You have heard of cocaine no doubt, almost everyone has heard of it and I guess you are one of the numerous people who know it. Just as you are familiar with cocaine not as a user but at least for Knowledge's sake, you are also familiar with coffee but this time there is an increased probability that you are a daily consumer of that. Anyway, today, I am looking at a plant that people classify as one of the two mentioned above.
It is termed the natural amphetamine, and it is known to blast energy when placed in the mouth. Some people classify it as harmful and some just believe it is just a regular harmless substance like coffee. The plant is known as Khat “Catha Edulis” and it is a draught-resistant shrub found predominantly in East Africa and the Arabian peninsula. The plant can grow in any condition and soil but prefers arid land.
The over 20 million population who live in regions where this plant grows including Yemen, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Kenya are known to chew this leave daily as a natural stimulant as a recreational and social drug. It is a leaf of choice in regions where alcohol is banned in these countries.
To have a feel of the potency of the leaf, it needs to be chewed fresh nevertheless, it is being smuggled to North America and Europe where it is illegal. The leaf has this effect thanks to two alkaloids Cathinone and Cathine which release dopamine which gives the pleasure feeling to behavior. It gives a euphoria that allows people to be more sociable while causing appetite loss. Chewers can become excited, talkative, and in a state of hyperactivity.
People who take this leaf can turn it into different forms including powder, paste, or smoked. If you were thinking of using this leaf (that's if you haven't used it before), I want you to know the long list of side effects that can accompany it when taken in a high quantity and in people who aren't supposed to use, it can lead to heart palpitations, insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety, reduced sexual potency, reduced concentration, dizziness, and irritability. It can cause anorexia, constipation, and urinary incontinence. It can also lead to dependency on it amongst many other things but in recent years the WHO says that its risk for abuse and dependency is low, not causing or posing a significant threat to the world for it to be controlled. For now, we could just agree that Khat is just one of those substances like your caffeine but does more yet not dangerous like your cocaine. https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs31/31482/index.htm
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Reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/khat
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2480814/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2649518/
https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/khat/
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/117302