D.C. seeks tougher penalties for khat

D.C. seeks tougher penalties for khat

Washington Times - October 13, 2008

The District is moving to stiffen penalties for a little-known drug that authorities suspect is used by cabdrivers in the city to stay alert and to finance terrorism overseas.

Parts of the khat plant - a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula - when fresh can produce effects similar to those of cocaine. Chewing the leaves is socially acceptable in countries such as Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

In the District and elsewhere across the country, officials are noticing and combating the drug's use: In 2004, federal agents seized 3,000 pounds of khat worth more than $5million at the Port of Baltimore. The Metropolitan Police Department in May arrested nearly three dozen people and seized 30 pounds of khat during a raid in the Northwest neighborhood of Shaw. Read More.