What are the law enforcement and immigration consequences of khat consumption by refugees?
There are also serious law enforcement and immigration consequences for refugee consumption of khat. The active ingredients of khat are alkaloids; cathinone (schedule I drug) and cathine (schedule IV drug), which are regulated under the U.S. Controlled Substance Act (CSA). The importation, possession, or use of khat in the U.S. is a violation of federal law and can lead to a refugee’s arrest, incarceration, detention, and/or removal from the U.S. The same is of course true for asylees, Cuban/Haitian Entrants, and Victims of a Severe Form of Trafficking. There is no legitimate or legal use for khat in the United States. What are alkaloids?Alkaloids are any of various physiologically active, nitrogen-containing organic bases obtained from plants such as nicotine, quinine, atropine, cocaine, and morphine. Cathinone is 10 times more potent than Cathine but dissipates within 48 hours of harvest. Within 48 hours of harvest khat’s chemical composition breaks down to contain only Cathine, redu
