Khat 🇨🇦 Canada
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Can I bring Khat into Canada?
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Khat is legal and widely consumed in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Yemen but is a controlled substance in many Western countries. The UK classified khat as a Class C drug in 2014. The US lists cathinone as Schedule I, making khat illegal. Germany, the Netherlands, and most EU member states
PENALTIES
- Fine: 1000–500000 CAD
- Imprisonment up to 60 months
- Criminal penalty
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
Leaving Canada with khat
Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in Canada under Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; Precursor Control Regulations — fresh khat is treated as a controlled drug, so possession and export are offences. Khat found at departure screening is seized and the carrier prosecuted under the same framework as at arrival. The plant is a licit commodity only in a small number of producing countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen); everywhere in this site's coverage of this route, carrying it across the border is unlawful.
Do not carry khat (Catha edulis), fresh or dried, into Canada. CBSA treats it as a controlled drug; carriage triggers seizure plus possible criminal charge under the local misuse-of-drugs statute. There is no permit pathway for personal use.
This page covers destination customs rules in Canada. Whether you can carry khat through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Related rules
Khat rules in other countries
Khat
🇺🇸 United States
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇦🇺 Australia
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇯🇵 Japan
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇸🇬 Singapore
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Khat prohibited; penalties for import