Indian Spirit | Kanna (5 gram)

1. Indian Spirit — Kanna (5 gram)

Five grams of kanna from Indian Spirit — plain Sceletium tortuosum plant material rather than an extract, and the smallest quantity we sell it in.

Kanna is a succulent from the arid regions of South Africa with a long documented history of Khoisan use. Its characterised alkaloid mesembrine acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which is a specific pharmacological mechanism and carries a specific and serious interaction warning.

At five grams this is a trial quantity, and section 3 is about how to use a trial quantity properly — which is a more useful thing to put on this page than another description of the plant.

2. Specifications

3. Trying it properly

Five grams is enough for several sessions of plain material and not enough to develop a habit around, which makes it the right size for finding out whether kanna does anything for you. Doing that well takes a little method:

1. Rule yourself out first. If you take an antidepressant, an MAOI, lithium or anything else serotonergic, stop here. This is not a matter of being careful; it is a reason not to use kanna at all without medical advice.
2. Start with a small amount held under the tongue. Sublingual is the commonest modern method and it gives a faster, clearer read than a tea does.
3. Give it half an hour before deciding anything.
4. Try it on an ordinary day first, not before something that matters. You are finding out how it affects you, and doing that with a deadline attached is a poor experiment.
5. Write down the amount and how the day went. Kanna’s reported effect is a mood lift rather than something dramatic, and subtle effects are exactly the kind memory is worst at.
6. Increase slowly across separate occasions, never within one.

3.1 What to expect, honestly

The reported character is a lift in mood and sociability — brighter, more talkative, less inclined to hesitate. It is not a stimulant in the caffeine sense and it produces no physical rush. People who expect something obvious tend to conclude it has not worked, which is worth knowing before you try it rather than afterwards.

3.2 If it suits you

The plain powder is available in ten grams, and there are 10X, 20X and ET2 extracts if you want something concentrated. Their quantities do not convert from plain material, so treat any extract as a new product rather than a stronger version of this one.

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.

Rule yourself out first. If you take anything serotonergic, this is not a matter of being careful — it is a reason not to use kanna at all without medical advice.