NCJ Number
201285
Date Published
May 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This bulletin provides information on the characteristics, abuse, availability, and transportation of khat, a plant that contains stimulants regulated under the Controlled Substances Act.
Abstract
Khat is a flowering shrub native to northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The availability of khat is increasing in the United States. The amount of khat seized by Federal law enforcement officers increased dramatically from 14 metric tons in 1995 to 37 metric tons in 2001. In the first 6 months of 2002, Federal officers seized nearly 30 metric tons of the drug. Individuals of Somali, Ethiopian, and Yemeni descent are the primary transporters and distributors of khat; and in the United States khat use is more prevalent among immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen. These persons use the drug in casual settings or as part of their religious ceremonies. Abuse levels are highest in cities with sizable populations of these immigrants. Khat must be transported quickly to its intended market because of its limited shelf life. The drug is often transported into the United States through Great Britain and Canada, primarily through package delivery services and, to a lesser extent, by couriers aboard commercial airplanes. Examples of seizures that involved package delivery services are presented for Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; New York City; Kansas City, MO; Kansas City, KS; and Detroit, MI. Khat will likely become increasingly available in the United States, and abuse of the drug will remain most prevalent in communities with large Somali, Ethiopian, and Yemeni populations; however, the drug is not likely to become widely popular due to its limited shelf life and because stimulant abusers commonly seek more intense physiological effects, such as those produced by cocaine and methamphetamine. 6 references