Is Khat legal in United Kingdom?

Also known as: qat, miraa, quaadka

Legal status

Controlled as a Class C drug. Part III of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 names it at paragraph 1(a) in the entry «Khat.», inserted on 24 June 2014 by S.I. 2014/1352, and Part IV defines «“khat” means the leaves, stems or shoots of the plant of the species Catha edulis;»; its alkaloids cathinone and cathine are separate Class C entries, and section 2(1)(b) of the Act provides that «the expressions “Class A drug”, “Class B drug” and “Class C drug” mean any of the substances and products for the time being specified respectively in Part I, Part II and Part III of that Schedule». Schedule 2 was read as in force on 2 October 2026 in the legislation.gov.uk revised text, which records no known outstanding effects and incorporates S.I. 2024/1361, in force 15 January 2025; Schedule 2 moves by Order in Council under section 2(2), so this does not rule out a later amendment.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. No provision of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 or of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 provides a death sentence; the highest punishment in Schedule 4 to the 1971 Act is imprisonment for life. The plant material itself is the controlled drug, so fresh leaf is caught without any analysis of its alkaloid content. This row is Class C, so the Class C drug involved column of Schedule 4 to the 1971 Act governs. Possession, section 5(2), carries on indictment «2 years or a fine, or both.» Tried summarily, Class C possession carries «3 months or £1,000, or both.» and Class C supply, production or possession with intent «3 months or £2,500, or both.» Possession with intent to supply, section 5(3), supplying or offering to supply, section 4(3), and production, section 4(2), each carry on indictment «14 years or a fine, or both.» Sale has no offence of its own: selling is supplying under section 4(3), and trafficking is not a separate offence in the Act, being concerned in another person's supply falling under section 4(3)(b) and (c). Importation and exportation are prohibited by section 3(1) and prosecuted as customs offences under sections 50(3), 68(2) and 170(2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, which Schedule 1 to that Act punishes for this class «on conviction on indictment, to a penalty of any amount, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years». Cultivation falls under production, because section 37(1) defines producing as «producing it by manufacture, cultivation or any other method». Use is not itself an offence: the Act reaches the user through possession, and its only offence of use is smoking or otherwise using prepared opium under section 9. An occupier who knowingly permits production or supply on premises commits the section 8 offence, also 14 years on indictment. The Act sets no quantity threshold and no statutory presumption of intent to supply; on indictment the fine has no stated maximum and runs with imprisonment or alone, because every band reads «or a fine, or both». Possession of khat is also eligible for a penalty notice for disorder in England and Wales, under the description «Possession of khat or any preparation or other product containing khat» in the table to section 1 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Section 2(1) of that Act lets a constable give the notice only to «a person aged 18 or over», and the penalty is £60: S.I. 2014/1383, in force 24 June 2014, placed the entry in Part 2 of the Schedule to the Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amount of Penalty) Order 2002, whose Part 2 amount S.I. 2013/1579 had raised from £50 to £60; legislation.gov.uk holds the 2002 Order only as made, so the figure is read from the amending Orders. Section 118(3) of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 would omit Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the 2001 Act, the penalty notice scheme, but legislation.gov.uk marks it «This version of this provision is prospective.», so the penalty notice stands on 2 October 2026. Section 28 gives a defence of lack of knowledge; under section 28(3) a belief that it was a different controlled drug is no defence unless, had it been that drug, no offence would have been committed. The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 does not reach it: section 2(1) of that Act confines a psychoactive substance to one that «is not an exempted substance (see section 3).» and Schedule 1 exempts «Controlled drugs (within the meaning of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971).» The 1971 Act is therefore read first and governs alone.

If prescribed or medical

In England, Wales and Scotland the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 place it in Schedule 1, where it is listed as «Khat». The patient possession authority in regulation 10(2) reaches only «a person may have in his possession any drug specified in Schedule 2, 3 or Part I of Schedule 4 for administration for medical, dental or veterinary purposes in accordance with the directions of a practitioner», so a Schedule 1 drug has no prescription route; apart from the regulation 6 authorities for police, customs officers, carriers and forensic laboratories acting in their duties, production, supply and possession are lawful only under a Home Office licence under regulation 5. On Northern Ireland the sources point two ways, and both are quoted. legislation.gov.uk tags every provision of the 2001 Regulations with the extent E+W+S+N.I. 45 such tags in its XML, while the Regulations themselves carry no extent clause; against that tag, their amending Regulations of 2023 and 2024 each state «These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Scotland.», and the 2026 temporary class drug order applies the two codes separately, saying «The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 apply to the substances and products listed in the Schedule to this Order as if those substances and products were specified in Schedule 1 to those Regulations.» and «The Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 apply to the substances and products listed in the Schedule to this Order as if those substances and products were specified in Schedule 1 to those Regulations.» Northern Ireland has its own Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002, S.R. 2002 No. 1. The legislation.gov.uk text of those Regulations states «There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to The Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.», so the Northern Ireland schedule for this row is not given here.

Documentation

The Home Office page Take medicine in or out of the UK, read at https://www.gov.uk/travelling-controlled-drugs on 2 October 2026, states «You cannot bring schedule 1 drugs into the UK without a licence. Licences for schedule 1 drugs are limited to research or other special purposes.» and «You cannot use a Schengen Certificate to bring schedule 1 drugs into the UK.» No prescription, letter or certificate makes carrying it lawful.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with United Kingdom’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.