Ghat is not a narcotic, it is a stimulant, and a pretty good one at that. It is legal in Israel, owing to the considerable political leverage of the Yemenite Jewish community, who tend to consider it a cultural heirloom. We used to chew that stuff when we were studying for exams through the night, and needed to keep a clear mind in spite of the lack of sleep. It worked very well, but for some people it has a rather nasty side effect, which can be described as extreme irritability, snappiness and even aggression.

These tree leaves are not half as bad as they sound, and they're actually quite tasty once you get used to their not negligible tannin content.

Recently, the police has cracked down on convenience stores peddling a concentrated extract of ghat, which was rather poisonous and caused cardiac and blood pressure problems to those who were stupid enough to partake it. Coca leaves also can be good for you, but purified cocaine can kill. Same here.

 

The story about ghat being an aphrodisiac is a load of bunk, but some wakefulness certainly helps with sexual activity!

By the way, in South Africa where its psychotropic properties are apparently not known, ghat is used in forestry as a source of high-quality hardwood. I found a few Catha edulis trees in bloom in my neighborhood, in a front yard owned by a nice Jewish couple too elderly to constantly prune the branches' tips, which are the part that is chewed: it's a rather pretty small tree with showy white flower clusters when left alone, and while it is not exactly water thrifty, I warmly recommend it to the gardeners among you.

I may post a few pictures of it tomorrow if I care enough. 

Since the tree had been in bloom for a while, you can see many ripening fruits on the left-hand side of the picture, and flowers to the right: