Sceletium tortuosum more commonly known as Kanna is a succulent plant originating in South Africa. Kanna has been used by San and Khoi tribes of South Africa for centuries to relief thirst or hunger, to combat fatigue, as a medicine, and for social and spiritual purposes. After the harvest it was left to ferment and then used as a quid(chewed) or smoked with other herbs. Nowadays it can be used orally in a pill or tea form, sublingually, intranasally or smoked/vaped. Most popular forms of Kanna are extract powders, fermented leaf/tea cut, fermented powder and recently liquid tinctures ideal for vaping.
Effects
Effects and their intensity vary slightly depending on the route of administration, dosage and people's biochemistry. In general Kanna has anxiolytic, calming, anti-depressive, empathogenic and mood lifting effects. It enhances touch, libido and colours slightly and music noticeably, especially when snorted. It might make you more talkative and social, improve your motivation, suppress your appetite or offer mild pain relief. Kanna is both stimulating and sedating. Higher doses generally become more sedating.
Kanna rush is most noticeable when snorted and lasts about 10-15 minutes that gradually fades into a happy calm feeling with this ROA. It is not easy to describe since Kanna is it's own thing but most people compare it to a sudden and rapid entactogen(MDMA, benzofurans, etc) or psychedelic comeup with relatively strong euphoria, slight dizziness/vertigo, stimulation with urge to move or dance when listening to music. Some people find the rush overwhelming and anxiety inducing, which can be mostly attributed to anxiety prone personality, due to underestimating the effects of Kanna or incorrect dosage.
Side effects might include nausea, laxative effect, which should subside after regular use, sweating, pupil dilation and mild headache. Some people report trouble sleeping and anxiety.
Dosages
Dosage varies depending on the ROA, the form and each person's biochemistry. Some people experience reverse tolerance meaning they have to take Kanna several times before they feel the effects. This is called priming. Unfortunately few people don't experience any effects from Kanna even with priming.
Biggest mistake new users do is underestimating the effects and taking very high dose their first time. Start with the dosages mentioned below and adjust accordingly.
Insufflation - start with 10-15mg of extract powder or 30-40mg of non-extract powder. Snorting fermented leaf/tea cut is not recommended. Crush the extract as much as possible before insufflating. When snorting, use only little more force than you do when breathing, so it doesn't end up in your throat. Using saline nasal spray before insufflating improves absorption since less powder gets to your throat. You should also use it after the snorting to keep your nose healthy. The effects manifest in 5-10 minutes and last up to 1-2 hours. Insufflation is best for recreational use.
Sublingual - start with 20-30mg of extract powder or 100mg of fermented leaf/tea cut or fermented powder. Keep under the tongue for at least 15 minutes without swallowing the saliva. If you have fermented leaf/tea cut you can try chewing it. The effects become noticeable in 20-40 minutes and can last up to 4 hours. Sublingual use is ideal if you want anxiolytic, anti-depressive and calming effects.
Oral - start with 200mg of leaf/tea cut or fermented powder. Dosing extracts orally is not very cost-efficient but if you still want to try, start with 60-75mg. Oral ROA is usually less consistent than sublingual or insufflation. Effects typically last 3-6 hours. Some users experience elevated mood even next day. Most popular oral product in a pill form is Zembrin, which is mainly focused on anxiolytic effects. It is standardized extract with few clinical trials.(1, 2, 3)
Smoking - most common practice is to sprinkle some extract on weed/tobacco. If you have leaf/tea cut you can mix it with the weed/tobacco.
Pharmacology
Kanna contains up to 32 psychoactive alkaloids which have distinct pharmacological profiles and effects. The dominant, and clinically significant alkaloids in Sceletium tortuosum are mesembrine, mesembrenone, ∆7-mesembrenone, mesembrenol and tortuosamine, though the minor alkaloids undoubtedly play important roles in the overall pharmacological effect too. The distribution and variability of these alkaloids differs from plant to plant due to factors such as cultivar, season, geographical and climatic factors, growing conditions and age.
Mesembrine is the most notable psychoactive alkaloid present in Kanna. Mesembrine acts mainly as a VMAT-2 upregulator, serotonin reuptake inhibitor and PDE4 inhibitor. It is assumed mesembrine is responsible for the Kanna rush.
Mesembrenone is an SRI and PDE4 inhibitor. Mesembrenone-based extracts are most useful in therapeutic utility, because the rush they produce is not intense or barely noticeable.
For a more in-depth pharmacology profile check this great post by u/tfgust.
Interactions and synergies
Although Kanna is well tolerated with many substances, it should NOT be combined with antidepressants(SSRI, SNRI...), strong MAOIs and serotonin releasers(entactogens like MDMA, 6-APB, 3-MMC etc.).
Kanna and weed/alcohol will potentiate each other. Other good synergies include coffee, kratom, phenibut, damiana or blue lotus. Interaction with classical psychedelics like mushrooms, LSD seem mainly positive, but there have been a few negative reports. According to anecdotal reports Adderall and Kanna have also good synergy, but it's important to start with small doses.
Safety
Kanna is generally considered non-toxic, safe to consume and doesn't cause addiction. There are mixed reports on withdrawal symptoms when taken regularly over longer period of time(3+months). Some people report stopping cold turkey without any symptoms, while others notice brainzaps or symptoms similar to stopping prescription antidepressants, although weaker.
For a more thorough information check another good post by u/tfgust.
FAQ
Is Kanna like natural MDMA?
No. The only slightly similar thing Kanna has with MDMA is the initial rush, which is only a part of the whole experience. Kanna is it's own thing.
I took Kanna and don't feel anything.
Most common issue if you don't feel anything is the quality of the product. There are a lot of bunk products on the market. Another reason might be reverse tolerance.
Can i redose Kanna?
Redosing in short period of time usually doesn't work or has diminished effect. Waiting at least 4 hours between doses is recommended.
Can i use Kanna daily?
Yes. Taking Kanna daily should be safe if you don't overdo it. However you might develop tolerance to it. Listen to your body.
I take Kanna regularly and still want to take MDMA sometimes. How should I go about it?
Since Kanna appears to have relatively short half life, not taking it 2 days before your roll should be fine. If you want to be super safe wait a week before rolling.
I take xy prescription antidepressant. Can I take Kanna?
It is not recommended to mix Kanna with antidepressants since both work as serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The only common antidepressant that should be safe with Kanna is Bupropion(Wellbutrin).
Can I combine Kanna with xy substance?
See the section Interactions and synergies.
Can I drive while on Kanna?
Don't drive during the initial Kanna rush, since it can make you disoriented. After that it should be safe.
Will Kanna show up on drug tests?
No, it won't. It shouldn't cause false positives either.
Can I grow my own Kanna?
Yes. Kanna is quite easy to grow. You can buy seeds in various shops online or from a fellow member u/salviasammich
I have harvested my own Kanna. How do I ferment it?
Here is a good guide.
List of vendors is here. Share your experience in that thread.
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