Khat, pleasure or addiction?
The Somalis are almost all Sunni Muslims. I do not specifically speak of Islam in this article because it is ubiquitous in Somali society, but he will return repeatedly. For cons, I dwell on khat or qat, a plant particularly appreciated in the region and containing amphetamines. With the camel, losing speed, it is one of the three pillars of Somali society today. Civil war could be the fourth, but far from that of wisdom. What is especially exciting, beyond the pirates, massacres and military exploits, it's the war economy that paradoxically enjoys a certain way at home. It is far from self-indulgent litany of Frederic Mitterrand, both in his film in his book. Finally, there are clans because without clans, the Somali society would not exist. Khat is a shrub of the family Celastraceae (Catha edulis or stafftree edulis) which grows mainly in Ethiopia at an altitude of 1 500-2 000 meters to the freshness and moisture and which only the leaves are chewed and chewed by Somaliland, the people of Djibouti (which frequently use the word salad), some Ethiopians, Eritreans and Yemenis. The effects are those of amphetamine base, the active ingredient is cathinone, an alkaloid, only stable in fresh leaves, which restricts the transport leaves to be consumed within three days of harvest. Excitement, pressure of speech, insomnia and after excessive use, disorientation or delirium are unfortunately the price to pay in case of overconsumption. Khat potentiates the effects of alcohol, cannabis and Valium, which can then lead, in addition to the delirious, real psychosis sometimes irreversible. But used sparingly, once or twice a week and no more than two bundles each time is a way like another to socialize, exchange ideas and overcome shyness and reserve.
Khat is not a hallucinogen when taken in reasonable doses. In Somalia, Somaliland, Puntland, Djibouti and Yemen, it has become a lifestyle. In Kenya and Uganda, it is also present, but