Khat guide
What is khat (miraa / jaba)?
Last reviewed
Khat is the leaf of Catha edulis, a shrub grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and known in Kenya as miraa or jaba. Its leaves contain cathinone, a natural stimulant chemically related to amphetamine, which produces alertness, talkativeness and appetite suppression.
Why we publish this
Jaba Juice is made with khat, so we have an obvious interest in what you conclude about it. That is exactly why these pages cite their sources: every factual claim here links to legislation, a World Health Organization review or peer-reviewed research, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
That includes the findings that are inconvenient for us. Khat measurably raises blood pressure and heart rate, and the strongest available review concluded that health promotion should encourage people to stop chewing it. You should know that before you order, not after.
The questions people ask
- Is khat (miraa) legal in Kenya?Khat — miraa or jaba — is a legally recognised scheduled crop in Kenya under the Crops Act, 2013. What that means, where the law is still contested, and why it is banned in the UK.
- How long do khat (miraa) effects last?How quickly khat's effects begin, how long they last, and what the come-down is like — based on published pharmacology rather than marketing claims.
- Khat vs coffee: how do they compare?A side-by-side comparison of khat and caffeine — active compound, onset, duration, how they are regulated, and what the evidence says about the risks of each.
- Is khat (miraa) safe?What the evidence actually shows about khat and health — cardiovascular effects, dependence potential, oral health, and who should avoid it entirely.
The short version
Khat is the leaf of Catha edulis, grown across East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and known in Kenya as miraa or jaba. Its stimulant effect comes chiefly from cathinone, an alkaloid structurally related to amphetamine, which degrades into the weaker cathine within days of harvest — which is why freshness changes the experience so noticeably.
It is legal in Kenya as a scheduled crop, is not under international drug control, and is banned outright in some countries including the United Kingdom. Its effects come on within about half an hour and last around three hours. It is not risk-free, particularly for the cardiovascular system, and it is strictly for adults.
Almost all published khat research studies people chewing fresh leaves over a session lasting several hours. A bottled drink made with khat extract is not the same exposure, so treat these figures as background on the plant rather than as measurements of Jaba Juice.
Sources
- 1.Crops Act, 2013 (No. 16 of 2013) — Kenya Law, 2013.
- 2.Miraa Regulations (Legal Notice under the Crops Act, 2013) — Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya, n.d..
- 3.To ban or to regulate muguka in Kenya? — ENACT Africa, 2024.
- 4.Khat — Expert Committee on Drug Dependence reviews (12th, 33rd, 34th meetings) — World Health Organization, 2006.
- 5.The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2014 — UK Government, 2014.
- 6.Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of khat: a controlled study — Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (via PubMed), 1994.
- 7.Khat (Catha edulis) — drug and chemical information — US Drug Enforcement Administration, 2023.
- 8.EFSA opinion on the safety of caffeine — European Food Information Council, summarising EFSA, 2015.
- 9.Khat (Catha Edulis) as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — Oman Medical Journal (via PubMed Central), 2017.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Jaba Juice is sold to adults 18 and over and is not recommended for people who are pregnant or nursing, or who have a heart condition or high blood pressure. If you are unsure whether khat is right for you, speak to a doctor or pharmacist.
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