Kanna
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a succulent plant native to South Africa that has been used by indigenous Khoisan peoples for thousands of years, traditionally fermented and chewed for its psychoactive effects.1 The first written account dates to 1662.1 Containing alkaloids such as mesembrine, kanna produces anxiolytic, mood-enhancing, and mildly euphoric effects primarily through serotonin reuptake inhibition and PDE4 inhibition.12 It is also reported to suppress appetite3 and enhance cannabis effects.
Contents
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Insufflation is not recommended. Snorting raw plant material has been described as extremely painful and damaging to the nasal cavity, causing immediate burning and watering of the eyes. Concentrated extracts have been reported to cause less irritation than raw leaf material.
Duration
Subjective Effects
Kanna produces a mild, short-lived inebriation that gives way to a relaxed, sedated state with a positive emotional tone. Insufflation brings on effects within seconds, holding at a stable plateau for roughly ten to twenty minutes before tapering into a distant sedation that can leave a pleasant, relaxed afterglow lasting some hours. The character is intoxicating in a slightly disorientated, mildly drunk way, but without a corresponding loss of mental clarity. Oral use produces a gentler psychoactive effect described as a positive vibe carrying across the following few hours.
Physical
The body experience is light, with reports of no nausea and no body load; sedation and relaxation dominate, and appetite and thirst suppression are described in traditional use.
Cognitive
The headspace shifts quickly toward mild intoxication and disorientation while remaining lucid, with anxiety reduction, stress relief, and mild euphoria commonly described.
Emotional
Auditory
Music appreciation is reported as heightened, extending to genres not normally enjoyed.
Reagent Testing
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Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Kanna acts primarily as a monoamine releaser through upregulation of vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT-2)4, with serotonin reuptake inhibition serving as a secondary mechanism.4 The plant also exhibits phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibition, which may contribute to its mood-enhancing and cognitive effects.5 Additional pharmacological activities include mild inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase-A4, CB1 receptor antagonism6, and CYP17A1 inhibition.7 Fermented preparations show synergistic effects among alkaloids in CB1 receptor and acetylcholinesterase inhibition that exceed those of mesembrine alone.6
Pharmacokinetics
Kanna contains approximately 1 to 1.5% total alkaloids, with mesembrine being the most prominent.5 Traditional fermentation transforms mesembrine into delta-7 mesembrenone while reducing oxalate content.8 Fermented extracts demonstrate greater bioavailability and efficacy, particularly through mucosal absorption routes.9 Mesembrine transforms into mesembrenone when exposed to sunlight and aqueous conditions but remains stable in methanol or darkness.8
Tolerance
Harm Potential
Addiction & Dependence
Psychological
LowClassified as habit-forming, though specific patterns of psychological dependence are not well characterized in the available literature.
Toxicity
Insufflation causes significant irritation and damage to the nasal cavity; this route of administration is not recommended.
History & Culture
Traditional Use
Plants of the genus Sceletium have likely been used for millennia by the San and Khoi peoples of South Africa as masticatories and traditional medicines.10 The indigenous Khoisan peoples traditionally fermented and chewed the plant as kougoed—an Afrikaans term meaning…
Legality
References
Citations
- Manganyi, Madira Coutlyne, Bezuidenhout, Cornelius Carlos, Regnier, Thierry, & Ateba, Collins Njie. (2021). A Chewable Cure "Kanna": Biological and Pharmaceutical Properties of Sceletium tortuosum. 26(9), 2557. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092557123
- Terburg, David, Syal, Sharna, Rosenberger, Lisa A., Heany, Sarah, Phillips, Nicole, Gericke, Nigel, Stein, Dan J., & van Honk, Jack. (2013). Acute Effects of Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin), a Dual 5-HT Reuptake and PDE4 Inhibitor, in the Human Amygdala and its Connection to the Hypothalamus. 38(13), 2708-2716. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2013.1831
- Olatunji TL, & Afolayan AJ. (2021). Sceletium tortuosum: A review on its phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, biological and clinical activities. 280, Article 114476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2021.1144761
- Coetzee DD, López V, & Smith C. (2016). High-mesembrine Sceletium extract (Trimesemine™) is a monoamine releasing agent, rather than only a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. 177, 111–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.11.034123
- Harvey AL, Young LC, Viljoen AM, & Gericke NP. (2011). Pharmacological actions of the South African medicinal and functional food plant Sceletium tortuosum and its principal alkaloids. 137(3), 1124–1129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.0351234
- Lubbe A, Khatib A, Yuliana ND, Jinap S, & Verpoorte R. (2010). Cannabinoid CB1 receptor binding and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of Sceletium tortuosum L.. 17(2), 349–355.12
- Swart AC, & Smith C. (2016). Modulation of glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid and androgen production in H295 cells by Trimesemine™, a mesembrine-rich Sceletium extract. 177, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.11.0331
- Patnala S, & Kanfer I. (2009). Investigations of the phytochemical content of Sceletium tortuosum following the preparation of 'Kougoed' by fermentation of plant material. 121(1), 86–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.00812
- Shikanga EA, Hamman JH, Chen W, Combrinck S, Gericke N, & Viljoen AM. (2012). In vitro permeation of mesembrine alkaloids from Sceletium tortuosum across porcine buccal, sublingual, and intestinal mucosa. 78(3), 260–268. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-12803671
- Gericke N, & Viljoen AM. (2008). Sceletium—A review update. 119(3), 653–663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.07.0431234567
- Giovannetti-Singh G. (2025). Colonial world-making and global knowledges at the early modern Cape of Good Hope. https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtaf01812
- Gericke NP, & Van Wyk BE. (n.d.). Pharmaceutical compositions containing mesembrine and related compounds. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6288104B1/en1
- Brendler T, Poalses J, Brendler A, & Nagiah A. (2021). Sceletium for Managing Anxiety, Depression and Cognitive Impairment: A Traditional Herbal Medicine in Modern-Day Regulatory Systems. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8762184/1
- Gouhie FA, Rodrigues JPA, Vieira LF, & Cunha CLN. (2023). Sceletium tortuosum effects on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 11, Article 100092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dscb.2023.1000921
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