Jim Paulin,  Dutch Harbor Fisherman

Is khat catching on among seafood industry workers trying to stay awake while working long hours of overtime, joining a  long list of more familiar stimulants from coffee to pharmaceutical  amphetamines? Maybe.

Khat, a drug well known in east Africa, has  likely made another appearance in Unalaska. On June 30, 22 grams in a  zippered plastic bag were turned in to the Unalaska Department of   Public Safety, according to police chief Jamie Sunderland.

A suspect has been identified as possessing the substance, found in the  area of the Unisea seafood processing plant, Sunderland said.  The green leafy material has been sent to a laboratory to  determine if it is in  fact khat ,he said.  If confirmed,  the suspect is expected to face  criminal charges of about the same level as possession of marijuana, he  said.

“We’ve run into it before on a very limited basis,”  Sunderland said, describing khat as a “mild drug that people chew.”  As  an illegal drug, khat is classified at about the same level as marijuana which he said it resembles at first glance.

Looked at more closely, it looks different than pot, lacking buds, he said.  He  described the appearance as green and leafy and containing stems, and  with an odor that’s different from marijuana.

Khat  (pronounced “cot”) is a stimulant drug derived from a shrub (Catha  edulis) that is native to East Africa including Somalia and Ethiopia,  the homelands of a substantial number of  immigrants in the cosmopolitan seafood processing sector of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.

The  khat plant itself is not scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act;  however, because one of the mind-altering chemicals found in it,  cathinone, is a Schedule I drug (a controlled substance with no  recognized therapeutic use), the federal government considers khat use  illegal, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, a federal  agency.

Leaves of the khat shrub are typically chewed and  held in the cheek, like chewing tobacco, to release their stimulant  chemicals. The main psychoactive ingredients in khat are cathinone and  cathine. These chemicals are structurally similar to amphetamine and  result in similar stimulant effects in the brain and body, although they are less potent. Like other stimulants, cathinone and cathine stimulate the release of the stress hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine  and raise the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain circuits  regulating pleasure and movement, according to NIDA.

It is estimated that as many as 10 million people worldwide chew  khat. It is commonly found in the southwestern part of the Arabian  Peninsula and in East Africa, where it has been used for centuries as  part of an established cultural tradition. In one large study in Yemen,  82 percent of men and 43 percent of women reported at least one lifetime episode of khat use. Its current use among particular migrant  communities in the United States and in Europe has caused concern among  policymakers and health care professionals. No reliable estimates of  prevalence in the United States exist, according to NIDA.

Chewing khat leaves is reported to induce a state of euphoria and elation as  well as feelings of increased alertness and arousal. The effects begin  to subside after about 90 minutes to 3 hours, but can last 24 hours. At  the end of a khat session, the user may experience a depressed mood,  irritability, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping.

In addition to its psychological effects, khat users can also experience  physiological effects typically produced by stimulants, including an  increase in blood pressure and heart rate, according to NIDA.

There are a number of adverse physical effects that have been associated with heavy or long-term use of khat, including tooth decay and periodontal  disease; gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation, ulcers,  inflammation of the stomach, and increased risk of upper  gastrointestinal tumors; and cardiovascular disorders such as irregular  heart-beat, decreased blood flow, and heart attack, according to NIDA

There is also consistent epidemiologic evidence for a weak association  between chronic khat use and mental disorders. Although there is no  evidence that khat use causes mental illness, chewing khat leaves may  worsen symptoms in patients who have pre-existing psychiatric  conditions.

Source: Alaska Dispatch