KHAT LEGISLATION WORRIES SOMALI COMMUNITY

Efforts to further criminalize khat, an illegal stimulant used here by
some Somalis, should wait until East Africans are more educated about
its penalties.

That's what immigrants told a state senator who's trying to make its
prosecution easier last night.

Though some Somalis gathered at the meeting said the leafy substance
is not harmful and has been used socially for centuries, others said
it has an adverse impact on families.

More than 150 Somali immigrants and community leaders attended a forum
held at the Global Mall on the North Side to discuss khat's presence
in Columbus.

About 4,000 pounds of khat were seized by the Columbus Police
narcotics division in 2006 and about 600 pounds have been seized so
far this year, said Mike Weinman, legislative liaison for the division.

Khat already is illegal. But state Sen. Steve Stivers, a Republican
from Columbus, drafted legislation last fall to make it easier to
prosecute people for having khat.

The potency of the plant begins to drop as soon as it is harvested,
meaning possible charges could quickly go from a felony to a
misdemeanor.

The bill would put the name khat on the books for the first time and
require law officers to measure only the weight of the plant and not
the potency of the drug, he said.

Stivers intended to introduce legislation in April, but postponed it
after meeting with Somali leaders who said Somalis who have used khat
for generations need time to be educated on the policies outlawing its
use here and how new legislation could affect them.

Grown in eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the small green
leaves and red stems of the shrub are chewed.

Khat causes euphoria for up to three hours, according to the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration, and increases the heart rate and blood
pressure. Long-term use can cause hallucinations, paranoia and depression.

But at least one member of the Somali community says use of khat
already is decreasing among immigrants because it is not popular among
the youth.

Yusuf Abucar, a Somali immigrant who owns an architectural firm, said
"It's a generational part of culture and it's going to die on its own."

But khat does adversely impact families and Islam forbids the use of
substances that impact the body negatively, said Mohamed Dini, a local
religious activist.

"It does nothing but break up families, suck up the lifeline of the
community," said Dini, who also believes now is not the time to
further criminalize it.

Ismail Salah, who attended the forum, said he will circulate a
petition from Somalis who are against further criminalization of khat.

"It affects every Somali person," said Salah, 47, an accountant. "If
you don't chew it, someone you know or in your family chews it."

One of his distant relatives is serving time in an Ohio prison for
khat possession.

Stivers said he wants more input from the Somali community before
introducing the bill.

"I don't want to hurt new Americans, but help eradicate a drug that
will cause problems," he said.