In a novel study researchers have warned that legal plant based drug kaht which popular among British students could escort to criminal behavior and reckless driving. The leaf of khat is obtained from a plant inhabitant to East Africa and has been prohibited across America, Europe and Canada.
On chewing leaf of khat, there is feeling of mild elation, increased amount of energy and improved confidence. According to researchers it also lessens hangs up with potentially hazardous outcomes. This drug has spread as ethnic communities and has migrated around the globe.
The main constituents of the plant are cathinone and cathine, which are come under the category of class C drugs. But individually the plant cannot be classified and be bought in shops openly. To analyze the long term effects on khat use, researchers from the universities of Leiden, Amsterdam and Granada conducted two months project study on khat user living in the Netherland.
The participants of study were asked to press button when a green arrow appeared on the screen. If the color of arrow turned red they were not supposed to press the button. It was found that in terms of speed and accuracy with green arrow, khat users performed similar to non-user.
But it was also found that khat user found it much harder to control them when the arrow turned red. The project was the first study to see the effects of long term use of khat on behavior and cognitive functions. They will now observe the effects of khat on memory and multi–tasking talents, explained lead author Lorenza Colzato from Netherlands’ Leiden University.
She added that the spread of the drug was worrying and its use makes users more impulsive. It is related with loss of restraint which may have hazardous results. The cognitive psychologist added that long-term use of khat might even lead to reckless driving and criminal behaviour.
Khat can be a catalyst for mental health problems. On halting its intake all the dopamine leaves the system, so people get depressed and can get paranoid, hear voices and can escort to complete psychotic state, warned psychiatrist Dr Eleni Palezido in earlier study.