtube">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JntqpqDTvjs | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/JntqpqDTvjs| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title= Khat Power: The Latest War On Drugs | date=24 January 2014|via=Youtube.com |access-date=24 January 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Kenyan MPs appealed to the UK not to "condemn people" by banning the herbal stimulant khat<ref name="bbc3">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25120302|title=Kenya appeals to UK not to ban khat|publisher=bbc.co.uk|access-date=3 April 2014|work=BBC News|date=27 November 2013}}</ref>

In March 2014, the United Kingdom House of Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee announced that it would continue to lobby for the UK government not to go through with its intended ban on khat. The committee had shortly before also completed an inquiry and a report recommending that the British authorities refrain from banning the plant.<ref name="Sultpflbomr">{{cite news|title=UK legislators to press for lifting ban on Miraa Read|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/thecounties/article/2000106268/uk-legislators-to-press-for-lifting-ban-on-miraa|access-date=17 March 2014|newspaper=Standard Digital|date=7 March 2014}}</ref>

On 12 May 2014, the House of Lords passed a Motion to Approve the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Designation)(Amendment) (No. 2)(England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1376/contents/made|title=The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (Amendment) (No. 2) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2014|work=legislation.gov.uk}}</ref> in order to control ''Catha edulis'' as a Class C drug. An amendment was proposed stating that, "this House regrets that Her Majesty's Government's plans for the introduction of the Order do not include provisions for a 12-month review of the impact of the reclassification of khat in view of the highly unusual community focus of its use, for putting a detailed policing strategy in place before a ban takes effect, or for a health strategy to prevent a transfer of addiction to other substances; and do not commit the Department for International Development to do more work with the government of Kenya to alleviate the effect of the reclassification on the Kenyan economy." However, the amendment was defeated by vote.<ref name="theyworkforyou">{{cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2014-05-12a.1701.3|title=Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2014 – Motion to Approve: 12 May 2014: House of Lords debates |publisher=theyworkforyou.com|access-date=31 May 2014}}</ref> The prohibition came into effect on 24 June 2014.<ref name=Cdkwbatsk>{{cite news|title=Denied: Kenya won't be allowed to sell khat in the UK|url=http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/No-Miraa-Sale/-/1840340/2347566/-/3spgkvz/-/index.html|access-date=21 June 2014|agency=The Citizen|date=13 June 2014|archive-date=15 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140615053901/http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/No-Miraa-Sale/-/1840340/2347566/-/3spgkvz/-/index.html}}</ref>

In January 2015, the ''[[Bristol Post]]'' reported that most khat houses in the city had closed down, "forcing users to take the drug in their homes instead". The local police had initially not sought to enforce the ban, giving users a grace period, but according to the ''Bristol Post'' had recently started to take action against khat use and had issued three warnings and a [[Police caution|caution]]. Additionally, in September 2014 the police had seized 24 bags of dried khat from a property in [[Easton, Bristol|Easton]], but no arrests were made. Additionally, the Somali Resource Centre indicated that the ban seemed to have been effective, and that the prohibition had all but destroyed the import market since the plant has to be fresh in order to be consumed.<ref name="Kibbdsh">{{cite news|title=Khat in Bristol: Banned drug's still here – it's just moved underground|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Khat-Bristol-Banned-drug-s-ndash-s-just-moved/story-25815789-detail/story.html|access-date=20 February 2015|work=Bristol Post|date=10 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220230137/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Khat-Bristol-Banned-drug-s-ndash-s-just-moved/story-25815789-detail/story.html|archive-date=20 February 2015}}</ref> A consultation with Somalis in [[Glasgow]] undertaken by the national voluntary organisation Fast Forward at the request of the Somali Association in Glasgow in October 2014 suggested that khat continues to be used in both fresh and dried forms by some Somalis in the city, and that the ban has also led some users to seek out other substances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fastforward.org.uk/documents/Somali%20Community%20Consultation%20Report.pdf|title=Consultation on khat use within Glasgow's Somali community|publisher=Fast Forward|date=19 January 2015|access-date=24 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624155833/http://www.fastforward.org.uk/documents/Somali%20Community%20Consultation%20Report.pdf|archive-date=24 June 2015}}</ref> The ban has reportedly served to increase the price of khat in the UK. [[Channel 4 News]] reported in September 2014 that before the ban, 20 tonnes of khat arrived at [[Heathrow Airport]] daily, and it would sell for £3 per bundle. After the ban, it was reportedly selling at £30 per bundle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/khat-amphetamine-east-africa-outlawed-illegal-drug-video|title=Joining the police crack-down on banned drug khat|publisher=Channel 4 News|date=27 September 2014|access-date=24 June 2015}}</ref>

===North America===
====Canada====
In Canada, khat is a controlled substance under Schedule IV of the [[Controlled Drugs and Substances Act]] (CDSA), meaning it is illegal to seek or obtain unless approved by a [[medical practitioner]]. Possession of khat for personal use is not an arraignable offence in Canada. The maximum punishment for trafficking or possession with the intent of trafficking is ten years in prison.<ref name="justice">{{cite web|url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/C-38.8/bo-ga:s_1::bo-ga:s_2?page=2 |title=Controlled Drugs and Substances Act |publisher=Laws.justice.gc.ca |date=29 March 2010 |access-date=4 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605063752/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/C-38.8/bo-ga%3As_1%3A%3Abo-ga%3As_2?page=2 |archive-date= 5 June 2011 }}</ref>

In 2008, Canadian authorities reported that khat is the most common illegal drug being smuggled at airports.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1216/p06s01-wogn.html |title=Gangs infiltrate Canada's airports |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |date=16 December 2008 |access-date=2 April 2010}}</ref>

However, in 2012 the [[Ontario Court of Appeal]] upheld a 2011 absolute discharge of a young woman who brought 34 kilograms of khat into Canada in 2009. According to the defence, the ruling recognises that there is no empirical evidence that khat is harmful.<ref>{{cite news|last=Powell |first=Betsy |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2012/04/20/woman_who_brought_khat_to_canada_wins_appeal.html |title=Woman who brought khat to Canada wins appeal |newspaper=The Star |date=20 April 2012 |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109034700/http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2012/04/20/woman_who_brought_khat_to_canada_wins_appeal.html |archive-date=9 January 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><!--former URL:url=https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/article/1165236--woman-who-brought-khat-to-canada-wins-appeal--> The courts in Quebec and Ontario continued to discharge the accused for bringing khat into Canada for the same reason (no evidence of harmfulness of khat) in 2014<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[CanLII]]|url=https://www.canlii.org/en/qc/qccq/doc/2014/2014qccq671/2014qccq671.html|title=R. c. Ali, 2014 QCCQ 671|date=2014-12-10|language=en}}</ref> and 2016.<ref>{{cite CanLII|litigants= R. v. Soufi and Mohamed|link = |year = 2016 |court = oncj|num = 643 |date = 2016-10-13|courtname = auto }}</ref>

====United States====
[[File:Deakhat.jpg|thumb|right|Bundles of khat, seized by the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] in July 2006]]
In the United States, cathinone is a Schedule I drug, according to the US [[Controlled Substances Act]]. The 1993 [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] rule placing cathinone in Schedule I noted that it was effectively also banning khat:

{{Blockquote|Cathinone is the major psychoactive component of the plant ''Catha edulis'' (khat). The young leaves of khat are chewed for a stimulant effect. Enactment of this rule results in the placement of any material that contains cathinone into Schedule I.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.erowid.org/plants/khat/khat_law1.shtml |title=Erowid Khat Vault : Law: Federal Register vol 58, no 9 |publisher=Erowid.org |access-date=2 April 2010}}</ref>}}

''Catha edulis'' (khat) is a stimulant similar to that of amphetamine and its [[Congener (chemistry)|congeners]], not a drug as categorised by US FDA (United States Food & Drug Administration) and FDA import Alert #66-23 (published date 03/18/2011) states that "Districts may detain, without physical examination, all entries of khat",<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_180.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008213010/http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_180.html |archive-date=8 October 2009 |title=Import Alert 66-23 |publisher=Food and Drug Administration |date=2011-03-18 |access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref> based on section 801(a) (3) of the [[Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act]] on the grounds that "its labeling fails to bear adequate directions for use."

As federal and local khat raids have often targeted immigrants from countries where khat is legal, issues of cultural misunderstanding have sometimes been raised.<ref>Verhovek, Sam Howe (2006). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-aug-22-na-khat22-story.html ''DEA's Khat Sting Stirs Up Somali "Cultural Clash"'']. Los Angeles Times. 22 August 2006.</ref>

The plant itself is specifically banned in Missouri:
{{Blockquote|Khat, to include all parts of the plant presently classified botanically as catha edulis, whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; any extract from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seed or extracts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/stathtml/19500000172.html |title=Section 195-017 Substances, how placed in schedules-li |publisher=Moga.mo.gov |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507164615/http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/stathtml/19500000172.html |archive-date=7 May 2016 }}</ref>}}

In California, both the plant itself as well as cathinone, its active component, are illegal.<ref name="Group2016">{{cite book|author=LawTech Publishing Group|title=2016 California Penal Code Unabridged|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UIOSCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT3940|year=2016|publisher=LawTech Publishing Group|location=San Clemente|isbn=978-1-889315-22-5|pages=3940–}}</ref>

===Oceania===
====Australia====
In Australia, the importation of khat is controlled under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956. It is illegal to import khat into Australia for personal use. Khat can be imported only for medical or scientific use.<ref>{{cite Legislation AU|Cth|reg|cir1956432|Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956}} Reuglation 5 and Schedule 4.</ref>

Importing khat without a permit is subject to fines or prosecution.<ref name="ADF20092006"/> In 2003, the total number of khat annual permits was 294 and the total number of individual khat permits was 202; however as of 1 December 2013, permits for the use of khat by individuals for recreational/cultural purposes are no longer issued. There are currently no plans by the Australian Government to amend the regulations to allow the importation of khat for personal use.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.odc.gov.au/import-restrictions-kava-and-khat|title=Import restrictions: Kava and Khat {{!}} Office of Drug Control|website=www.odc.gov.au|access-date=2017-10-03|date=7 December 2016|archive-date=9 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309131233/https://www.odc.gov.au/import-restrictions-kava-and-khat}}</ref>

Khat is listed as a Schedule 2 dangerous drug in Queensland, in the same category as cannabis.<ref>{{cite Legislation AU|Qld|reg|dmr1987256/sch2.html|Drugs misuse Regulation 1987}} Schedule 2.</ref> In the states of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, khat does not appear to be regulated through criminal legislation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Douglas |first1=Heather |last2=Pedder |first2=Merali |date=2010 |title=Legal regulation of the drug khat in Australia |journal=Journal of Law and Medicine |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=284–301 |issn=1320-159X |pmid=21355431}}</ref>

The importation of Khat (''Catha edulis'') material (includes material that is fresh, dried, powdered, capsules or tablets) is prohibited under the Customs (Prohibited Import) Regulations 1956 unless the person importing the material is the holder of both a license to import and a permit to import granted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).{{cn|date=August 2025}}

====New Zealand====
In New Zealand, khat is listed as a Class C drug, in the same category as cannabis and [[codeine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1975/0116/latest/DLM436723.html |title=Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 No 116 | publisher=legislation.govt.nz |date=July 2014 |access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref>

===South America===
In South America, there is no legislation regarding khat; the active ingredients in the plant can be found in several weight control compounds sold in the continent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Khat: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning|url=https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-536/khat|website=www.webmd.com|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref>

==Biofuel==
The possibility of Khat waste has been explored as a biofuel.<ref name="Afessa_2024">{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39097|doi-access=free |title=Pyrolysis of Khat waste vs. Coal: Experimental and Aspen plus analysis |date=2024 |last1=Moreda |first1=Geleta Afessa |last2=Teklemariyem |first2=Debela Alema |last3=Tolasa |first3=Sorome Deresa |last4=Gutata |first4=Gamachis Ragasa |journal=Heliyon |volume=10 |issue=20 |article-number=e39097 |pmid=39640708 |bibcode=2024Heliy..1039097M |pmc=11620060 }}</ref> It may be a possible future fuel, especially in developing countries. Some chemical groups that are essential for biofuel properties, such as alkene groups and O-H bonds have been found in Khat waste.<ref name="Afessa_2024"/>

==Research programs==
In 2009, the [[University of Minnesota]] launched the Khat Research Program (KRP), a multidisciplinary research and training program<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.med.umn.edu/duluth/NewsReleases/2009/alAbsiKhatUse/home.html |title=al'Absi Launches the Khat Research Program |publisher=Med.umn.edu |access-date=4 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208013854/http://www.med.umn.edu/duluth/NewsReleases/2009/alAbsiKhatUse/home.html |archive-date=8 December 2009}}</ref> focusing on the neurobehavioral and health effects of khat, led by [[Mustafa al'Absi]]. The program was funded by the [[National Institutes of Health]] and the National Institute for Drug Abuse of the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.khatresearch.org/ |title=KRP |publisher=Khatresearch.org |access-date=4 April 2010 |archive-date=13 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413204811/http://www.khatresearch.org/ }}</ref> The inaugural event for the KRP was held in [[Sharm El-Sheik]], Egypt, in December, 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sona.ibro.info/Pub/Pub_Main_Display.asp?LC_Docs_ID=4330 |title=KRP Symposium |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313155832/http://sona.ibro.info/Pub/Pub_Main_Display.asp?LC_Docs_ID=4330 |archive-date=13 March 2010 }}</ref> in collaboration with the [[International Brain Research Organization]] (IBRO) and its local affiliates.

==See also==
* [[Betel leaves]], a herb in Southeast Asia
* [[Coca]], a herb used for elaboration of cocaine and traditional chewing
* [[List of Southern African indigenous trees]]
* [[Phenylpropanolamine]]
* [[Use of drugs in warfare]]

==Notes==
<references group="note" />

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Kciy">{{cite journal|last=Al-Mugahed|first=Leen|year=2008|title=Khat Chewing in Yemen: Turning over a New Leaf: Khat Chewing Is on the Rise in Yemen, Raising Concerns about the Health and Social Consequences|url=https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-188738635/khat-chewing-in-Yemen-turning-over-a-new-leaf-khat|journal=Bulletin of the World Health Organization|volume=86|issue=10|pages=741–42|doi=10.2471/BLT.08.011008|pmc=2649518|pmid=18949206|access-date=9 January 2014|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310045753/https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-188738635/khat-chewing-in-yemen-turning-over-a-new-leaf-khat}}</ref>
}}

==Bibliography==
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*{{cite book|last=Al Zarouni |first=Yousif |author-link=Yousif Al Zarouni |title=The Effects of Khat (Catha Edulis) |place=London |publisher=Yousif Al Zarouni |year=2015}}
*{{cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=David|last2=Beckerleg|first2=Susan|last3=Hailu| first3=Degol|last4=Klein|first4=Axel|title=The Khat Controversy: Stimulating the Debate on Drugs|url=https://archive.org/details/khatcontroversys00davi|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=Berg|isbn=978-1-84788-335-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Beckerleg|first=Susan|title=Ethnic Identity and Development: Khat and Social Change in Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PVPFAAAAQBAJ|year=2010|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US|location=New York|isbn=978-0-230-10778-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Carrier|first=Neil C. M. |title=Kenyan Khat: The Social Life of a Stimulant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HhtxBITJmtYC|year=2007|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=978-90-04-15659-3}}
*Gatter, Peer (2012). ''Politics of Qat: The Role of a Drug in Ruling Yemen''. Wiesbaden: Ludwig Reichert Verlag. {{ISBN|978-3-89500-910-5}}. [http://www.qat-yemen.com/ Link to the table of contents and to selected chapters].
*{{cite book|last=Gebissa|first=Ezekiel |title=Leaf of Allah: Khat & Agricultural Transformation in Harerge, Ethiopia 1875–1991|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ga91oPVFb5MC|year=2004|publisher=Ohio University Press|location=Athens, Ohio|isbn=978-0-85255-480-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Gebissa|first=Ezekiel|title=Taking the Place of Food: Khat in Ethiopia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j4EbAQAAMAAJ|year=2010|publisher=Red Sea Press|location=Trenton|isbn=978-1-56902-317-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Gezon|first=Lisa|title=Drug Effects: Khat in Biocultural and Socioeconomic Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HMhEdnT0BicC|year=2012|publisher=Left Coast Press|location=Walnut Creek|isbn=978-1-61132-788-5}}
*{{cite book|last=Pendell |first=Dale |author-link=Dale Pendell |title=Pharmakodynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions and Herbcraft: Excitantia and Empathogenica |place=San Francisco |publisher=Mercury House |year=2002}}
*{{cite book|last1=Randrianame|first1=Maurice |last2=Shahandeh|first2=B. |last3=Szendrei|first3=Kalman|last4=Tongue|first4=Archer|last5=International Council on Alcohol and Addictions|title=The health and socio-economic aspects of khat use|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mSpOAQAAIAAJ|year=1983|publisher=The Council|location=Lausanne}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Catha edulis}}
{{Wiktionary|khat}}
{{Scholia|topic}}
* {{Cite web | url = https://www.euda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/khat_en | publisher = European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) | title = Khat }}

{{AfricanPlants|Catha edulis}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q207642}}

[[Category:Catha (plant)|edulis]]
[[Category:Anorectics]]
[[Category:Beta-Hydroxyamphetamines]]
[[Category:Cathinones]]
[[Category:Entheogens]]
[[Category:Flora of Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Flora of Somalia]]
[[Category:Flora of Uganda]]
[[Category:Flora of Kenya]]
[[Category:National symbols of Kenya]]
[[Category:Herbal and fungal stimulants]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
[[Category:Protected trees of South Africa]]
[[Category:Culture of Yemen]]
[[Category:Drugs in Yemen]]
[[Category:Least concern plants]]
[[Category:Amphetamine alkaloids]]
[[Category:Drugs in Somalia]]
[[Category:National symbols of Uganda]]
[[Category:Drugs in Uganda]]
[[Category:Drugs in Kenya]]
[[Category:Masticatories]]
[[Category:Wakefulness-promoting agents]]