Indian Spirit | Kanna 10x Extract (1 gram)

1. Indian Spirit — Kanna 10x Extract (1 gram)

One gram of 10X kanna extract from Indian Spirit — concentrated roughly tenfold against plain Sceletium tortuosum plant material. This is the entry point to the extracts and the first step up from loose leaf.

Kanna is a South African succulent with long documented Khoisan use. Its characterised alkaloid, mesembrine, is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor — a specific mechanism that carries a specific and serious interaction warning, set out in section 4.

A gram of 10X extract is a supply rather than a serving, and the entire practical challenge of extracts is measuring them. Section 3 is about that.

2. Specifications

3. Measuring an extract

The step from plain leaf to a 10X extract is where kanna stops being forgiving, and the reason is arithmetic rather than pharmacology:

1. A tenfold concentration means a tenth of the quantity. Whatever amount of plain material suited you, the equivalent here is roughly a tenth of it. That takes you from a comfortable pinch to a quantity you cannot see clearly.
2. Which means a scale. One that reads to 0.01 g. A kitchen scale reading in whole grams is useless at this level and eyeballing is worse.
3. The whole gram is not a dose. This should not need saying and it does: one gram of 10X extract is many separate occasions.
4. Multipliers are producer figures, not standards. Nobody certifies a 10X, and one company’s is not guaranteed to match another’s. Treat any unfamiliar extract as unknown.
5. Do not convert from another form by arithmetic. Start low with the extract in front of you and work up across separate occasions, exactly as you would with something new.

3.1 How to take it

• Sublingually. A weighed amount held under the tongue is the standard method for extracts and gives the fastest, clearest effect.
• Not as a tea, generally. An extract is designed for direct absorption and brewing it wastes the concentration you paid for.
• Weigh it out, then put the rest away before you start.
• Wait half an hour before considering more.

3.2 10X or 20X

The 20X is twice the concentration at €17.50 for the same gram, which is better value per unit if you already know your quantity and worse if you do not. For a first extract the 10X gives you a wider margin while you find out what you are doing, and that is worth more than five euros.

4. Cautions

• Never combine with antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs), MAO inhibitors, lithium or any other serotonergic medication. Mesembrine is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and stacking two serotonergic agents risks serotonin syndrome — a medical emergency. If you take anything prescribed for mood, anxiety or migraine, ask a pharmacist before considering this.
• Not for anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Do not use with high or low blood pressure, a heart condition, or thyroid or kidney problems.
• Do not combine with other stimulants without knowing your total intake.
• Go carefully with alcohol.
• Do not exceed the stated maximum.
• Store airtight, cool, dry and out of light. Keep away from children.

A tenfold concentration means a tenth of the amount — which takes you from a comfortable pinch to something you cannot see clearly. That is why extracts need a scale.