Felony arrest for possession of khat follows traffic stop
— Photo by A. Davey
“At The Chat Market” was taken near Harar in southeastern Ethiopia by photographer A. Davey. He explains, “The tropical evergreen plant called ‘chat’ in Ethiopia (Catha edulis, aka qatt, jaad, or khat) has been widely used as a stimulant in east Africa and southern Arabia since antiquity. Chat is legal in several countries, including Ethiopia and some of its neighbors. Chat is illegal in other countries, including the U.S. Chat users prefer to chew the newest leaves from freshly-harvested stems. For this reason, fresh chat stems are bought and sold at daily markets.”
BETHLEHEM — A routine traffic stop on April 17 led to an arrest for a controlled substance, khat — a drug rarely seen locally.
Amar H. Mehsin, 19, of Albany, was stopped on Route 9W near Bender Lane by Bethlehem Police at midnight, for a traffic violation, according to a release from Bethlehem Police.
Mehsin had over a gram of khat, the release said, describing it as “a controlled substance that contains cathinone, a Public Health Law — schedule 1 stimulant.”
The World Health Organization has classified khat as a “drug of abuse” since 1980 because it can cause psychological dependence.
Known as “bushman’s tea” in the Horn of Africa where the plant, Catha edulis, is native, it has been used for centuries as a stimulant with a social use similar to coffee, which it predates.
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, “The use of khat is accepted within the Somali, Ethiopian, and Yemeni cultures, and in the United States khat use is most prevalent among immigrants from those countries.
“Abuse levels are highest in cities with sizable populations of immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen, including Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, and Washington, D.C.”
The Intelligence Center explains why the drug is illegal in the United States, saying, “Fresh khat leaves contain cathinone — a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs, which include heroin and LSD, have a high potential for abuse and serve no legitimate medical purpose.
“When khat leaves are no longer fresh (typically after 48 hours), their chemical composition breaks down. At that point the leaves contain cathine, a Schedule IV substance. Schedule IV drugs are considered to have a lower potential for abuse but still can lead to limited physical or psychological dependence.”
Asked how old Mehsin’s khat leaves were at the time of his arrest, James Rexford, the public information officer for the Bethlehem Police, told The Enterprise, “I do not have that information.”
Mehsin was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony.
He was arraigned in Guilderland Town Court and released under the supervision of Albany County Probation. A return date is set for May 20 at 4 p.m. in Bethlehem Town Court.
