[imagesource:pixabay]

The days of furtively asking around for party drugs at festivals may be over.

Kanna is a legal, psychotropic substance, which is available for sale on Takealot.

Also known as Channa and Kougoud, Kanna is a succulent that grows predominantly in South Africa – and while it’s now available in capsule form, most South Africans already know it as snuff.

But did you know that it has properties which make the “Kanna-bliss” experience similar to the feeling of being high on MDMA?

Taken in high enough doses, Kanna stimulates a long-acting serotonin high, which engenders feelings of euphoria, ingenuity, and interconnectedness with other people and with nature.

This is similar (but not identical) to how MDMA affects the brain, which is why this natural, unadulterated alternative is being compared to the party drug, according to VICE.

Kanna has also been used to mitigate anxiety (in humans and in pets!) and as a natural anti-depressant; in more traditional contexts, the plant extract was also used to satiate hunger, quench thirst and alleviate pain.

Read more about Kanna’s properties over at Greatist.

However, while it’s tempting to be seduced by the prospect of a safer, organic source of ecstasy, it’s probably better not to get carried away with enthusiasm just yet.

While Kanna is not a controlled substance, there hasn’t been sufficient research on the effects of either short- or long-term consumption.

That means that, while it is probably a safer bet than MDMA (it hasn’t been mixed or cut with anything else), we don’t really know how much of it anyone should be taking at any given time.

For the time being, the myriad benefits of Kanna are mostly anecdotal,

But, given the long history of the herb’s consumption here in SA, it’s safe to assume that there are definitely benefits to this friendly shrub, be they jol-enhancing or a new way to counteract the blues.

[source:vice]