Kanna Home

Sceletium tortuosum (Kanna) has been used by South African pastoralists and hunter-gatherers as a mood-altering natural herbal product since prehistoric times. The earliest written records of the use of the Kanna plant date back to 1662.

Sceletium was an item of barter in the time of Jan van Riebeck, and there is documentation of trade from the Castle in Cape Town, South Africa. The traditionally prepared dried sceletium was often chewed as a quid after fermenting it, but it has also been made into teas and tinctures. Less commonly, it has been reported that Sceletium tortuosum used to be inhaled as a snuff, or smoked with the addition of other herbs.

Kanna effects include the elevation of mood and a decrease in anxiety, stress and tension, and it has also been used as an appetite suppressant by shepherds walking long distances in arid areas. In large doses it can cause bring feelings of a pleasant repose that lasts a surprisingly long time. One report talks of how it’s a favorite way of helping fight social shyness while bringing about jovial feelings.

Long-term use in the local context followed by abstinence has not been reported to result in a withdrawal state or addiction. The plant is not hallucinogenic, and no severe adverse effects have ever been documented.

Buy Kanna from a supplier who doesn’t strip the indigenous lands of this beautiful plant, and offers it is several varieties, including wildcrafted-grade, used in natural healing clinics, as well the highly potent “White Kanna” variety that they grow on their own Private Reserve Farms in India.

Check back as we do more research on a species that is closely-related to Kanna, but is reportedly MORE potent, due to a higher concentration of the active alkaloid; mesembrine. This plant is called Pleiospilos bolusii and there is rumor that it may be offered in addition to Kana sometime in the near-future.

From the Journal of Ethnopharmacology The definitive word on this intriguing plant can be found in full.

Medical Potential for Kanna & Mesembrine Helpful tips about growing and cultivating this beautiful plant can be found.

Tips & Instructions for Growing Kanna Helpful tips about growing and cultivating this beautiful plant can be found..

Kanna and Meditation – a Personal Story An interesting meditation practice incorporating Kanna in a smoking blend.