Kanna is a succulent plant from South Africa used in folk medicine and cultivated commercially. It contains an alkaloid called mesembrine, which produces feelings of euphoria and is used to treat depression and psychological disorders. Kanna remedies can be taken as tea, tinctures, gelcaps, or by chewing the stem and roots. It should be used with caution and in small doses. Sceletium species are endangered due to over-harvesting, but the plant is easy to grow in containers with well-draining soil and lots of light.
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a climbing or trailing succulent plant with white, pink, or pale yellow flowers. Originally from South Africa, the plant was introduced to Westerners around the 17th century. Kanna plants were commonly used in folk medicine and in some places still are. The plants have also been cultivated commercially.
Kanna is considered a mood-altering plant. Containing an alkaloid called mesembrine, Sceletium tortuosum is well known for its effect on the nervous system. In most people, it produces feelings of euphoria, decreasing anxiety, depression, tension, and even appetite. In fact, preparations from the plant are often used in the treatment of depression and psychological or psychiatric disorders.
Other remedies derived from the kanna plant have included treatment for drug and alcohol dependency and OCD, also known as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sceletium tortuosum has also been found to be effective in treating the eating disorder, bulimia. It was once commonly marketed as a mood enhancer, which colonists called a “spirit cleaner.”
There are several methods used to take Kanna remedies. While the plant can be brewed and taken as a tea or made into tinctures, Sceletium gelcaps are also available. However, its most common method of use usually comes from chewing the stem and roots, much like tobacco, and swallowing the saliva. Kanna remedies can also be smoked.
Taking Sceletium tortuosum remedies does not pose much of a threat as it has been used for centuries without many side effects. However, it should be used with caution. In large doses, people can become overly anxious or agitated and experience mild nausea. Therefore, it is often recommended to start small and work up to larger doses over a period of time. This is normally achieved by taking a small amount and chewing with gum.
Due to over-harvesting in the wild, many Sceletium species have been considered endangered. However, kanna plants are quite easy to grow when given the right conditions. The seeds sprout in much the same way as cactus plants. Cuttings root easily and this is the best method of propagating the plant.
Unlike many plants, their active growth is during the fall and into spring and winter. They become inactive in summer. Sceletium tortuosum is best grown in containers with well-draining, loamy soil. The soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. The plant requires a lot of light to flower and should be placed on a sunny windowsill. In warm climates, these plants can be grown outdoors.
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