Is Khat legal in Cambodia?
- Legal status
- Controlled (inferred) — ALKALOIDS via UN-mirrored tables. The Law on Drug Control classifies narcotics/psychotropics in Tables I-IV tracking the UN conventions, so cathinone (1971 Sch I) and cathine (1971 Sch III) fall within its psychotropic tables; the Catha edulis plant is not separately named. Mechanism: GENERIC/class (convention-mirroring); plant grey. No realistic capital exposure — khat leaf sits below any weight threshold.
- Consequences if caught
- Leaf carries convention-scheduled cathinone and should be assumed prohibited; a plant-specific listing is left to confirmation but the alkaloid control is firm.
- If prescribed or medical
- Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route; leaf caught via its convention-scheduled cathinone content.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Cambodia’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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