East African drug turns up in Maine

Portland (Maine) Press Herald ^ | 25 April 2002 | AP

[NewHampshireDuo]

LEWISTON — A drug called khat, a chewable amphetamine from a tree grown in East Africa, has begun to show up in the Lewiston area, and police are bracing for a wider emergence of the drug.

Chewing khat in paste form or drinking it like tea causes a user to feel energetic and blissful, an effect likened to that of cocaine, officials said.

Because khat is not listed on Maine statutes as a scheduled drug, it is technically not illegal in the state. But anyone caught trafficking in khat or using it will face federal charges, drug agents said.

Police and drug agents in Maine have become more familiar with khat after shipments to New England were intercepted.

Khat is believed to be coming to the United States along with thousands of immigrants from Somalia.

"We're not targeting or criticizing any segment of our population," said Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Supervisor Gerry Baril. "But the influx of immigrants from the East African region seems to be directly correlated to the availability of the drug."

In Lewiston, where more than 750 Somali immigrants have come to live in the past year, police are getting educated.

"We are aware of the drug and what it does," said Lewiston police Sgt. Michael McGonagle. "We have not seen a problem with it, but we've been made aware."

Baril said the MDEA has already investigated cases of khat use or distribution, but he could not be more specific.

Khat is usually packaged in plastic bags or wrapped in banana leaves when it is prepared for shipment. It may be sold as dried or crushed leaves or in powdered form, according to a University of Pennsylvania study of the drug.

There was no information available on how much the drug might sell for in Maine. But according to national statistics, a bundle of khat leaves might be sold for between $30 and $50, while a kilogram will fetch between $300 and $400 in cities such as Boston or New York.

[NewHampshireDuo]

"We're not targeting or criticizing any segment of our population," said Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Supervisor Gerry Baril. "But the influx of immigrants from the East African region seems to be directly correlated to the availability of the drug."

A couple of weeks ago the Press Herald was praising the next wave of Somalis for the added diversity that they would be providing to the state. Yup, they are getting it.

[Bob Mc]

" ...causes a user to feel energetic and blissful..."

Well now! We can't have that! Guess we're going to have to bust down a few more doors, bust a few heads, and put a stop to this nonsense. </sarcasm off

[Fish out of Water]

index bump

[zoso82t]

Because khat is not listed on Maine statutes as a scheduled drug, it is technically not illegal in the state. But anyone caught trafficking in khat or using it will face federal charges, drug agents said.

How can you be prosecuted for not breaking any laws? Sounds ridiculous to me.

[Calico Cat]

750 Somalis to Portland, Maine in ONE YEAR? What's going on here?

[NewHampshireDuo]

I was just trying to figure out what the deal with chewing on cat was. Yuck.

[shaggy eel]

,,, da khat's outta da bag.

[RJCogburn]

...causes a user to feel energetic and blissful

DEA soon to surround all Starbucks.

[Rustynailww]

can beetle nuts be far behind?

[Liberal Classic]

Question. Is khat already scheduled, or is there a specific federal law against it as with Gamma Hydroxy-butyrate?

[45Auto]

The active compound, cathinone, was placed in Schedule I of the Federal Controlled Substances list.

[45Auto]

Cathinone is not Gamma Hydroxybutyrate; it is keto-amphetamine.

[Ronin]

Oh Goody!!!

Another drug for us to go after. Better order up some more MP-10s and a few dozen stun gernades.

What? It's not illegal yet? Oh, don't worry. Who cares what the state law says. We're Feds and we can get away with stomping them anyhow.

The "War on Drugs" (read here War on "Citizen's Rights") continues...

[zoso82t]

Oh I see. Thanks for the info. Still, it sounds pretty harmless. God forbid we let anyone exercise free will.

[null and void]

I can recall when the networks tried to make a big deal of it during the Bush I excursion into Somalia, with breathless accounts of gangs of youths running around HIGHT ON KHAT. Some things will never change.

That, and playing the race card to get drug laws passed...

[StormEye]

"In Lewiston, where more than 750 Somali immigrants have come to live in the past year, police are getting educated."

Diversity marches on...

[ozone1]

Portland is already overloaded with Somali's, So 1,000 have moved from "away" into Lewiston this year and another 1,000 by next year. They are escaping the "crime ridden areas of atlanta". There are no jobs up here, so they have to supplement their welfare payments with something. We have John Baldacci to thank for this, he needs another 2000 DemocRAT voters.

[LadyDoc]

This is the stuff that was given to the AK47 carrying thugs that terrorized Somalia and stole all the food being shipped to starving families.

When you're high, you kill and don't care. As seen in Black Hawk Down, however, your judgement isn't too good, such as trying to storm REAL men who are sober and defending themselves.

Considering all the meth in the midwest, wonder why they bother to import the stuff.

[LadyDoc]

Khat is chewed all over certain areas around the Somali Horn, especially in Yemen, and has been for centuries with no noticable deleterious effects.

Guess it depends on what you call "deleterious". Yemen and Somalia aren't exactly progessive or free societies...