Is Kanna Legal in My State? What 50 States' Laws Say (and Don't)

We searched each state's drug schedules for kanna, Sceletium and Mesembryanthemum. One state names it; some states we could not fully check.

Is kanna legal in my state? It is a fair question and the honest answer comes in three parts. Federally, we found kanna in none of the controlled substance schedules we checked. In the states, we found exactly one law that names the plant's genus: Louisiana's. For the other 49 we found no state law naming kanna, Sceletium or Mesembryanthemum, but we could fully read the relevant drug schedules for only some of them. This page shows what we read, state by state, and where our check stops. Our federal summary is in is kanna legal.

Not legal advice. Laws change. Checked October 29, 2026. We are a publisher, not attorneys. "We found no state law specifically naming kanna" describes what we searched, not what is legal. If you sell, ship or possess kanna, ask a lawyer in your state.

Is kanna legal in all 50 states?

We cannot make that claim, and you should be wary of pages that do. "Legal in all 50 states" shows up on many vendor sites, usually without a statute attached. The federal side is straightforward as far as it goes: the DEA's alphabetical list of controlled substances and the Schedule I text of 21 CFR 1308.11 contain no entry for kanna, Sceletium, mesembrine or Mesembryanthemum [1][2]. State law is a separate layer. Each state keeps its own schedules and some keep separate lists of plants.

Which states name kanna in their laws?

One: Louisiana. R.S. 40:989.1 lists "Mesembryanthemum spp." as item (m) of its hallucinogenic plant list [3], enacted by Act 159 of 2005 [4]. The statute does not say kanna or Sceletium, and it has a dietary supplement exception. Plant databases such as GBIF list Sceletium tortuosum as a synonym of Mesembryanthemum tortuosum [9]. We cover the text, the exception and the open questions in is kanna legal in Louisiana.

Texas deserves a note because it comes up in searches. Texas SB 1868 (2025), as introduced, would have added "Mesembryanthemum spp." to a proposed new chapter 491 of the Health and Safety Code on "hallucinogenic substances" [5]. We opened the engrossed version that passed the Senate and searched it; it does not contain Mesembryanthemum [6]. The bill's history page showed the Senate passed it and the House received it and referred it to committee on April 28, 2025, with no later action listed when we read it [7]. We also searched the current Health and Safety Code chapter 481, which the Texas Legislature's site says is current through the 2025 second called session, and found no kanna, Sceletium or Mesembryanthemum entry [8]. Bills change, so check Texas again before you rely on this.

How did we check?

For each state we looked for the official text of its controlled substance schedules (the statute, or the board regulation where schedules live in a regulation) and downloaded it. We searched the text, ignoring case, for sceletium, mesembr (which catches Mesembryanthemum, mesembrine, mesembrenone and mesembrenol), kanna and Aizoaceae, the plant family. We also looked for broad wording such as "hallucinogenic plant." Where a site blocked us or only showed a script shell, we did not guess.

The table sorts each state by how far we got:

• Schedule text read. We opened the official schedule text and found no match.
• Partial. We read some of the schedule text, for example Schedule I only, or the statute but not the board rules, or a non-official mirror. A hit could be hiding in the part we did not read.
• Not verified. We could not open reliable text, so we make no statement about the state.

Counts: 22 states in the first group, 21 in the second, 6 not verified, and Louisiana, which names the genus. A state in the first group can still have rules in places we did not search.

What does "no named law" mean?

It means we did not find kanna on a list. It does not mean the state permits it. Three reasons:

1. Boards can add substances. In some states a pharmacy board or health department can schedule substances by rule. We read some of those rule lists and not others, and noted it in the table.
2. Other laws may apply. We did not analyze analogue laws, food and drug rules, age limits, or local ordinances. A product's labeling and claims can raise legal issues regardless of schedules. The FDA has not approved kanna for any use, as covered in is kanna safe.
3. Laws change. Texas shows how a bill can name a plant and then not. Legislatures meet every year.

State-by-state table

Each citation links to the official page we used where we have one. Louisiana is the only state where the result is a named listing.

Several states list other plants (for example Salvia divinorum or peyote) in the same schedules we read, which shows plant names do appear in state lists. None of the texts we read contained kanna, Sceletium or Mesembryanthemum except Louisiana's.

Can you ship kanna to any state?

We did not research shipping. Carriers and sellers set their own rules, and some sellers skip Louisiana. A seller's policy is not a statute. If a purchase or shipment matters to your business, get legal advice for both the origin and destination state. Product format may matter too; see kanna drinks vs capsules for how labeling differs.

What should you do?

1. Start with your state's current controlled substance schedules and plant lists, using the links in the table. Search them for Sceletium and Mesembryanthemum.
2. If you are in Louisiana, read the statute and talk to an attorney.
3. If you take medication, talk to a doctor before using kanna; see is kanna safe.

Disclosure: kannadrinks.com is published by Psilly Goose, maker of Silly, which contains kanna extract. We have a commercial interest in kanna being legal, so we show our sources and our gaps. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct it.

Not legal advice. Checked October 29, 2026. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Kanna products are not intended for any disease or health condition.

References

1. U.S. DOJ, Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. Controlled substances, alphabetical order. deadiversion.usdoj.gov
2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 1308.11, Schedule I. ecfr.gov
3. Louisiana State Legislature. La. R.S. 40:989.1. legis.la.gov
4. Louisiana State Legislature. Act No. 159, House Bill No. 20, 2005 Regular Session (enrolled). legis.la.gov
5. Texas Legislature. S.B. 1868, 89th Regular Session, as introduced. capitol.texas.gov
6. Texas Legislature. S.B. 1868, engrossed text as passed by the Senate (SB01868E). capitol.texas.gov
7. Texas Legislature Online. History for 89(R) SB 1868. capitol.texas.gov
8. Texas Statutes. Health and Safety Code, chapter 481. statutes.capitol.texas.gov
9. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Species match: Sceletium tortuosum, synonym of Mesembryanthemum tortuosum L. api.gbif.org
10. State sources: each state's official statute or rule page is linked in the table above in the column "What we read."

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