DM - Police go soft on khat: Officers told to respect 'culture and history'...

[edgarshade]

Police go soft on khat: Officers told to respect 'culture and history' of anyone caught chewing Somalian drug despite ban coming into force

By Ian Drury (and the blockheads? )
Published: 22:44, 23 June 2014

With reader comments

• Ban on khat comes into force at midnight on Tuesday
• First time offenders get a 'Khat Warning' and then a fine
• If a person is caught a third time, they face arrest

Officers have been told to respect the ‘culture and history’ of anyone caught chewing khat, as a ban on the drug came into force at midnight. From today, the herbal stimulant, grown in Africa and popular among the Somali community in the UK, is an illegal Class C drug. But police have been told to issue only a slap on the wrist ‘Khat Warning’ for a first offence, then a £60 fine. Only if they were caught using khat on a third occasion would a person face arrest and a court hearing, according to guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The guidelines are for dealing with people possessing khat for personal use.

The ACPO policy stated: ‘It is important that officers… retain their operational discretion; taking into account that khat has historically not been a controlled drug and was part of the culture for certain communities linked to the Horn of Africa.’ About 2,560 tons of khat was imported in 2011-12 with a value of £13.8million. It is usually chewed in family homes, at community parties or at legal khat cafes for up to six hours at a time.

But security experts have warned that proceeds from selling the drug, are believed to be fuelling Islamist extremist groups, such as al-Shabab. Home Secretary Theresa May overruled her own drug advisers to ban khat saying that if she failed to act Britain would become a transit route for illegally shipping it into mainland Europe. Chief Constable Andy Bliss, of ACPO, said: ‘Enforcement of the khat ban will be firm but proportionate.

More...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tory-caught-chewing-drug-ban-comes-force.html

Article from the Independent

Banning Khat is another pointless drug law that will do more harm than good

Avinash Tharoor
Tuesday 24 June 2014

With reader comments

It raises millions in taxes, has been chewed on for centuries, and is harmless. So why is Khat now illegal?

Today, khat joined the range of prohibited substances that fall under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Those who distribute this Class C drug can now face 14 years imprisonment – the same maximum sentence that applies to individuals who cause death by dangerous driving, and four years more than the maximum penalty for sexual assault.

So what exactly is khat, and why has it attracted such harsh legislation?

Khat is a mixture of leaves and herbs that provides a mild stimulant sensation when chewed, and is most prevalently used in Britain by immigrant communities – predominantly those from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen. There is a long history of khat use in East Africa, and its consumption is nothing new to Western observers; in an 1856 journal article, Charles Dickens remarked that khat “[acts] upon the spirits of those using them, much as a strong dose of green tea acts upon us in Europe“. The movement to criminalise khat in the UK first gained momentum in 2008, when Baroness Sayeeda Warsi outlined a desire to ban the substance – describing the plant as “addictive”, “carcinogenic” and “beginning to tear apart the social fabric of certain communities”.

More...
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices...that-will-do-more-harm-than-good-9559676.html

 

[StoneHappyMonday]

Leave my drug alone.

 

[Felonious Monk]

If they're so worried about it funding terrorist groups, why don't they grow some themselves to sell at a profit? Didn't the British East India Company do that already?

 

[weekend addiction]

I want to try khat so bad that it hurts. Curiosity killed the cat they say.

 

[Si Dread]

just satisfy your curiosity, & your cat'll be fine.

 

[Felonious Monk]

I'd definitely try it, but I don't know any Indonesians... They are some pretty hardcore Asia-towns around here though, so I'm sure it can be found.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Less intense/involved than betel nut quid/wrap, but still very nice. ime fresh leaves is key when enjoying khat. l actually think I like how certain betel wraps taste, but that's cause of extras added mostly. Khat definitely taste like you're cheeking leaves. Similar to cheeking coca leave, at least in terms of intensity (I'd say khat>coca tho), of course there are very distinct differences too. I look at betel nut, khat and coca leave in a similar light, although a good betel nut chew is by far the most "intense" stimulant wise. Also the nastiest in terms of spit tho and what it can do to your teeth, tbt.

In terms of the qualitative and quantitative effect, I cannot see any honest reason to ban any of these, perhaps with the exception of certain betel wraps - although most are perfectly fine really. Especially if you're not going to outlaw chewing/dipping tobacco or coffee beans/caffeine.

Gosh I need to try a betel nut - khat - coca leaf chew. That would be interesting! You'd need a lot of khat and coca leaf tho, so iono if that's actually feasible... I can dream.

 

[Black]

I'd definitely try it, but I don't know any Indonesians... They are some pretty hardcore Asia-towns around here though, so I'm sure it can be found.

the indonesians wouldn't be able to help you. you should be looking for east african (or yemeni), not south-east asian communities.
i've been offered kath once by an ethiopian at a festival, but declined because i was about to take mdma at the time. the next time i'd surely give it a try.

 

[Felonious Monk]

the indonesians wouldn't be able to help you. you should be looking for east african (or yemeni), not south-east asian communities.
i've been offered kath once by an ethiopian at a festival, but declined because i was about to take mdma at the time. the next time i'd surely give it a try.

Thanks for the tip, though unfortunately that basically guarantees I wouldn't be able to find it locally. I'm not sure why I had the SE Asian association stuck in my head, I guess some kind of incorrect connection between chewing khat and smoking clove cigarettes..

 

[Jabberwocky]

Maybe you were thinking of betel nuts?

 

[CLICKHEREx]

Thanks for the tip, though unfortunately that basically guarantees I wouldn't be able to find it locally. I'm not sure why I had the SE Asian association stuck in my head, I guess some kind of incorrect connection between chewing khat and smoking clove cigarettes..

Kratom, more likely. It's popular in several South East Asian countries, and Indonesia has a variety of its own.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Actually Kratom only grows in Indonesia iirc, one of those countries at least, but just one. It's not a phenomenon across the area as far as I know. It's limited to just one are (well, that area might include parts of other countries but it's mainly just one).

 

[...]

It's easy to see how one can "go soft on khat"