An influential group of MPs urged the Home Secretary to stop plans to criminalise the herb khat, favoured by the Somali and Yemeni communities. The mild stimulant, which causes a feeling of euphoria similar to coffee, will become a Class C drug.
The Home Secretary has come under fire for plans to ban khat, a chewable stimulant favoured by the Somali and Yemeni communities, from an influential group of MPs.
Theresa May was warned by the Home Affairs select committee that she was at risk of throwing young men into the path of Al Qaeda-linked group Al-Shabaab.
Chaired by Keith Vaz, who has himself admitted to chewing khat, it said the decision was not based on evidence of medical or social harm, and instead has recommended a licensing scheme for importers of the plant.
The Home Secretary's decision to control the plant under the Misuse of Drugs Act came after the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs concluded it should not be banned.
Around 2,560 tonnes of khat, which makes its users feel more alert, happy and talkative when chewed, worth £13.8 million was imported to the UK in 2011/12, bringing in £2.8 million of tax revenues.
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