(AP) – A judge in Luzerne Country, Pennsylvania, has issued what is believed to be the first sentence in Pennsylvania for possession of khat, a drug commonly used in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Judge Chester Muroski gave a Michigan man 4 1/2 to 12 months in jail for possession of khat.
Khat is a plant grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It’s a legal stimulant in many countries but is illegal in the U.S. Users chew the leaves and young shoots of the plant, giving them a sense of euphoria.
Shafi Brmaji was caught with more than 50 pounds of khat during a traffic stop along Interstate 80. Brmaji is a U.S. citizen originally from Ethiopia. He says he didn’t know the drug was illegal.