Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) has the longest documented history of psychoactive plant use in southern Africa. The San people of southern Africa have used kanna for at least 2,000 years, with some estimates placing its use further back based on archaeological evidence. The earliest written European record of kanna use is from Dutch explorer Jan van Riebeeck in 1662, who documented Khoikhoi people chewing and inhaling the plant. Traditional preparation involved fermenting the leaves and roots — a process now understood to affect alkaloid ratios — followed by chewing (quid), smoking, or insufflation. The name "kanna" predates European contact; alternate traditional names include "channa" and "kougoed" (meaning "chew-things" or "something to chew" in Afrikaans).

How did the San and Khoikhoi use kanna traditionally?

Traditional kanna use was multifunctional: the San used it to reduce hunger and thirst during long hunts (the alkaloid mechanism for appetite suppression is consistent with this), to manage pain and fatigue, to elevate mood during social gatherings, and in spiritual and ritual contexts. Jan van Riebeeck's 1662 account specifically describes Khoikhoi trading kanna as a valued commodity. Fermentation was the primary preparation method: fresh plant material was placed in sealed containers (animal skin bags) and left to ferment for several days to weeks. This fermentation process converts some alkaloids and affects the ratio of mesembrine to mesembrenone, altering the psychoactive profile of the final product.

What's the significance of kanna fermentation?

Fermentation is one of the most pharmacologically interesting aspects of kanna's traditional preparation. Modern analysis has confirmed that fermentation changes alkaloid ratios — mesembrenone content increases relative to mesembrine during fermentation. Mesembrine is the primary serotonin reuptake inhibitor; mesembrenone has stronger PDE4 inhibition. Traditional fermented kanna thus has a different alkaloid profile than unfermented raw material. This isn't accidental: generations of traditional users effectively discovered that fermentation changed and enhanced the plant's effects, and the practice was maintained culturally. Modern standardized kanna extracts like Zembrin® are created to control alkaloid ratios precisely, replicating what fermentation achieved empirically.

When did kanna become globally known?

European botanical documentation of kanna begins with the 17th century Dutch records. Carl Linnaeus formally classified the plant in 1753 as Mesembryanthemum tortuosum (later reclassified as Sceletium tortuosum). Despite early documentation, kanna remained primarily regional until the 2000s, when ethnobotanical interest and early internet communities began sharing knowledge of African traditional plants. Zembrin®, a standardized kanna extract developed by HG&H Pharmaceuticals in South Africa and patented in the 2000s, brought clinical research attention to the plant. The 2013 and 2014 RCTs on Zembrin established the first clinical evidence base for cognitive and anxiety effects, driving mainstream nootropic community interest. Find kanna at Elevated Haze.