Datre Rape

KHAT IN AMERICA

Background

Khat (pronounced "cot") is a natural stimulant from the Catha edulis plant and it is a flowering shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The plant usually grows from 2 to 12 feet high; however, it can reach 20 feet and its scrawny leaves resemble withered basil. Khat plant is a thirsty seedless plant which best grows at 3000 to 6000 feet above sea level. Khat plants typically are grown among crops such as coffee, legumes, peaches, or papayas. Fresh Khat leaves are crimson-brown and glossy, and contain cathinone but they become yellow- green and leathery as they age changing its chemical composition to cathine. They also emit a strong smell. The most favored part of the leaves is the young shoots near the top of the plant. However, leaves and stems at the middle and lower sections are also used. Khat has been widely used since the thirteen century as a recreational drug by the indigenous people of East Africa. Its international used was spread with the immigration of natives groups from this part of the world to other countries. And In 1980 the World Health Organization classified Khat as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence.

Pharmacology and chemistry

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 behaviorally active than cathine. In 1975, the related alkaloid cathinone was isolated, and its absolute configuration was established in 1978. Cathinone is not very stable and breaks down to produce cathine and norephedrine. These chemicals belong to the PPA (phenylpropanolamine) family, a subset of the phenethylamines related to amphetamines and the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine.[12]

Both of khat's major active ingredients -cathine and cathinone- are phenylalklamines, meaning they are in the same class of chemicals as amphetamines. In fact, cathinone and cathine have a very similar molecular structure to amphetamine.[13]

Subsequent research identified five fractions, namely cathine, cathinine [cathinone], cathidine, edulin, and ephedrine (luqman, 1976). Khat also contains other ingredients, but the most active psychoactive ingredients are cathine and cathinone that are structurally and chemically similar to d-amphetamine. Cathinone as a milder form of it. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has classified Cathine as schedule IV, while cathinone was classified as schedule I which is the most restrictive category used by the DEA). Cathinone is however is only present in freshly picked leaves; after 48 hours cathinone changes to cathine.

Abuse, Effects Availability and Transportation

In the United States khat use is most prevalent among immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen. These people use the drug in casual settings or as part of religious ceremonies. The habit has a deep-rooted social and cultural tradition. Individuals in the Native areas of Khat have used it as a mean to enhance their work habits, but more importantly it has become the magnet around which members of the community gather to discuss their issues, and sometimes conflicts. Chewing khat is part of the daily routine, and in the United States, some affluent individuals buy enough to chew daily.

Abuse of Khat in the United States is highest in cities with a substantial population of these immigrants. These cities include Boston, Colombus, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York and Washington D.C. It is reported by Law enforcement of these areas that people from other groups have begun abusing the drug as well.

Khat fresh leaves and shoots are typically chewed and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently until all the juices are extracted. To counter the bitter taste of the plant, copious amounts of water or soda are drank. Dried khat can be made into tea or a chewable paste. Rarely other modes of self-administration include smoking or sprinkling on food.

After ingesting khat, the user experiences sympathomimetic effects that may include an immediate increase in blood pressure and heart rate, dilated pupils, hyperthermia, arrhythmias, and increased respiration. The user may also fell relaxed and talkative. Khat produces amphetamine-like effects that include euphoria, a feeling of increased alertness and energy, hyperactivity, anorexia, and lack of fatigue. The effects of khat usually last between 90 minutes to 3 hours. Some after-effects of khat use are lack of concentration, numbness and insomnia.

Khat abuse leads to psychological dependence. Chronic abuse of khat can lead to behavioral changes and impairment of mental health. Clinical manifestations include maniac behavior with grandiose delusions, violence, suicidal depression, or schizophrenic psychosis characterized by paranoid delusions. Chronic abuse can also produce physical exhaustion, anorexia, periodontal disease and disturbances of the gastrointestinal system.

The use of khat is