Is Khat legal in Iraq?
- Legal status
- Illegal/controlled — the alkaloids cathinone/cathine are caught by Iraq's 1971-party narcotics law; khat is not traditionally consumed (plant not separately confirmed). Mechanism: class (alkaloid). Trafficking is capital-eligible in statute, but khat leaf sits below the realistic capital tier — no realistic capital exposure.
- Consequences if caught
- Not a local commodity; treated as a controlled narcotic drawing imprisonment for the leaf.
- 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 scheduled cathinone content.
Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Khat in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Iraq
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Iraq’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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