"Khat" It Out!

KHAT

After several questions about Khat, I decided to look into it more deeply.

Fast Facts

• Khat is a slow-growing shrub or tree that typically attains a height 3 feet 3 inches–16 feet 5 inches. However, it can reach heights of up to 33 ft in equatorial areas. The plant usually grows in arid environments, at a temperature range of 41–95 degrees Fahrenheit.

• It takes seven to eight years for the khat plant to reach its full height. Other than access to sun and water, khat requires little maintenance. The plants are watered heavily starting around a month before they are harvested to make the leaves and stems soft and moist. 

• A good khat plant can be harvested four times a year, providing a year-long source of income for the farmer.

• Khat is a stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages going between the brain and the body. The effects of khat (also known as qat, qaad, Arabian tea, kat and chat) are similar to those of other amphetamines,

• Khat contains two central nervous system stimulants: cathinone--a Schedule I drug under the Federal Controlled Substances Act--and cathine--a Schedule IV drug. Cathinone is the principal active stimulant; its levels are highest in fresh khat. The small, leathery green leaves start losing their effect around 24 hours after harvesting.

• Almost every morning, up to 16.5 tons of fresh khat arrives in Djibouti by land or sea from neighboring Ethiopia.  By lunchtime, men all over the East African country begin chewing on the leaves —a routine that can last for hours

• The inhabitants of the Horn of Africa have been chewing khat leaves since the 14th century, according to several manuscripts. For thousands of years, different communities, including the Ancient Egyptians and Sufis, used the gentle euphoric effect of the plant to induce a trance-like state for recreational and spiritual purposes.

• Data from the African Development Bank shows that unemployment was already close to 40 percent before the crisis began. The average "khatter” spends about seven hours a day chewing the narcotic leaves.

• The government also receives approximately seven dollars in tax for every kilo of khat sold, which accounts for 15 percent of the country’s tax revenues—around $17 million annually. 

• An average household in Djibouti spends between 20 and 40 percent of its budget on khat.

• Excessive khat consumption can lead “to aggressive behavior, hallucinations, [and] psychotic states.” Its consumption may also cause other health problems in users’ nervous, digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. 

Drug Trade Is Firmly in Women's Hands in this African Country

One question was asked, "Why do the women sell Khat and the men use it?"  Great question!  Here is an article excerpt By Benjamin Moscovici in Djibouti City 18.03.2021, 11.03 Uhr

Little functions in the Horn of Africa without the drug khat, and trade in the popular, amphetamine-laden leaf is proving to be crisis-proof. Khat sellers have risen to become their family’s main breadwinners.

Shortly after the midday prayer, a nervous tension settles over the city of Djibouti. Men anxiously check their mobile phones and call their acquaintances. Anything new? Where are the trucks?

Then the news comes: The khat has just crossed the border from Ethiopia – and the shipment should arrive in Djibouti’s capital, also called Djibouti, in about an hour and a half.

The trade in khat has long since became an important part of the economy in Djibouti, the small desert nation located on the Horn of Africa. Around 15 tons of the amphetamine-packed leaves are imported each day. It is estimated that trade in the stimulant is responsible for around 5 percent of gross domestic product. And since the beginning of the corona crisis, the economic importance of the khat trade has risen. 

Djibouti - one of Africa's smallest countries, with just 1 million inhabitants - depends on trade, and on its strategically important location. In recent years, the coastal nation has managed to develop one of the most modern ports in the region. It's land-bound neighbor Ethiopia, in particular, with a population of around 110 million people, is dependent on imports and exports through the Port of Djibouti.

The (pandemic) crisis has only served to reinforce this dynamic because, unlike the rest of the economy, the khat trade has largely been unaffected by the pandemic. Instead, prices, just like consumption, are rising, says Zainaba.

Indeed, the khat trade in the region has proven its resilience, having survived crises that were worse. Even during the height of the civil wars in Yemen and Somalia, supplies almost always arrived on time in the country. And timely arrival is critical: The small, leathery green leaves start losing their effect around 24 hours after harvesting. That’s also why people start getting jittery around midday in Djibouti.But trade has slowed considerably as a result of the corona crisis. It has now become even more difficult to get a job at the port, in transport or in industry in the country. Data from the African Development Bank shows that unemployment was already close to 40 percent before the crisis began. 

Khat seller Zainaba A. says that her husband has also been affected. He works at the port doing odd jobs, she says. When asked who earns more money – she or her husband – Zainaba sighs and looks a little sheepishly at other sellers in the neighboring stands. She says she can’t say. It’s well, you know … Does that mean he makes more? She glances shyly at her girlfriends one more time and then bursts out with pride: "Of course! Much more! And it has been that way for years!” 

She says she doesn’t want her husband to feel bad about it. But without the income from the khat business, her family would no longer be able to make ends meet. The other women nod. For many of them, what was meant to be a little extra money has become the bulk of the family income. Now, the roles have flipped for the men and they’re the ones bringing a little extra

For many women like Zainaba, khat is both the solution to and the root of their financial problems, given how the money they earn from khat is often lost again through their husband's consumption of the drug. The World Bank estimates that an average household in Djibouti spends between 20 and 30 percent of its budget on khat. That’s more than is spent on rent, education and health. The only thing families spend more money on is food.

(This piece is part of the Global Societies series. The project runs for three years and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.)

   But what at first glance might look like a zero-sum game  could actually not only massively strengthen the role of many women in Djibouti, but also contribute to the country’s development. Past experience with developing nations shows that the greater share of a family's budget is managed by women, the more of that money goes to education and health.

However, the price paid by society is high. The World Bank estimates that the average "khatter” spends about seven hours a day chewing the narcotic leaves. That’s almost the equivalent to a full day’s work. The economic losses are enormous, not to mention the social and health consequences.

*For my tennis friends: If I bring some khat back for us to chew, we could name ourselves "Khat Touch That."

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'll do my best to find the answers.