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.
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
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →