Catha Edulis  also known as the Khat plant contains cathinone as one of its principle components.

It is  considered  illegal in other countries but legal in others. In the United States it is classified under schedule 1 meaning that it is illegal to manufacture, trade, possess, buy without a Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA)  license and that it is not available by  prescription .

In Canada it is classified as schedule 111 meaning that it is illegal to possess or obtain unless allowed by a physician for medicinal purposes.

Use of this drug  brings about effects like euphoria, alertness and is  mainly not addictive. However continuous  excessive use may cause hallucinations, catatonia and delusions just like in a case of amphetamine psychosis. Some medical practitioners use it together with therapeutic drugs . Some drugs have been known to be effective when combined with this drug.
According to statistics  millions of people who are active users are mostly from Arab nations like  Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and other countries of that are Arab descendent. 70% of users world wide are known to be men and 30% women.

Some countries consider Khat as legal and cathinone as illegal.

In most cases it is difficult for the these countries to pass convictions on  dealers. It  is also one of the drugs that are very hard to synthesize and are mostly in their natural form. But it is not hard to extract from the  Khat plant.

The act of drugs control is paramount to most countries. Measures have been set to ensure that drugs are not distributed but somehow they still find their way into the markets and make some people very wealthy. Some of these laws on drugs are simply out to create opportunities for drug  dealings. Most drug officials are very corrupt and are bribed to allow the drug trade to take place. The countries where  drugs are banned is where the market for  drugs is rampant. The countries where the drugs are legal  don’t have a booming drug market because they are cheaper. Drugs like Khat are legal in most  countries especially in Africa since it is majorly grown in the east African highlands. In a country like Kenya where it is grown, it is not as expensive  when it is sold in a country like Saudi Arabia where it is strictly banned. Khat in Saudi Arabia has a booming market.

Drugs become harmful when they are taken in excessive amounts. Some people don’t abuse marijuana and use it only for medicinal purposes and are not addicts. Even the common pharmacy prescriptions can be harmful if used excessively. There have been many cases of drug overdoses where people have died or been hospitalized

Cathinone  use should not be condemned if it works for medicinal purposes.

But free reign of it should not be allowed either because of  the many individuals who might use it as an amphetamine. Even if it is not as active as an amphetamine, excessive use of  it can have serious consequences. Moderation in use  of cathinone or any drug is the right way for effectiveness.