---
name: Khat
molecule: C9H11NO
compound: "Cathinone"
era: Ancient
origin: Ethiopia, South Arabia
archetype: Freetekno
ancestor: Ethiopian
swag_score: 3
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/freetekno_ethiopian_khat.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/freetekno_ethiopian_khat.webp" alt="Khat" width="320" />
</div>


# Khat

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Euphoria, increased alertness, heightened energy, talkativeness,
and improved concentration. Effects begin within 1 hour of chewing khat leaves and typically
last for 3-6 hours. Users may experience a sense of well-being and reduced fatigue, followed by
a “crash” with low mood and lethargy.

**Natural Occurrence:** Native to East Africa and the Arabian
Peninsula, the plant grows in humid mountainous regions. Khat is chewed recreationally in East
Africa for its stimulant and euphoric effects. Khat is also claimed to aid diabetes and muscle
strength in traditional medicine.
**Appearance:** Khat is an evergreen shrub or
tree (up to 25 meters) with oval green leaves, reddish young stems, and small white flowers.
Dried leaves are brownish and less potent due to cathinone degradation.

## History

Khat (Catha edulis) has been chewed in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula for at least 600 years, with the earliest definitive historical references dating to the 14th century in Ethiopia, where it was used by Sufi mystics to aid prolonged prayer and meditation. It spread to Yemen where the social ritual of khat chewing (called "khat sessions" or "miraa time") became a deeply embedded daily cultural practice. Khat remains legal in most of East Africa and Yemen, where it is consumed by millions, though it has been banned in the UK (2014), the US, and several European countries due to concerns about its amphetamine-like stimulant effects.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Freetekno](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#freetekno)

**Ancestor:** [Ethiopian](../../../core-lore/ancestors/ethiopian.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Seven of Wands](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/seven-of-wands.md)

**PubChem:** [Cathinone](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cathinone)

**Paired With:** [M-Cat](m-cat.md)

## Sources

- https://erowid.org/plants/khat/khat.shtml
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cathinone
- https://erowid.org/plants/khat/khat_info1.shtml
- [Khat - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khat)
- [Cathinone - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathinone)
- [Catha edulis - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catha_edulis)
- [Khat, a Cultural Chewing Drug: A Toxicokinetic and Toxicodynamic Summary - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8875844/)