Khat – Have you been charged?
Khat is a recreationally chewed herbal drug that has been used as a stimulant like cocaine for centuries in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, namely Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen. The growing availability of Khat in Ohio has caused concern about the use of the drug, which resulted in the State of Ohio making Khat a Schedule 1 drug (cathinone) or Schedule IV drug (cathine).
Khat is an evergreen shrub that is chewed (100–200 grams) over several hours as a social, ceremonial, and cultural event. The active ingredient in Khat is cathinone, a Schedule I drug related to amphetamine. After the fresh leaves are cut for a short period of time, cathinone levels go down and are converted to cathine, which has only 1/10 the potency of cathinone. This is important because if cathinone is in the Khat in your possession, you will be charged with F2 drug possession with a mandatory sentence of 2–8 years. If Khat has deteriorated to just cathine, it is still a felony, but at a lower level, which is probationable.
Chewing Khat gives people a sensation of well-being, increased energy, alertness and self-confidence.
If you are charged with Khat drug charges, QUINN LEGAL ASSOCIATES can help. We are scientifically trained and can challenge lab results to avoid Felony II or Felony 5 drug charges. Recently, we were able to reduce charges of F2’s and F5’s to misdemeanors for Yemen clients who were caught with over 2lbs of Khat. This protected their lives and futures. Call us if you are charged with Khat we can help!