Kanna: Uses and safety in dietary supplements
Sceletium tortuosum, also known as kanna, is a plant native to South Africa. Traditionally, the kanna plant has been chewed, smoked, or made into a tea for its mood-enhancing, sedative, and pain-relieving effects. Today, it is used as an ingredient in dietary supplement products marketed to reduce stress, tension, anxiety, fatigue, and improve cognitive performance.
Kanna is also promoted as an all-natural “party drug” for its euphoric and psychoactive effects. Use of kanna for recreation rather than as a dietary supplement is a concern, especially when abused in combination with Cannabis or other psychoactive agents.
More evidence is needed to confirm any marketed benefits of kanna as a dietary supplement. It is a plant of concern due to its potential for abuse in combination with other psychoactive agents that could impair performance and health.
Kanna is commonly sold as a dietary supplement, either alone or in combination with other ingredients. Zembrin® is a trademarked ingredient which contains a standardized extract of Sceletium tortuosum and is often listed on dietary supplement labels. Some online shops sell kanna in the form of edible gummies, extracts for vaping, or powder for snorting.
What are the possible side effects of kanna?
There is limited information available about the safety of kanna.
- Studies using kanna as a dietary supplement have reported side effects such as headache, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating.
- There have been reports of dietary supplement products containing kanna to be adulterated with hordenine and ephedrine, which are ingredients on the DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List. Ephedrine alkaloids pose serious health risks, including death.
- It is unknown what side effects might occur when used recreationally rather than in a dietary supplement.
Are there any benefits of kanna as a dietary supplement?
Overall, studies have been small, short-term in length, and only used the trademarked ingredient Zembrin®.
- A few studies among healthy individuals suggest kanna might have positive effects on anxiety, mood, stress, or sleep.
- Some studies in humans have looked at the effects of kanna on cognitive function. In healthy adults, one study suggests it may be beneficial during complex cognitive tasks.
- More research is needed to confirm any beneficial effects of kanna.
Will kanna cause a positive drug test? Is kanna prohibited for Service Members?
- Kanna is not on the DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List. However, Service-specific policies prohibit the use of any substance intended to "get you high" or alter your state of mind. Service Members using kanna for these purposes would be in violation of Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) policy according to those particular policies.
- Kanna products might contain hordenine or other prohibited substances. Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know the actual ingredients in a product, so check the label to see if it has been evaluated by an independent, well-vetted, third-party organization.
Posted 12 July 2024
