Khat has been illegal in Denmark since 1993. [75] In 2009, the Danish Health Authority investigated khat use among Somalis in Denmark. A questionnaire with 848 respondents was used. The responses showed that 48% of Somali men and 16% of women used the drug every month, and 29% of men and 6% of women used it twice or more a week. [76] Half of the respondents had never used khat. [76] Responses showed that Somalis made up the vast majority of users in Denmark. [76] In Canada, khat is a controlled substance under Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Any person who seeks or obtains the substance without presenting a doctor`s authorization to obtain such substances 30 days before receiving a new prescription is guilty of a criminal offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding eighteen months if the offence is a substance listed in Schedule IV or if he is guilty of a criminal offence; is threatened with summary conviction and is responsible for a first offence; a fine of up to one thousand dollars or imprisonment for a term of up to six months, or both, and for a subsequent offence, a fine of up to two thousand dollars or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both. [5] [6] When khat remains dry, the stronger chemical cathinone breaks down within 48 hours, leaving behind the softer chemical cathine. For example, pickers carry khat by wrapping fresh leaves and stems in plastic bags or wrapping them in banana leaves to retain moisture and keep the cathinone strong. It is also common for them to frequently spray the plant with water or be refrigerated during transport.
These efforts have been politically controversial,[82] with proponents claiming that cocaine production is several times the amount needed to satisfy legal demand, concluding that the vast majority of coca harvest is destined for the illicit market. According to the stated view, this not only contributes to the major social problem of drug abuse, but also supports insurgent groups working with drug traffickers in certain cocaine-producing areas. Critics of these efforts[47] argue that they create difficulties for coca farmers, many of whom are poor and have no viable alternative to earn a living, cause environmental problems, are not effective in reducing cocaine supply, in part because cultivation can be relocated to other areas, and any social harm, which is caused by drug abuse, is only exacerbated by the war on drugs. [47] Environmental problems include “ecocide,” in which vast tracts of land and forests are sprayed with glyphosate or Roundup to eradicate the coca plant. [47] However, the environmental damage caused is serious as it wipes out many plant species. [47] “Cathinone is the most important psychoactive component of the plant Catha edulis (khat). Young khat leaves are chewed for a stimulating effect. The implementation of this rule leads to the listing of cathinone-containing material in Appendix I. [124] Khat (Catha edulis) is a flowering shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The term khat refers to the leaves and young shoots of Catha edulis. The plant has been widely used since the thirteenth century as a recreational drug by indigenous peoples of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. Individuals chew khat leaves because of their stimulating and euphoric effects, which are similar to those but less intense than those resulting from cocaine or methamphetamine abuse. Khat is so popular in Yemen that its cultivation consumes much of the country`s agricultural resources. It is estimated that 40% of the country`s water supply is used for irrigation, with production increasing by about 10% to 15% each year. Water consumption is so high that the water table in the Sana`a Basin is declining; For this reason, government officials have proposed moving much of the population from Sanaa to the Red Sea coast. [8] One of the reasons for khat cultivation in Yemen is the high income it provides to farmers. Some studies in 2001 estimated that the income from khat cultivation was about 2.5 million rials per hectare, while it was only 0.57 million rials per hectare when the fruits were grown. This is a good reason for farmers to prefer khat to coffee and fruit. [9] For this reason, between 1970 and 2000, the cultivated area increased from 8,000 hectares to 103,000 hectares. However, these figures are estimates and the actual figures may be higher. [9] In the Netherlands, coca leaf legally belongs to the same category as cocaine, as both drugs are on Schedule I of the Opium Act.
The Opium Act specifically mentions the leaves of plants of the genus Erythroxylon. However, the possession of live plants of the genus Erythroxylon is not actively sought, although they are prohibited by law. Article 26 of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs requires countries that permit the cultivation of coca to designate an authority to regulate coca cultivation and to physically possess the crops as soon as possible after harvest and to destroy all coca grown wild or illegally grown. Efforts to enforce these regulations, known as coca eradication, have included many strategies, ranging from aerial spraying of herbicides on coca crops to support and incentives to encourage farmers to grow alternative crops. [81] In California, the plant itself and cathinone, its active component, are illegal. [128] The Conservative Party, undeterred by some evidence, announced in the run-up to the 2010 election that it would ban khat and commissioned a new review by the CDMA in 2012. Again, the ACMD indicated that no ban was necessary because there was little or no evidence of adverse health effects and no evidence that the importation, sale and/or use of khat was linked to organized crime. Gat is legal in Israel as long as it is consumed in its natural form, but distilling its ingredients is illegal. Some use the plant as a hedge because it is an evergreen tree. Today, khat consumption is limited to East Africa and southwestern Arabia. These countries include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia (including Somaliland), Uganda and Yemen.
Author Yousif Al Zarouni writes in his book:[13] 4 Of course, humans are not cows: we don`t sit there chewing vegetables for fun. The reason we like to wade khat and chew it is because the leaves contain the chemical cathinone. Chewing fresh leaves or drinking khat tea releases cathinone, it is absorbed through mucous membranes and booms, dopamine flows into your brain like amphetamine, but with results more like a strong cup of coffee. On 12 May 2014, the House of Lords passed a motion to authorise the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Designation)(Amendment) (No. 2)(England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2014,[113] to control Catha edulis as a Class C drug.