The Plant — What Is Kanna?
KANNA · CHANNA · KOUGOED · SCELETIUM
An ancient plant, used with intention.
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a succulent — not a mushroom — native to the Karoo desert of South Africa. It has been used for centuries by the San and Khoi peoples to lift mood, ease the mind, and deepen connection. Today it is valued as an empathogen: a plant whose natural qualities help increase feelings of empathy, open the heart, and help you feel more connected — to yourself and to others.
We pair it with time-honored botanicals and formulate it the way a clinician would — measured, transparent, and made to be felt gently.
Kanna’s origin
Kanna comes from the Succulent Karoo, the most biodiverse desert on Earth, home to over 6,000 species of succulents found nowhere else. Wild kanna grows low along the desert floor under larger shrubs, in dry sandy soil, thriving in heat and extreme temperature swings. Because of over-harvesting and habitat loss, wild kanna is increasingly rare — which is why we source organically cultivated kanna.
Traditional use — the San and Khoi
Long before kanna entered the Western pharmacopeia in the late 1600s, it was central to the cultures of the San and Khoi — collectively the Khoisan — among the oldest cultures on Earth. Kanna was used ceremonially for rites and rituals, for dancing and trance, and for social gathering; and therapeutically for lifting mood, easing hunger and thirst on long journeys, and relieving pain.
In the San language, the eland antelope and the plant share the same name: kanna. The eland — a symbol of fertility, unity, abundance, rain, and love — is a spirit ally to San healers and a central figure in their cave paintings. The plant carried the same meaning.
Traditionally, fresh kanna was crushed between stones, fermented in a leather gourd in the sun for about a week, then dried and chewed or smoked.
What kanna does
Kanna is a remarkably versatile plant. In the literature of herbalism and psychopharmacology it is classified as:
- Empathogen — connection, kindness, heart expansion
- Euphoriant — feelings of joy and happiness
- Anxiolytic — a calmer mind, less tension in the body
- Nootropic — supports focus, memory, and cognition
- Aphrodisiac — love, desire, embodied pleasure
- Hypnotic — supports natural, restorative sleep
It is non-toxic and non-addictive, does not build tolerance, and does not produce hallucinations at typical doses. It is not a psychedelic.
The chemistry, plainly
Kanna contains at least 25 known alkaloids. The four primary ones — mesembrine, mesembrenone, mesembrenol, and mesembranol — determine a kanna extract’s potency and character. Their ratio shapes the experience: more mesembrines feel heart-centered, uplifting, and energizing (our Euphoria profile); more delta-mesembrines and mesembrenones feel relaxed and nervous-system balancing (our Tranquility profile).
These alkaloids act on the serotonin system as mild serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin releasing agents, and as PDE4 inhibitors — a dual action that supports mood, cognitive flexibility, and a calmer stress response. Mesembrine also upregulates VMAT-2, helping neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine do their work more efficiently. Research (including a 2013 study in Neuropsychopharmacology and Terburg et al., 2013) has observed reduced anxiety, improved executive function, and reduced amygdala reactivity with kanna extract.
Microdosing kanna
Each BlissFuel capsule contains 50mg of organically grown, highly bioavailable kanna extract — a generous, noticeable microdose for most people. Start with one capsule to find your rhythm; take up to 3 per day. Prefer lighter? Open the capsule and stir half into water, juice, or a smoothie. Kanna can be taken daily or as needed, and it meets you where you are — with warmth, steadiness, and just enough sparkle to remind you that you’re okay.
Safety
Kanna is generally well tolerated when used mindfully. Like any serotonergic herb, there are important interactions: do not combine kanna with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, Tramadol, lithium, or other serotonergic medications. Not recommended during pregnancy or nursing. If you take medication or are navigating a health condition, consult a trusted healthcare provider first.
“Kanna doesn’t take you away from life — it helps you meet it with more presence, warmth, and trust.”
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.