LONDON, United Kingdom – 03 July 2013. Secretary of State for the Home Department, Theresa May, has announced that the government will control khat under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a Class C drug. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs undertook a thorough and comprehensive scientific review which focused on the medical and social harms of khat consumption. The decision to bring khat under control is finely balanced and takes into account the expert scientific advice and these broader concerns. The whole of northern Europe – most recently the Netherlands – and the majority of other EU member states have controlled khat, as well as most of the G8 countries, including Canada and the USA. In all these cases khat’s exportation, importation, supply and its possession or use has been banned. Failure to take decisive action and change the UK’s legislative position on khat would place the UK at a serious risk of becoming a single, regional hub for the illegal onward trafficking of khat to these countries.

For more information please see:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/khat