Kanna

Figure 1. Sceletium tortuosum

Kanna is fermented Mesembryanthemum tortuosum, a succulent plant native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. The plant has been used by South African pastoralists and hunter-gatherers as a mood-altering substance from prehistoric times. The first known written account of the plant's use was in 1662 by Jan van Riebeeck. The traditionally prepared dried plant was often chewed and the saliva swallowed, but it has also been made into gel caps, teas and tinctures.

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