We're excited to feature this insightful article from Double Blind Magazine on the power of Kanna for wellness and mood support.
In the article, Double Blind explores Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum), a succulent plant from southern Africa's Karoo region with a rich history among the San and Khoikhoi peoples. Used for centuries as a fermented chew or smoke, it's been a staple for boosting stamina, focus, and mood during hunts, rituals, and daily life—even helping soothe colicky babies through breastmilk mixtures. Its cultural ties to the Eland antelope symbolize abundance and love, reflecting its role in fostering connection and vitality from birth to old age.
The piece highlights Kanna's impressive benefits as a mood elevator, focus aid, connection enhancer, and vitality booster, with a gentle profile. Modern studies on standardized extracts like Zembrin show it supports mood, sleep, cognition, and executive function while providing adaptogenic help against fatigue. Our founder, Ryan Latreille, shares how Kanna's primary alkaloid, mesembrine, gently supports serotonin balance through mild action and PDE4 inhibition, offering a "tonifying effect" on the brain without overwhelming the user. He emphasizes its gentle nature: "It doesn’t hijack your agency," making it ideal for subtle resets and deeper well-being.
Small daily doses take center stage, with modest amounts (around .3 mg of mesembrine) recommended on a 5-days-on, 2-days-off protocol for 4 weeks to support mood and focus. Effects build over time, promoting empathy, positivity, and mental clarity—perfect before yoga or meditation. Traditional methods like chewing or smoking contrast with modern options such as sublingual tinctures (fast-acting in 15 minutes) and capsules (lasting 2-4 hours), often combined with complementary ingredients like rhodiola, lion’s mane, or L-theanine for enhanced results.
Safety is a key focus: Kanna is non-habit forming, with a long history of use and mild side effects like occasional nausea possible at higher doses. Always consult a healthcare provider, especially if on certain medications, to avoid potential interactions. Legally, it's unscheduled in the US (except Louisiana) and widely available, with ethical sourcing ensuring benefits flow back to indigenous communities in South Africa.
The article spotlights products from Ryan's former company, Hearthstone Collective, including tinctures and capsules that anchored many users' wellness journeys. This foundation inspired the creation of Kanna Extract Co., where we continue to prioritize high-quality, lab-tested, ethically sourced Kanna products to make this transformative plant accessible. Whether you're exploring Kanna for mood support or seeking a natural enhancer, our lineup—like LIFT for uplifting energy and BLISS for relaxation—builds on this legacy.
