FAQs

Kanna is a succulent plant with small flowers which are typically white or yellow. It has always grown native to the Karoo Desert in South Africa and Namibia where it still grows wild today and is increasingly being cultivated for commercial use due to its medicinal properties.

Kanna is a natural empathogen andmood-enhancing plant that’s been widely used across South Africa for thousands of years. While it affects mental processes, it won’t cause hallucinations or bring you on a trip to the cosmos. It’s clinically-proven to reduce stress, bring calm, increase empathy and improve focus and cognition, helping people feel more alive, capable and connected to themselves, others and nature. 

Kanna is an empathogen (increases feelings of empathy and connection), a euphoriant (produces feelings of joy), an anxiolytic (releases stress and tension), an adaptogen (regulates your nervous system) a nootropic(protects and ups your brain health), an aphrodisiac (we know you know this one), a hypnotic (induces healthy, natural sleep) and is ergogenic (enhances physical performance, stamina). Plus it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties. No wonder it has been used ceremonially and therapeutically for centuries!

Clinical studies have shown that Kanna is non-addictive. It is known to be used in South Africa to treat alcoholism. Although considered a “natural MDMA” by some, the effects of Kanna are subtle yet impactful at this dosage, and might even help curb some of your other hedonic cravings. Most importantly, Kanna is neuroprotective, unlike MDMA which is damaging to your nervous system.

Source: NIH

MDMA (a.k.a. Ecstasy/Molly) is a synthetic drug that produces feelings of euphoria and empathy. This drug is known as a popular rave drug, but it can also be used in a therapeutic setting to treat PTSD and anxiety. Although Kanna is called natural MDMA by some, there are important differences between the two which should not be overlooked. The main similarity is that they both have a euphoric and heart-opening effect, but the similarity ends there. Unlike kanna, MDMA is synthetic, contains amphetamines, and is known to cause negative side effects such as memory problems, depression, and an increased risk of addiction. Kanna is neuro-protective while MDMA damages the neuroreceptor system in the brain. Serotonin can be depleted by taking MDMA but Kanna replenishes serotonin in your system. MDMA can also cause hyperthermia, which is a dangerous rise in body temperature that can lead to organ failure.

The superplants in KA! calibrate your brain, allowing it to naturally regulate neurotransmitters including serotonin uptake. KA! is a natural serotonin re-uptake inhibitor AKA it plays bio jazz with your brain to promote calm, joy, grounded energy, focus, productivity and creativity*.

The main active ingredient in KA! is kanna, which contains 35 different alkaloids with the principal two being mesembrine and mesembrenone. Mesembrine is a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It is also a natural serotonin releasing agent through the activation of a protein called VMAT2 (Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2) that transports neurotransmitters out of cells. Kanna also activates receptors for GABA, natural opioids, cholecystokinin and melatonin, thus helping to calm brain activity, lower tension, create a sense of wellbeing, reduce excessive cravings, prevent swelling in the gut and improve sleep quality. In addition, the mesembrenone in kanna boosts energy use in the body by blocking an enzyme called PDE4 (phosphodiesterase 4). This is the reason why kanna has both the effect of calming while also providing grounded energy at the same time.

The patent-pending KA! Kanna Chews combine Kanna with snow lotus, acmella, lavender, ginger and rose. These botanicals work synergistically to enhance Kanna's therapeutic benefits.

The KA! Kanna Tincture features a carefully crafted blend of Kanna along with sandalwood, acmella, milk thistle, rose, chamomile and ginger. Together, these organic ingredients form the best Kanna extract on the market.

Each Kanna Chew contains 30mg of high potency Kanna extract. Every 20 drops of Kanna Tincture contains 30mg of high potency Kanna extract.

1 Kanna Chew is the recommended dose (30mg 
Kanna extract), but try half if you want to start slow. Do not exceed 3 Chews per 24 hour period.

20 drops of the Kanna Tincture is the recommended dose (30mg Kanna extract). Hold the drops under your tongue for at least 30 seconds before swishing and swallowing. The longer it's in your mouth, the more you'll feel it. If you want to start slow, try 5-10 drops and build from there. You can always take more.

Every person is unique with their individual genetics and medical history. Experiment with tweaking dosages and try KA! at different times of day and different situations in your life to find what works best for you.

Don't forget: taking KA! for 30 days is the best possible way to introduce it to your system and experience the full expression of its magic. Many have called it a life-changing transformation.

✨Our Kanna and all our superplants are sustainably grown, ethically sourced, and of premium quality.

✨Patented efficacy: our Kanna extract is created from a specific species of the Kanna plant with optimal alkaloid content that is made using a patented process, producing a standardized extract of uniquely high potency. 

✨Made in-house: all of our products, including every plant extract accompanying Kanna in our Tincture and Chews are made in our lab (not via co-packer). This allows us to uphold the highest quality standards and ensures maximum functionality and bioactivity of ingredients.

✨Signature tongue (and spirit) tickling tingle: that mouth-numbing sensation brought to you by the antimicrobial Acmella flower snaps you into the present and gently stimulates salivary glands to assist in maximum ingredient absorption and thus, effectiveness.

✨Patent-pending heatless production process: no heat means no degradation—which leaves our plant ingredients’ bioactivity fully intact (unlike conventional gummies).

✨Glycerin > Alcohol: we use glycerin in our Kanna Tincture to be kinder to your system and help protect your stomach from potential irritation.

✨No baddies: KA! is free of sugars, elastomers, artificial sweeteners, gluten, animal products, caffeine, “natural” flavors, and preservatives (not even citric acid)

✨Eco-friendly packaging: we always use sustainable, compostable, and recyclable materials whenever possible.

Alkaloids are naturally occurring organic compounds in plants that contain nitrogen and have a direct effect on the central nervous system.

Total Primary Alkaloids ≥ 7.4%
Mesembrine Total Content ≥ 4.9%

Alkaloid Profile Mesembrine ≥ 77.8%
Alkaloid Profile Mesembrenone ≥ 15.9%
∆ Alkaloid Profile Mesembrenone ≥ 6.1%

Our Kanna is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or any conventional farming practices that could compromise the purity of the extracts. The other ingredients in our Chews and Tincture are also never grown with herbicides, pesticides or chemical agents of any kind.

However, some of our ingredients don’t have official certifications that label them as “organic” based on U.S. Department of Agriculture labeling regulations. Feel a sense of calm knowing our ingredients are sourced in the highest of integrity…it’s one of the aspects that makes KA! Empathogenics so unique (and empathic).

Our empathogenic Chews and Tincture are vegan, gluten-free, corn-free, nut-free, preservative-free and soy-free. Unless you are allergic to any of our listed ingredients, the only surprises here are the ones you feel :)

Never! The Chews and Tincture are 100% natural, 100% life-giving and 0% pharmaceutical.

We are 100% vegan and do not use any animal products but we do not have rabbinical supervision and certification for being kosher. Depending on how closely you follow kashrut, we may or may not qualify as being kosher.

We do not have an official halal certification. However, our Kanna Chews and Kanna Tincture are 100% plant based and vegan. We do not process any meats and we do not use any alcohol in our production process for the Chews. We use glycerin and not alcohol to make our Tincture. For the Kanna extract that is part of our ingredients, ethanol is used for extraction and then totally removed before we use it to make our products.

Kanna is a natural empathogen legal in the U.S., with the exception of Louisiana (where other higher-consciousness plants like Damiana and Blue Lotus are also banned). Kanna is legal in most other countries that we know of. We recommend checking the laws in your particular country for verification. Our other ingredients are fully legal in all 50 states and in the rest of the world. The botanical empathogens in our formulations have no effect on sobriety level.

A psychoactive is any substance that affects the mind and mental processes, with the ability to change mood and awareness. KA! is a mild psychoactive that lifts the mood and relaxes the mind, body and spirit while offering a solid dose of grounded energy. Although considered somewhat of a natural MDMA alternative, our subtle herbal supplement will never make you feel "high" or affect your sobriety level, and is in fact neuroprotective, unlike MDMA. You'll feel here, feel clear, feel yourself.

On the other end of the spectrum are psychedelics. Psychedelics are hallucinogenic; they alter a person's perception, sense of time, and emotions, while offering a trip to the cosmos. Psychedelics are psychoactive but not all psychoactives are psychedelic. Coffee is a good example of a psychoactive that is not psychedelic.

KA! is made by a team with Phds in biochemistry, molecular biology, expertise in nutraceuticals, herbalism and flavor science. Our team also understands and honors the spiritual and energetic aspects of how to work with sacred plants, having had deep healing experiences with them personally. A patented kanna extraction process ensures consistently high levels of quality and potency. Not only is it important to ensure safety, efficacy and deliciousness, we believe it is very important to also understand how these plants were used by indigenous peoples. This also allows us to integrate their healing wisdom as part of a modern offering.

Our natural empathogenic Kanna Chews and Kanna Tincture are lovingly, scientifically and artisanally handmade in New York.

Press in on the button on the back of the pack with one hand while you pull the bottom sides of the box down with the other.

The language of the South African Bushmen and Khoi and the San incorporates the symbol ! (called an “alveolar”) as a click consonant in the Khoisan alphabet.  The sound of ! is our signature icon for that one-of-a-KA! feeling of aliveness. 

KA has roots in ancient Egypt, India, Japan and Java...much like the worldliness of the ingredients themselves. “KA” translates to life force and vital essence in ancient Egyptian, and it also happens to be a unit of time signaling 1,000 years as well as a unit of electricity — highlighting the healthy, energizing and tingling sensation of a KA! Chew. Plus, it's short for our favorite natural empathogen on earth, Kanna!

KA! Empathogenics was born out of pure inspiration of nature, deep respect for the healing wisdom of indigenous communities around the world, and humanity’s call for more head-heart harmony. Our mission is to restore full-spectrum aliveness for all beings through the power of plants and create a more heart-centered world.