For centuries, khat, (pronounced COT), scientifically known as Catha Edulis, is known by over 40 different street names including, kat, qat, chat, gat, tohai, tschat, and mirraa. Khat is a 6-12-foot flowering evergreen shrub or small tree native to East Africa and Southern Arabia. The fresh young leaves of the Catha Edulis shrub, has been consumed where the plant is cultivated, primarily in East Africa and the Arabian peninsula. There, chewing khat predates the use of coffee and is used in a similar social context. Chewed in moderation, khat alleviates fatigue and reduces appetite. Compulsive use may result in manic behavior with grandiose delusions or in a paranoid type of illness, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations.
Khat has been brought into the U.S. and other countries for use by emigrants from the source countries. It contains a number of chemicals among which are two controlled substances, cathinone (Schedule I) and cathine (Schedule IV). As the leaves mature or dry, cathinone is converted to cathine which significantly reduces its stimulatory properties. Cathinone is approximately 10 more times more potent than cathine and is only present in fresh leaves.
Cathine, the secondary active ingredient in Khat, does not lose much of its potency with age as with cathinone. Leaves less than 48 hours old are preferred to ensure a maximum potency of cathinone. However, Khat can be preserved by freezing, the same way that vegetables and meats are kept fresh in the United States.
