About Khat…

Street names: Kus-es-Salahin, Catha, Quat, African Tea, Abyssinian tea, African salad, Bushman's tea, Chat, Gat, Kat, Miraa, Oat, Qat, Somali tea, Tohai, Tschat, Jimma

Khat comes from the Catha edulis plant, a flowering shrub native to Africa and the Middle East. Khat is legal and considered mainstream in Yemen and other countries such as Somalia and Kenya, and is a huge cash crop for Yemenis farmers. Khat has a long history in East-African and Middle Eastern countries and immigrants have taken the practice of chewing Khat with them around the world. Khat is illegal in most European countries as well as Canada and the USA.

How it works

Like the Coca plant, the people who live in regions native to the Catha plant chewed the leaves as a stimulant and at times for a religious experience. Khat looks like basil and contains two psychoactive ingredients: cathinone (a natural amphetamine) and cathine (a milder form of the first). Fresh leaves contain both substances, but about 48 hours after harvesting the more powerful cathinone diminishes leaving only the cathine active. Khat is shipped in airtight plastic containers in bundles, mainly through airports, because freshness is a key selling point.

Users report feelings of euphoria, reduced inhibition, increased sexual performance, increased alertness and excitement, and reduced appetite. Its effects last about 3 hours. It is highly addictive with no recognized medicinal uses. Khat gives users a similar experience to ecstasy or amphetamines.

How it is used

Because the potency dramatically decreases with the dried variety, most users prefer to chew khat, much as one would chewing tobacco. Dried khat can be brewed in tea or added to food. Khat tea is known as ‘bushman’s tea’.

Canadian Statistics

• In 2008, Canadian authorities reported that khat is the most common illegal drug being smuggled at airports
• In 2003, about 4,620 pounds of khat were seized in Alberta. In 2008, that figure jumped to 42,871 pounds. (RCMP)
• 57% of khat seizures at Canadian airports were seized from passengers and cargos originating in the United Kingdom, where khat remains legal. (RCMP 2008)
• Demand for khat is concentrated within Central Canada, particularly within larger urban centres where large Eastern-African communities are found. (RCMP – Drug Situation in Canada Report 2007)

Canadian Headlines

Torontonians love their khat, border agents find

January 15, 2010

"Of the drugs seized, the most commonly found was khat, an African plant with stimulant properties, which accounted for 1,400 incidents..."

Britons Charged After Narcotics Seized At Airport

March 23, 2010

“Two Britons have been charged with importing a controlled substance after border agents at the Calgary airport seized 31 kilograms of khat…”