Key Points
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on September 4, 2026, that officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had seized more than 4,000 pounds of khat since the beginning of the year.
- Khat is a plant containing the stimulants cathinone and cathine. Cathinone is federally classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, while cathine is Schedule IV.
- Khat produces stimulant effects that can include increased alertness and energy but can also increase heart rate and blood pressure and contribute to insomnia, anxiety, agitation, paranoia, and other psychiatric symptoms.
- Khat should not be confused with synthetic cathinones, often associated with drugs sold as “bath salts,” although synthetic cathinones are chemically related to the naturally occurring cathinone found in khat.
- Repeated khat use can become problematic. Treatment should consider the person’s overall stimulant use, mental health, physical health, polysubstance use, and patterns surrounding the drug rather than focusing only on the name of the substance.
- How Brooks Helps: Brooks Healing Center provides individualized treatment for stimulant and other substance use disorders, with medical detox, residential care, PHP, and supportive recovery services based on each person’s clinical needs.
A drug that many Americans have probably never encountered just became the subject of one of Atlanta’s more unusual recent drug seizure announcements.
On September 4, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had intercepted more than 4,000 pounds of khat during four separate enforcement actions since the beginning of 2026. According to CBP, the plant material had been discovered in international cargo originating from India, the Netherlands, and Nigeria, as well as concealed in luggage carried by two U.S. citizens arriving in Atlanta from Paris.
Local reporting placed the estimated street value of the seized khat at approximately $500,000. The Atlanta seizures are also part of a larger pattern: CBP reported seizing roughly 46,000 pounds of khat nationwide during fiscal year 2025 and nearly 19,000 pounds during the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026.
For families in Georgia and neighboring Tennessee, the announcement raises a fairly basic question: What exactly is khat, and why are federal authorities seizing thousands of pounds of it?
Table 1. Khat at a Glance
| Category | Khat Facts |
|---|---|
| What is khat? | Khat is a stimulant-containing plant (Catha edulis) traditionally chewed or brewed as tea in parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. |
| Other names | Qat, kat, chat, miraa, Abyssinian tea, African salad |
| Primary active chemicals | Cathinone and cathine |
| Drug class | Central nervous system stimulant |
| Common effects | Increased energy, alertness, talkativeness, decreased appetite, elevated mood, and reduced fatigue |
| Potential side effects | Increased heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, agitation, gastrointestinal problems, and exhaustion |
| Serious risks | Paranoia, hallucinations, manic behavior, psychosis, and cardiovascular complications may occur, particularly with heavy or prolonged use |
| Can khat become addictive? | Frequent use may lead to cravings, tolerance, psychological dependence, difficulty controlling use, and withdrawal-like symptoms after stopping |
| Possible withdrawal symptoms | Fatigue, increased sleep, irritability, depressed mood, and cravings |
| Is khat the same as bath salts? | No. Khat naturally contains cathinone. “Bath salts” commonly refers to synthetic cathinones that are chemically related but are different drugs. |
| Federal legal status | Cathinone is a Schedule I controlled substance in the U.S.; cathine is Schedule IV. |
| Recent Atlanta seizure | U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported seizing more than 4,000 pounds of khat at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during 2026. |
| When to seek help | Treatment may be appropriate when stimulant use becomes difficult to control, causes health or psychiatric symptoms, or continues despite problems at home, work, or in relationships. |
What Is Khat?
Khat, scientifically known as Catha edulis, is an evergreen shrub traditionally cultivated and consumed in parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its leaves and young shoots can be chewed, commonly being held inside the cheek while the active compounds are gradually released. Dried khat may also be brewed into tea or prepared in other forms. The DEA lists names including qat, chat, kat, miraa, Abyssinian tea, and African salad among terms used for the plant.
It is important to understand khat within its cultural context as well. Khat use did not originate as an American street-drug trend. Chewing khat has longstanding social and cultural traditions in several regions of Africa and the Middle East. That history, however, does not change the pharmacology of its active ingredients or their legal status in the United States.
The two compounds of greatest concern are cathinone and cathine, stimulants that act on the central nervous system. Cathinone in particular produces effects that have similarities to other stimulant drugs. The DEA compares khat’s effects with stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine.
What Does Khat Do?
People may use khat because of increased energy, alertness, sociability, confidence, or a sense of stimulation. Those effects are related largely to cathinone.
Stimulation, however, affects more than mood.
The DEA reports that khat can cause an immediate increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Other reported effects include insomnia, decreased appetite, gastrointestinal problems, hyperactivity, and physical exhaustion with chronic use. More severe psychiatric effects reported in association with khat include paranoia, hallucinations, grandiose delusions, and manic-type behavior.
Medical research has also examined khat’s cardiovascular effects. A 2025 review described associations between chronic khat consumption and hypertension, acute coronary syndromes, myocardial infarction, and cardiomyopathy, although risks can differ considerably according to how frequently the drug is used, the amount consumed, underlying medical conditions, and other substance use.
This is one reason that describing khat simply as a “plant” can be misleading. A naturally occurring substance can still contain pharmacologically active compounds capable of substantially affecting the brain and cardiovascular system.
Is Khat Illegal in the United States?
The federal legal issue centers on the chemicals contained within the plant.
Under the Controlled Substances Act, cathinone is a Schedule I stimulant and cathine is a Schedule IV stimulant. DEA’s current resource guide specifically identifies both substances as constituents of khat.
CBP consequently described the material seized in Atlanta as illegal khat and stated that the intercepted plant material would be destroyed.
The fact that khat may be culturally accepted or regulated differently in another country does not mean that someone can legally bring it into the United States.
Why Were More Than 4,000 Pounds of Khat Coming Through Atlanta?
Atlanta is home to the world’s busiest passenger airport and serves as an enormous international transportation and cargo hub. It is therefore not surprising that federal authorities encounter substances entering the country through Hartsfield-Jackson that may be relatively unfamiliar to many people elsewhere in Georgia or Tennessee.
What is notable about the 2026 announcement is that this was not one isolated suitcase containing a small quantity of plant material. CBP described four separate enforcement actions involving both commercial cargo and passenger luggage.
The volume also shows that khat remains present within international drug transportation networks despite receiving far less public attention in the United States than fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, or counterfeit pills.
That does not mean khat is suddenly replacing those drugs in Georgia. The Atlanta announcement does not establish a surge in local khat addiction, and it would be misleading to portray it that way. What the seizure does demonstrate is that khat continues to enter U.S. markets in meaningful quantities and that people may encounter substances outside the drugs typically discussed in American addiction education.
Is Khat the Same Thing as “Bath Salts”?
No, but the terminology can get confusing.
Cathinone is a naturally occurring stimulant found in khat. Synthetic cathinones are laboratory-created drugs chemically related to cathinone. A number of synthetic cathinones have been marketed under names such as “bath salts,” “research chemicals,” or other misleading product descriptions.
The DEA describes synthetic cathinones as central nervous system stimulants designed to produce effects resembling drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA.
Someone reading that khat contains cathinone may therefore assume that chewing khat is identical to consuming synthetic cathinones such as those sold as bath salts. It is not. The drugs are related chemically, but they are not interchangeable terms and can differ substantially in potency, composition, method of use, and risk.
Can Someone Become Addicted to Khat?
The answer requires more nuance than simply calling khat either addictive or non-addictive.
Research has documented craving, psychological dependence, tolerance, repeated use despite consequences, and withdrawal-type symptoms among some frequent users, although the severity of dependence and withdrawal is not identical to what is typically associated with alcohol, benzodiazepines, or opioids. A 2026 review in the Journal of Addiction Medicine noted that khat’s addictive potential remains an area of scientific debate, with findings varying across populations and research methods.
Reported symptoms after stopping frequent khat use can include fatigue or sleepiness, changes in sleep, depressed mood, irritability, and cravings. The larger clinical issue is whether stimulant use has begun interfering with the person’s physical health, mental health, relationships, employment, finances, or ability to control their behavior.
The drug name alone also does not tell clinicians everything they need to know. Someone using khat may simultaneously use alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, benzodiazepines, or other substances. Polysubstance use can significantly change both the immediate risks and the appropriate treatment plan.
Khat and Mental Health
The relationship between stimulant use and mental health deserves particular attention.
Cathinone’s stimulant properties mean that heavy or prolonged khat use may contribute to anxiety, agitation, insomnia, paranoia, and psychotic symptoms, particularly in vulnerable individuals or during periods of substantial stimulant exposure. The DEA includes paranoia, hallucinations, nightmares, hyperactivity, and grandiose delusions among reported effects.
Sleep deprivation can make this situation worse. Someone repeatedly using a stimulant to remain awake may begin experiencing increasingly severe anxiety, confusion, suspiciousness, emotional instability, or perceptual disturbances.
When someone appears severely confused, psychotic, dangerously agitated, suicidal, has chest pain, experiences difficulty breathing, or is otherwise experiencing an acute medical or psychiatric emergency, the priority is emergency medical evaluation, not attempting to manage the situation at home.
What the Atlanta Khat Seizures Mean for Georgia and Tennessee
The Atlanta seizures are worth paying attention to precisely because khat falls outside the usual American discussion about drugs.
Families tend to recognize words such as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, Xanax, or marijuana. Terms such as khat, qat, miraa, cathinone, or cathine may mean nothing to someone encountering them for the first time.
Modern substance use does not remain neatly divided into a handful of familiar drug categories. International transportation, online communities, changing drug markets, designer substances, plant-derived psychoactive products, counterfeit medications, and emerging compounds continually change what people may encounter.
The useful response is not panic. It is better education.
Knowing what a substance actually contains, how it affects the brain and body, what signs indicate escalating use, and when medical care is necessary gives families far more useful information than simply labeling an unfamiliar drug as dangerous.
How Brooks Healing Center Helps
Khat may be less familiar than substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine, or fentanyl, but problematic stimulant use can create many of the same concerns: cravings, disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression, impaired judgment, cardiovascular strain, and difficulty stopping despite negative consequences.
At Brooks Healing Center in Normandy, Tennessee, treatment is built around the person rather than a single substance. Our clinical team considers patterns of use, physical and mental health, co-occurring conditions, withdrawal risk, previous treatment experiences, and the circumstances that may be contributing to continued substance use.
Brooks provides medical detox, residential addiction treatment, Partial Hospitalization Program services, and supportive recovery options for people who need a structured path forward. We also work with individuals experiencing stimulant-related substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns when clinically appropriate. Brooks also offers sober living for structured recovery housing and peer support, based on individual needs.
If khat, stimulants, or other substances are becoming difficult to control, you do not need to know exactly how serious the problem is before reaching out. The Brooks admissions team can help you understand your options, verify insurance benefits, and determine whether our program is the right fit for your needs.
Call Brooks Healing Center at 931-486-8824 to speak with admissions and learn more about treatment options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Khat
What Is Khat?
Khat is a flowering evergreen plant, scientifically known as Catha edulis, that is native to parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its fresh leaves and shoots are commonly chewed for their stimulant effects. Khat contains two psychoactive chemicals, cathinone and cathine, which affect the central nervous system. Cathinone is largely responsible for the increased energy, alertness, and euphoria associated with chewing khat.
Is Khat Legal in the US?
Khat is generally illegal to possess or import into the United States when it contains controlled substances. The plant contains cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, a Schedule IV controlled substance under federal law. Fresh khat typically contains higher concentrations of cathinone, which gradually breaks down after the plant is harvested.
What Does Khat Do?
Khat acts as a stimulant. Chewing the leaves can increase alertness, energy, talkativeness, and feelings of excitement or euphoria while suppressing appetite and delaying fatigue. It can also increase blood pressure and heart rate.
As stimulant exposure increases, khat can also cause insomnia, anxiety, irritability, agitation, gastrointestinal problems, and physical exhaustion. Heavy or chronic use has been associated with paranoia, hallucinations, manic behavior, and other psychiatric symptoms.
Is Khat a Drug?
Yes. Although khat itself is a plant, its leaves contain psychoactive stimulant drugs. The most important is cathinone, along with the less potent stimulant cathine. Chewing fresh khat releases these chemicals into the body and can produce effects similar in some respects to amphetamine and other stimulants.
Being naturally derived does not mean a substance is not a drug. Many psychoactive substances, including cocaine and opium, also originate from plants.
Is Khat What the Pirates Are Chewing in Captain Phillips?
Yes. The leaves being chewed by the Somali pirates in the 2013 movie Captain Phillips are khat. The film depicts khat use as a stimulant that helps the pirates remain awake, energized, and alert.
The portrayal also reflects khat’s longstanding cultural use in Somalia and other parts of East Africa. However, the movie should not be viewed as a medical representation of how every person responds to the drug.
Does Khat Increase Testosterone?
There is not enough evidence to say that khat reliably increases testosterone in humans, and it should not be considered a testosterone-boosting substance.
Research has produced mixed results. Some animal studies have found temporary increases in testosterone after khat exposure, while other research has found reductions in testosterone and other reproductive hormones. Chronic khat use has also been associated with reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, and impaired sperm quality.
Human research has suggested that stopping khat use may improve certain reproductive health measures, including semen quality and testosterone levels in some individuals.
Is Khat Addictive?
Khat can become addictive or lead to dependence, particularly when it is used frequently. Cathinone produces stimulant effects, and repeated khat use has been associated with cravings, tolerance, psychological dependence, and difficulty controlling use.
People who stop after frequent or prolonged use may experience fatigue, increased sleep, irritability, depressed mood, decreased motivation, and cravings. The severity of khat dependence varies from person to person, but it can develop into a pattern of problematic stimulant use.
Sources
Drug Enforcement Administration. (2024). Drugs of abuse: A DEA resource guide, 2024 edition. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024-Drugs-of-Abuse-508.pdf
Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Khat. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/khat
Lim, S. Y. M., & Alshagga, M. A. (2026). The scientific debate on khat addiction: Evidence across humans, animals, and policy domains. Journal of Addiction Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42091099/
Naeem, A., et al. (2025). Understanding the intricacies of khat-associated cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40004630/
Noman, M., Al-Nawd, E., & Ahmed, F. (2025). Effects of khat (Catha edulis) chewing on seminal fluid parameters: Findings from a fertility clinic cohort and cessation trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40824009/
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2026, September 4). Atlanta CBP officers stop more than 4,000 pounds of illegal khat from entering the U.S. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/atlanta-cbp-officers-stop-more-4000-pounds-illegal-khat-entering-us
CBS News. (2013). Review: “Captain Phillips” a gripping thriller. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/review-captain-phillips-a-gripping-thriller/
British Board of Film Classification. (n.d.). Captain Phillips. https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/captain-phillips-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0znzk5otm
