Khat or qat (Catha edulis, qat from Arabic: القات) is a flowering plant native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat contains the alkaloid cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant, which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. Among communities from the areas where the plant is native, khat chewing has a history as a social custom dating back thousands of years analogous to the use of coca leaves in South America and betel nut in Asia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified it in 1980 as a drug of abuse that can produce psychological dependence, although...