From: [m--rk--a] at [tartarus.uwa.edu.au] (Mark Haselden)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Subject: Re: What is going on with "CAT/KHAT" ?
Date: 21 Jan 1995 01:51:55 GMT

Mary Ker ([m v k] at [yogi.tuc.noao.edu]) wrote:
: Ric Oshrin ([sleuth 1] at [ix.netcom.com]) wrote:
: : I understand that the formula for a mild stimulant known as Khat is 
: : available via the internet. It is not readily available as I have not 
: : tracked it down yet, though there is a good deal of information and 
: : discussion on the product.

: There is an interesting article on CAT in Spin Magazine this month.  It
: seems some users end up with Parkinson's like symptoms.  It ain't "mild"
: from the description given in the magazine.


Khat (Cat) is methcathinone (Ephedrone), a moderately strong CNS
stimulant prepared by the oxidation of either Ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine (Sudafed/Sinutab - other stuff too) with Cr in its
hexavalent oxidation state (CrO3, Cr2O7 etc...  usually using CrO3 or
K2Cr2O7).   It is prepared in kind of the opposite way to methedrine (ie
an oxidation instead of a reduction).  The parkinson's like symptoms are
usually caused by destruction of the dopamine centres of your brain.
The reports in the press of"pseudo-parkinsonism" engendered by drug
usage are due to the effect of MPP+ on the brain cells (MPP+ is a
metabolite of MPTP - a by-product of poorly controlled temperature or pH
conditions during a common synthetic route to the production of MPPP
(Merperidine, Demerol).  I have heard nothing reliable on methcathinone
being toxic to the dopamine receptors, and would like some REAL
information before I attatch any credence to what is probably just
another scare story.  I assure you that MPTP and methcathinone are so
structurally unrelated that there is no way one could be produced from
the other,  It could be possible that a metabolite of methcathinone
would be producing these effects, but I doubt it severely.  From what I
understand, it's method of action is very similar to that of
methamphetamine, which no-one claims to have such effects.

In respons to some of the other posts in this thread,  the African shrub
Khat (catha edulis) contains cathinone. This is related to methcathinone
by n-methyl substitution, just as methedrine is related to amphetamine.

As for someone saying "Who would want to take a drug made from draino
and battery acid".  Let me rephrase:  "Who would want to take a drug
which was made primarially from ephedrine, and had Sodium Hydroxide and
Sulphuric acid used in its production".  If you want to boycott drugs
which were prepared with the aid of H2SO4 and NaOH, then you'd better
not get ill :)

    Cheers

--
Mark Haselden - Leviathan/MegaWatts | An optimist believes we live in
email [m--rk--a] at [tartarus.uwa.edu.au]    | the best of all possible worlds
      [haseld m] at [cs.uwa.oz.au]         | A pessimist fears this is true
Finger for PGP public key