Kanna is a little succulent with a very long story.
Long before European ships reached the Cape, the Khoisan peoples of South Africa were chewing its fermented leaves for a quiet, open-hearted kind of ease. The Dutch settlers who came later called it kougoed - something to chew.
To me, kanna feels like arriving. That sense of being exactly where you are, and finding it good.
What Is Kanna?
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a low-growing succulent native to South Africa's Western and Northern Cape. The Khoisan peoples have used it for centuries, traditionally fermenting and chewing the plant to lift mood, ease tension, and share in social moments. Its main active compounds are alkaloids, chiefly mesembrine. You may also see it sold as Sceletium or channa.
The History of Kanna, and the People Who Knew It First
The Khoisan peoples of southern Africa carry one of the oldest continuous cultures on earth. Their knowledge of the land and its plants was earned over generations of close attention.
Kanna was precious to them. Early Dutch accounts from the Cape in the 1600s describe the Khoikhoi trading it as something of real value, and chewing the fermented plant, sometimes mixed with other herbs. The effects they wrote about were a lifted mood, an easy sociability, and a contented kind of calm.
The fermenting is the part that gets me. They crushed the plant, sealed it in animal-skin bags, and let it transform over days - and modern analysis shows that process really does change the plant's chemistry. That's plant wisdom at its most beautiful: patient, intimate, and passed down.
This plant belongs first to the Khoisan, and I don't take that lightly. Their knowledge is theirs, and it's ours to honor.
What Does Kanna Feel Like?
People describe kanna with a lovely consistency: a calm, gently lifted mood, relaxed without being drowsy. Many notice it within 20 to 40 minutes, often as a warmth that starts in the center of the chest and spreads outward. Conversations get a little easier. Self-consciousness softens around the edges.
I like to picture the nervous system as a room with the windows half-shut, humming with the static of emails, deadlines, and the news. We stop noticing it, but it sits between us and our own aliveness. Kanna is known for easing those windows open, so the warmth your body already makes gets to stay a while.
Everyone responds a little differently, so start low and give it time.
What Science Is Learning About Kanna
Researchers have started to look closely at what the Khoisan always knew. Kanna's main alkaloid, mesembrine, works as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which means it keeps more of the brain's own serotonin active for longer. It also inhibits an enzyme called PDE4.
In one small study, healthy volunteers given a single dose of a standardized kanna extract showed quieter activity in the amygdala, the brain's alarm system, when they were shown images of fearful faces. It's early research, and it says nothing about kanna for any health condition. Still, it's a gorgeous echo of what the Khoisan described so long ago.
That same serotonin activity is exactly why kanna should never be mixed with mood medication. More on that below.
Is Kanna Legal?
In the United States, kanna is legal at the federal level. Neither the plant nor its alkaloids are listed under the Controlled Substances Act, and it's sold widely in food and supplement products.
State rules can differ, though. Louisiana restricts kanna, blue lotus, and damiana, so please check the local rules where you live. (Its 2005 plant law lists kanna's genus, Mesembryanthemum, where Linnaeus first placed it.) Outside the US, the law varies by country.
Is Kanna Safe? Side Effects and Who Should Skip It
Kanna is generally well tolerated in the small amounts used in food, but it isn't for everyone. Please take this part to heart:
- Antidepressants and other serotonergic medication. Kanna acts on serotonin, so never combine it with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, or any other serotonergic medication. Together they can push serotonin too high.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Please skip it.
- Alcohol. Go easy. Both shift your mood, and mixing them can make either feel stronger.
- Too much at once. Larger amounts can feel too strong or unsettling. Start low, go slow, and don't stack servings quickly.
And if you take any prescription medication, ask your doctor before trying kanna.
Kanna vs Kava vs Kratom
Kanna, kava, kratom - I know, it sounds like a tongue twister. They often get grouped together, but they're unrelated plants that work in very different ways:
- Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a South African succulent. It works mainly on serotonin and is known for a calm, uplifted mood.
- Kava (Piper methysticum) is a Pacific Island root. Its kavalactones act on GABA, the brain's calming system, and it's known for relaxation that can feel sedating.
- Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is the leaf of a Southeast Asian tree. It acts on opioid receptors and comes with dependence concerns and closer regulatory scrutiny. Kanna doesn't act on opioid receptors.
How to Take Kanna
Traditionally, kanna was chewed, brewed as a tea, or taken as snuff. Today you'll mostly find it as an extract - in capsules, tinctures, drinks, and, more and more, in food.
Whatever the form, the gentle way in is the same: start with a small amount, give it 20 to 40 minutes, and have it with food. I love kanna in food most of all. It slows everything down and turns it into a ritual.
How Kanna Found Its Way Into Our Rituals
Kanna lives in both of our rituals, in slightly different ways.
Kanna Honey: Élixir d'Extase
Kanna honey is raw honey infused with kanna. Honey has carried herbs for centuries: it holds botanicals beautifully and makes them easy to take by the spoonful. Our Élixir d'Extase steeps kanna extract with organic shatavari, damiana, rose, vanilla, and Ceylon cinnamon in raw, unfiltered honey from a regenerative farm in Upstate New York. Each botanical brings its own note of pleasure, and kanna brings the feeling of arriving - of enough. A serving is two teaspoons, and the label allows up to four.
Kanna Chocolate: Chocolat de Joie
Kanna chocolate is chocolate infused with kanna. Cacao is a natural partner: it brings its own compounds, like theobromine and magnesium, and chocolate is already something we savor slowly. In Chocolat de Joie, our collaboration with Deer Jade, kanna extract meets Egyptian blue lotus and rose petals in single-origin cacao from Manabí, Ecuador. If blue lotus is the spark, kanna is the steady glow that stays once the first brightness settles. Everything but the kanna is organic, and every piece is vegan. A serving is two pieces, and the tin suggests two to four.
An Invitation
If you've been running on fumes and calling it fine, this part is for you.
You're not broken.
There's nothing to fix.
Kanna is simply a reminder, the way a song you forgot you loved brings you right back. Your body knows this frequency. It always has.
So go gently. Feel more, overthink less, and let yourself sink into the ease that's already yours.
xo, Nana ✨
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does kanna take to work?
Most people notice it within 20 to 40 minutes when it's taken in food. Give it that time before reaching for more.
Is kanna addictive?
Research so far hasn't shown kanna to be habit-forming, though long-term studies are limited. Like anything that shifts your mood, enjoy it with intention.
Can I have kanna every day?
Our chocolate and honey are made to be enjoyed regularly, in their serving sizes. If you take medication or have a health condition, check with your doctor first.
Where does Céleste's kanna come from?
From suppliers we trust for quality and integrity. Every ingredient we use is tested at the source.
Source: Manganyi, Bezuidenhout & Regnier, “A Chewable Cure ‘Kanna’: Biological and Pharmaceutical Properties of Sceletium tortuosum,” Molecules (2021), a review of kanna's chemistry, traditional use and research. Read it on PubMed Central.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.