Written By:

Johnny Gold

Kanna is a low succulent from South Africa, Sceletium tortuosum, taken as a chew, a lozenge or an elixir. It is lifting and talkative rather than heavy, and it is potentially intoxicating.

Where it comes from

Kanna grows in the dry country of South Africa's Western and Northern Cape. The Khoikhoi and San peoples have used it for centuries, long before anyone put it in a gummy. The traditional way was to crush the plant, leave it to ferment, then chew it. In Afrikaans it is called kougoed, which means something to chew.

What it is for

People reach for kanna before the part of the night where the room needs to loosen up a little. A dinner with people you do not know well. A long conversation. The first hour of a party, when everyone is still standing near the door.

It is not sleepy and it is not a psychedelic. Nothing about it is visual. The usual description is that it makes talking easier.

How it is taken

  • Chews and lozenges. Held in the cheek rather than swallowed straight away. This is the format most people start with.
  • Chocolate. The same idea in the format most people reach for at ten at night anyway.
  • Elixirs and tinctures. A few drops in water, or under the tongue.

Start with one serving, on a night with nothing after it. Kanna is potentially intoxicating, so not before driving.

Who should skip it

Kanna is serotonergic. If you take an SSRI, an SNRI, an MAOI or any other antidepressant, talk to a doctor before you try it, and do not stack it with anything else that works on serotonin. The same goes if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. We would rather say that here than bury it.

Is kanna legal

In the US, kanna is not a federally controlled substance and it is sold as a botanical. It has not been evaluated by the FDA, and nothing here is medical advice. Rules differ outside the US, so check where you live.

Kanna on Flowerhead

We carry kanna from Fun Guy, in a few shapes:

  • Flow Fruit Chews. For the front half of the night. These carry caffeine from guarana, which most kanna does not.
  • Chill Fruit Chews and Chill Chocolate. For the later, quieter end of the evening.
  • Drip Fruit Chews. Built for daily use rather than the occasion.

Not sure which? Pick a feeling.

Questions people ask

Is kanna the same as kava? No. Different plants from different oceans, and they point in different directions. Kava is calming; kanna is lifting. See Kava vs kanna.

Is kanna a psychedelic? No.

Is kanna intoxicating? Potentially. Treat it the way you would a drink.

Can I take kanna with my antidepressant? Talk to a doctor first. Kanna is serotonergic.