LEWISTON – Police seized a small amount of khat, a stimulant plant chewed in many parts of East Africa, following a traffic stop Sunday night on Lisbon Street.

According to police Sgt. Michael Whalen, the plant is illegal under federal law, but Lewiston police could not issue any charges because there’s no state statue making khat’s possession or use illegal in Maine. Whalen said the case will be turned over to the Maine Drug Enforcement Administration for possible prosecution in federal court.

The subject in the case, Jama M. Mahdi, 28, of 9401 Groveside Lane, Charlotte, N.C., was arrested separately on a warrant charging failure to appear in court.

Although Whalen said police rarely find khat in the Lewiston-Auburn area, it’s use nationally appears to be on the rise. According to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration intelligence brief, Khat seizures at U.S. points of entry have risen from 800 kilograms in 1992 to 37.2 metric tons in 2001.

The DEA classifies the plant as a schedule one drug and says abuse can lead to harmful side effects including anorexia, hypertension and insomnia. The brief also says that khat is an acceptable substitute for alcohol for many Muslims and is “used in a social context similar to the manner in which coffee is used in other parts of the world.”

The plant is legal in many parts of Europe, the Middle East and East Africa.

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