What Is Kanna? Alkaloids, Legal Status and SSRI Safety

Q: Is kanna the same as kratom?

No. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree from Southeast Asia in the coffee family. Kanna is a South African succulent with a different set of alkaloids. They get mentioned together because both are sold as botanicals and both are getting attention from state lawmakers.

The plant

Kanna grows wild in the dry country of South Africa's Northern, Western and Eastern Cape, from Namaqualand south and east through the Succulent Karoo. It belongs to the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. It's a small sprawling succulent with fleshy leaves and pale flowers. Many botanists now file it under the name Mesembryanthemum tortuosum, but Sceletium tortuosum is still the name on most labels and COAs.

The San and Khoi peoples of the region used it long before it was sold anywhere else. Its Afrikaans name, kougoed, means "something to chew." The traditional preparation crushes the plant and leaves it to ferment for several days before drying it.

Wild kanna is under real harvesting pressure. South African law requires permits and benefit sharing with the San and Khoi communities for commercial use of the plant, so ask suppliers where their material comes from.

Alkaloids

Kanna contains more than twenty related alkaloids. The four that labs most often measure, and the four the coalition adds up as "total alkaloids," are:

Alkaloid	Notes
Mesembrine	Usually the largest share in unfermented plant. In lab tests it is a strong blocker of the serotonin transporter, the same target as SSRI antidepressants.
Mesembrenone	Often the second largest. In lab tests it acts on the serotonin transporter and on an enzyme called PDE4.
Mesembrenol	Usually present in smaller amounts.
Mesembranol	Usually present in smaller amounts.

Fermentation changes the mix. Mesembrine drops and delta-7-mesembrenone goes up, so fermented and unfermented kanna can test very differently. Growing conditions, plant strain and extraction swing the numbers too. That is why a lot specific COA matters: two bags both labeled "kanna" can be very different products.

Kanna and antidepressants

Don't combine them. Mesembrine blocks serotonin reuptake in lab studies, the same way SSRIs work. Kanna on top of an antidepressant, or any other drug that raises serotonin, can raise the risk of serotonin syndrome. That can cause agitation, a fast heart rate, high body temperature and muscle twitching, and in bad cases it is a medical emergency.

DO NOT COMBINE KANNA WITH

SSRIs (like sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram), SNRIs (like venlafaxine, duloxetine), MAOIs, tricyclic antidepressants, tramadol, triptans, lithium, St. John's wort, 5-HTP, or any other drug or supplement that affects serotonin.

If you take any prescription medication, have a heart condition, or are pregnant or nursing, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using kanna.

How strong is the evidence?

The warning comes from how kanna's alkaloids work, not from a stack of hospital cases. Published reviews have found no documented kanna drug interactions so far, and the clinical studies have only enrolled healthy adults. Nobody has tested kanna together with these medications. With a known serotonin mechanism on both sides and an outcome that can be serious, the coalition treats it as a firm no.

Other things to know

Some of these drugs stay active for weeks after the last dose, especially fluoxetine and MAOIs. Ask your prescriber how long to wait.
Don't stop an antidepressant on your own to try kanna. Talk to whoever prescribed it.
Kanna extracts also act on PDE4, so tell your pharmacist if you take a PDE4 drug such as roflumilast.
Don't drive until you know how it affects you, don't mix it with alcohol, and start with the smallest serving, especially with extracts.

If you think someone is having a bad reaction, call 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

How it's sold

Dried plant and powder: Cut, fermented or unfermented plant material. The lowest potency form.
Extracts: Concentrated powders sold by ratio (like 10:1) or by alkaloid percentage. Much stronger than plant material. Extracts over 15% total alkaloids are high potency products under the Kanna Consumer Protection Act.
Tinctures and sprays: Extracts dissolved in alcohol or glycerin.
Capsules and tablets: Measured servings of powder or extract.
Teas and drinks: Tea cuts and ready to drink beverages, including canned functional drinks.

How to read a kanna label (mg vs percent)

Look for three numbers: how much extract is in a serving, what percent of that extract is alkaloids, and the total alkaloids in milligrams. Multiply the first two to check the third. "Kanna extract, 5% total alkaloids, 50 mg" works out to 2.5 mg of total alkaloids.

A label that only says "kanna extract 50 mg" tells you almost nothing. One 50 mg extract can be 0.4% alkaloids and another can be 40%, a hundred times difference behind the same number.

Ratios like 10:1 mean roughly 10 parts of plant went into 1 part of extract. That describes the process, not the strength, so a ratio is fine as extra information but should never stand in for the percentage. The percentage should match the COA for the lot number printed on the package.

The coalition's act makes this a rule for members. See the potency statement rule, with a passing and a failing label.

Legal status

Kanna is not a controlled substance under US federal law. The FDA has not approved it to treat any condition, and companies selling it can't legally make disease claims about it. Selling it as a dietary supplement, or putting it in food and drinks, brings in the FDA's general rules for those products.

Louisiana is the state to watch. Its hallucinogenic plant law, La. R.S. 40:989.1 (first passed as Act 159 of 2005), makes it a crime to make, sell or possess material that contains a listed plant when it is intended for human consumption. The list includes "Mesembryanthemum spp.," the genus many botanists now place kanna in, and the law is widely read to cover kanna. It exempts plants grown only for decoration or landscaping, and products labeled as dietary supplements that are made in compliance with three federal requirements: manufacturing practice rules, facility registration and adverse event reporting. We have not found a Louisiana court ruling or agency guidance applying the law to kanna. If you sell into Louisiana, get local legal advice first.

As of November 2026 we know of no state with a consumer protection law written for kanna, the way many states now have for kratom, and we have not found an FDA action aimed at kanna. State and local rules can change, so check where you are. The coalition's Kanna Consumer Protection Act is a draft model bill for that gap.

What to look for in a kanna product

A lot number on the package and a COA for that exact lot from an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab.
For extracts, the percentage next to the milligrams, like "5% total alkaloids, 50 mg." A label that only says "kanna extract 50 mg" doesn't tell you how strong it is.
Total alkaloids per serving printed on the label.
The medication warning above, on the label and on the product page.
An age check. A seller that will ship kanna extract to anyone without asking isn't following the rules anyway.
No promises that it cures or treats anything.

Every company on the coalition's member registry has agreed to these rules. If you sell kanna, you can apply to join.

Common questions

Is kanna legal in the United States?

Kanna is not a controlled substance under US federal law. Louisiana is the state to watch: its hallucinogenic plant law lists Mesembryanthemum spp., the genus many botanists now place kanna in, and bans those plants when they are meant for human consumption. That law exempts decorative plants and dietary supplements made under specific federal requirements. Rules can change, so check the law where you live. More in legal status.

Can you take kanna with SSRIs or other antidepressants?

No. Mesembrine, the main alkaloid in kanna, blocks serotonin reuptake in lab studies, the same target SSRIs work on. Combining kanna with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs or other serotonergic drugs can raise the risk of serotonin syndrome. No interaction has been documented in people yet, but the combination has not been studied, so the coalition treats it as a firm no. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using kanna if you take any prescription medication. More in kanna and antidepressants.

What are the alkaloids in kanna?

The four that labs most often measure are mesembrine, mesembrenone, mesembrenol and mesembranol. Mesembrine is usually the largest share in unfermented plant. Some labs also report delta-7-mesembrenone, which goes up when the plant is fermented.

Is there an age limit for kanna?

There is no federal age limit. Coalition members sell kanna only to adults 21 and over under the Kanna Consumer Protection Act, with an age gate on their websites and an age check at checkout.

Is kanna the same as kratom?

No. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree from Southeast Asia in the coffee family. Kanna is a South African succulent with a different set of alkaloids. They get mentioned together because both are sold as botanicals and both are getting attention from state lawmakers.

Does kanna show up on a drug test?

Kanna's alkaloids are not on standard workplace drug panels, although a lab can test for mesembrine if asked to. The bigger risk is a product with something else in it: kanna products have been found adulterated with ephedrine and hordenine, which is one more reason to check the COA. Kanna is not on the Department of Defense prohibited dietary supplement ingredients list, but military service policies still bar using a substance to alter your mental state.

What side effects have been reported with kanna?

In small clinical studies of one standardized extract, people reported headache, stomach upset, tiredness, drowsiness and trouble concentrating. Those studies were short, used healthy adults and a single branded extract, so they say little about high doses, long term use or mixing kanna with other substances.

What does 10:1 mean on a kanna extract?

It means roughly 10 parts of plant went into 1 part of extract. It describes the process, not the strength. Two 10:1 extracts made from different plant material can have very different alkaloid content, which is why the label should also give the total alkaloid percentage from the lot COA.

What is kanna?