Fireblade and Sask to me!

[Strix]

Ok, so I thought I would ask these questions of our resident drug gurus to get expert information.

Have you tried Khat (Qat/Cat)? And is it a serious drug or recreational drug? Any stories on it's use?

Long story short, was out knocking on doors at 5:00 am and caught my parolee passed out on a couch with a bundle of leaves on a stand next to him. Drug tested him, and he came up positive for cocaine. He claimed it was the Khat that he had been chewing i.e. the leaves. I looked up the info on Khat when I got back to the office but it doesn't appear to fall into the cocaine family of drugs. It seemed like it was more of an amphetamine in how it effected people.

[Barrister]

I'm a drug expert of sorts...

In Canada at least its a Schedule III Controlled Substance (the same schedule as psilocybin or LSD).  It's treated more seriously than pot, less seriously than cocaine.

I've personally never seen a file with the stuff, but we don't get a lot of east african immigrants here.

I would think it's definitely a breach for him to be using that stuff.

[Josephus]

Here's the official Wiki link:
In Canada, cathinone is a controlled substance under Schedule III of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), meaning it is illegal to possess or obtain unless approved by a medical practitioner. Punishment for the possession of khat could lead to a maximum sentence of three years in prison. The maximum punishment for trafficking or possession with the intent of trafficking is ten years in prison.[27][27]
In 2008, Canadian authorities reported that khat is the most common illegal drug being smuggled at airports [2].

[Strix]

I'm a drug expert of sorts...

In Canada at least its a Schedule III Controlled Substance (the same schedule as psilocybin or LSD).  It's treated more seriously than pot, less seriously than cocaine.

I've personally never seen a file with the stuff, but we don't get a lot of east african immigrants here.

I would think it's definitely a breach for him to be using that stuff.

Yes, it definitely is a violation. He needed to have a prescription to possess it. We don't always violate people though. It depends on the seriousness of the drug, the seriousness of the usage, and if the local cops want a crack at him to turn over something more serious i.e. we have an excellent relationship with local law enforcement.

From what I am gathering it is sort of an Arab/East African only drug. They distribute it among themselves but don't really put it out there for non-ethnic people.

[Josquius]

See: Dirty Pretty Things.

[garbon]

Many former coffee farmers in Ethiopia grow it as it is the only profitable crop. :-\

[Fireblade]

No, I've never used it.

From what I've read though, it's a mild stimulant. Sort of like tobacco, I suppose.

[Barrister]

By the way: I have my doubts the positive test for cocaine was from the Khat.  Check with your lab whether that's possible or not.

[Hansmeister]

The Somalis all chewed khat.  It's a mild narcoting (at least in its chewed form) that merely mellows out the users.

[Fireblade]

I have talked to people who have chewed khat before. From what I hear, it's not really that good. But I guess if you live in Somalia and you want to get fucked up, you'd chew on a shoe if it could get you high.

[Legbiter]

Both cocaine and khat are alkaloids. On the other hand so are the active ingredients in coffee, nicotine, morphine and of course, quinine.

Cocaine is a methyl (1R,2R,3S,5S)-3-(benzoyloxy)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1] octane-2-carboxylate alkaloid while the active ingredient in Khat is a β-ketoamphetamine.

I'd check with a biochemist on whether Khat use could return a cocaine positive test result. I'm rather sceptical myself.

Damn you, you Satanic nitrogen-based compounds! Damn you all to Hell!*

*Except coffee of course.

[Fireblade]

while the active ingredient in Khat is a β-ketoamphetamine.

So do you get geeked out like when you take adderall?  ???

In that case, I might have to try to procure some khat sometime.

[saskganesh]

sign me up. I'm among the curious.

[Darth Wagtaros]

The Somalis all chewed khat.  It's a mild narcoting (at least in its chewed form) that merely mellows out the users.

Isn't that whatt drove them nuts in Blackhawk Down?

[11B4V]

The Somalis all chewed khat.  It's a mild narcoting (at least in its chewed form) that merely mellows out the users.

Isn't that whatt drove them nuts in Blackhawk Down?

Havent seen Hans in ages.