Besides Marijuana and Hemp, the Khat plant is a part of the flowering shrubs with leaves, stems, and seeds that carry psychotic chemicals.
Follow along to learn in detail about this unique and lesser-known psychoactive Khat plant and its seeds.
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What Are Khat Plant Seeds?
Khat plant seeds come from a flowering evergreen shrub plant, botanically known as Catha edulis, a member of the Celastraceae family. They sometimes go by the name Qat, Chat, and Abyssinian Tea.
Native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the mature fruit of the Khat plant contains the seeds, like most houseplants and shrubs.
While leaves are the primary part of the Khat plant used as a stimulant, the seeds also have importance in cultivation and propagation.
Risks of Khat Plant Seeds
If you ever look back at East African history, you’ll find plenty of references to the consumption of the Khat plant for recreation as a substance.
The leaves and stems of the Khat plant contain cathinone, the primary psychoactive compound that has a stimulant effect on the central nervous system.
This legally prohibits using and abusing Khat leaves, stems, and seeds. Moreso, the chemical released have mood-altering capacities.
Upon chewing the Khat leaves, the consumer will have the feeling of euphoria, heightened talkativeness, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Similarly, hallucination, anxiety, paranoia, and mood swings are the after-effects of eating the Khat plant.
Eventually, these effects lead to addiction and dependence, impairing inhibitory control.
However, unlike the other parts, the Khat plant seeds contain a minimum or weaker amount of hallucinating agents.
So, it is quite irrelevant to compare Khat seeds with Marijuana seeds, as they do not last anywhere close to the psychoactive effects that Marijuana seeds have.
Where To Buy Khat Seeds?
Given the stimulant and psychoactive properties of the Khat plant when chewed, it is not legal to buy and sell the plant in the U.S.
Simply put, you will not find Khat plant seeds for sale in the U.S.
Further, due to the high abuse potential associated with Khat, it is also illegal in other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
How To Grow Khat Plants From Seeds?
In some parts of East Africa, like Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, where Khat is legal, they grow the plant from stem cutting.
You’ll barely witness a Khat plant growing from its seeds, as the seeds have a relatively low germination rate.
However, that doesn’t eliminate the potential of germinating and growing a Khat seed.
- Select healthy seeds with no deformity to ensure a high viability rate. Fresh seeds have a greater chance of germination than older ones.
- Soak the seeds overnight to help soften the seat coat for faster germination.
- Prepare a well-draining seed starting mix, with one part sand and one part coco-peat. You may also add some vermicompost. And fill it in the germination tray.
- Plant the seeds about half an inch deep in each void and cover it with the remaining potting mix.
- Water the tray thoroughly and place it in a location with bright indirect light and humid conditions. Make sure to keep the tray moist until the seedling emerges.
- It may take 8 to 10 days for the seeds to germinate. After germination, wait for the seedlings to reach 10-12 cm in height and then transplant it into a well-draining medium.
From Editorial Team
Disclaimer!
Despite the Khat plant’s deep cultural and traditional significance in some regions of the world, we do not promote it.
Although the seed may not have the stimulant in significant amounts, we discourage using and cultivating Khat seeds.
All The Best!
