Is Khat legal in Mexico?
- Legal status
- Controlled — ALKALOID NAMED. Cathinone is listed in the Group I psychotropics of the Ley General de Salud (Art. 245), the most-restricted class, and cathine in a lower control group; the Catha edulis plant is not individually named. Mechanism: NAMED (alkaloid); plant grey.
- Consequences if caught
- Fresh leaf contains Group-I cathinone and is treated as prohibited to import or possess; prosecuted as a controlled-substance offence.
- 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 Group-I cathinone content.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Mexico’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 →