Kanna vs Kratom: What Is the Difference?
They get lumped together as 'mood plants,' but the chemistry, the regulatory record and the safety questions are not alike.
Kanna vs kratom is a common search, usually from someone who has seen both sold as "mood" plants and wants to know whether they are interchangeable. They are not. Kanna is a South African succulent with a small human research base. Kratom is a Southeast Asian tree whose alkaloids act on opioid receptors, and it has a much longer record with regulators and poison centers. This post compares them without scare tactics in either direction.
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a South African succulent whose alkaloids showed serotonin-transporter and PDE4 activity in lab work [7]. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a Southeast Asian tree whose main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, act on opioid receptors [1][2]. The FDA has warned consumers not to use kratom [1]; kanna has less research and its own medication-interaction cautions [10].
Are kanna and kratom the same thing?
No. They are unrelated plants from different continents, with different chemistry.
Kanna, Sceletium tortuosum, is a succulent endemic to South Africa. Its main alkaloids are mesembrine-type compounds, and it has a documented history as a chewed or smoked plant among the San and Khoikhoi peoples [7]. Kratom, Mitragyna speciosa, is a tropical tree native to Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and nearby regions. The DEA notes it belongs to the same plant family as the coffee tree and was traditionally used as a stimulant by laborers and farmers [3].
The only real overlap is marketing. Both show up in drinks, powders and shots sold as "botanical mood" products, and both appear in the same corners of the internet. For kanna's background, see what is kanna.
How do kanna and kratom act in the body?
Kratom's main alkaloids act on opioid receptors; the mechanisms proposed for kanna are different and come mostly from lab studies.
Kratom
Mitragynine is the most abundant alkaloid in kratom, roughly two thirds of the total alkaloid content according to the DEA. 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a minor one, under 2% in the leaf [3]. NIDA says mitragynine breaks down into 7-OH in the body and that both activate mu-opioid receptors, though the resulting effects "only partially compare to those of opioids like heroin or oxycodone" [2]. The FDA adds that mitragynine also acts on serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and kappa opioid receptors, and that 7-OH has substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine [1]. The FDA also notes that a well-designed human abuse-potential study has not yet been conducted [1].
Kanna
In a 2011 pharmacology study, a standardized Sceletium extract blocked the serotonin transporter (IC50 4.3 ug/ml) and inhibited PDE4 (IC50 8.5 ug/ml), with mesembrine the most potent alkaloid at the transporter [7]. A later cell study suggested the serotonin effect might be secondary to a monoamine-releasing action, so the picture is not settled. None of the kanna studies we reviewed describe opioid-receptor activity. That is an observation about the research we read, not proof of absence, because kanna has been studied far less than kratom. See what is kanna for the mechanism in more depth.
How are the effects of kanna and kratom described?
Kratom is reported to be stimulating at lower amounts and sedating at higher ones; kanna's human data are small trials in healthy volunteers.
The DEA says that at low doses kratom produces stimulant effects, with users reporting alertness and talkativeness, and that at high doses its opioid effects include sedation and euphoria. Effects begin within 5 to 10 minutes and last 2 to 5 hours [3]. NIDA says many users report the same low-dose stimulating, high-dose sedating pattern but that studies have not yet confirmed that dose determines it [2].
For kanna, we can only report what small trials measured. In a 2013 imaging study of 16 healthy participants, a single 25 mg dose of the Zembrin extract reduced amygdala reactivity to fearful faces [8]. In a 2020 pair of studies in 20 volunteers, the same dose was associated with lower self-reported anxiety before a simulated public-speaking task in one study, while the other showed no treatment effect [9]. These trials were short and small, they tested one extract, and several authors were tied to the extract's owner. Full detail is in what the research on kanna shows.
Notice what is missing: there is no head-to-head human study of kanna and kratom that we could find. Anyone claiming one "works better" is offering opinion.
How do the safety records of kanna and kratom compare?
Kratom has a substantial list of regulator warnings and reported harms; kanna has a thinner record, which cuts both ways.
Kratom
The FDA states that it has warned consumers not to use kratom because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. It also reports deaths in rare cases, usually involving other drugs, plus neonatal abstinence syndrome after prolonged exposure before birth, and products contaminated with Salmonella or heavy metals [1]. NIDA lists nausea, constipation, dizziness and drowsiness as milder effects, and says people may experience mild to moderate withdrawal when they stop regular use [2].
The fair context matters too. NIDA says fatal overdose from kratom alone is "extremely rare" [2]. A CDC report reviewing 27,338 overdose deaths in 27 states between July 2016 and December 2017 found 152 (0.56%) that tested positive for kratom. Kratom was the only substance detected in 7 of them, and fentanyl was listed as a cause of death for 65.1% of the kratom-positive group. The authors noted that testing varied by state and that counts may be an underestimate [4]. In plain terms: deaths involving kratom are reported, most involve other drugs, and the role of kratom itself is hard to isolate.
Kanna
No comparable regulator warning turned up in what we reviewed. In the one 3-month safety trial (37 healthy adults taking 8 mg or 25 mg daily), vital signs, ECG and bloodwork did not differ from placebo [11]. The limits are large: one extract, healthy volunteers, small numbers. WebMD lists headache and upset stomach as common side effects, flags possible interactions with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, antipsychotics, triptans and St. John's wort, and says it is not known whether sceletium is safe in pregnancy [10]. If you take any of those medicines or are pregnant or nursing, talk to a doctor first. More at is kanna safe.
Neither plant is approved by the FDA for any use. "Less studied" and "documented concern" are different kinds of caution, so this is not a simple ranking.
What is 7-OH, and why is it in the news?
7-OH is the potent minor kratom alkaloid that regulators began targeting in 2025, mainly in concentrated products rather than leaf.
On July 29, 2025, the FDA announced it was recommending a scheduling action for certain 7-hydroxymitragynine products, saying it was "not focused on natural kratom leaf products." The FDA said the DEA holds final scheduling authority [5]. On October 14, 2026, the DEA published a notice of intent to issue a temporary scheduling order placing 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in Schedule I, with the order to be published on or after November 13, 2026. It is a notice, not a final order [6]. The proposed control would apply above thresholds set in the notice, based on how much 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl a product contains per gram or milliliter, and on the ratio of mitragynine to those compounds; see the notice for the exact definitions. The notice says neither HHS nor DEA has found these substances safe below the threshold [6]. It also withdraws the DEA's earlier July 2026 notice of intent, which used a different threshold, and says a separate August 26, 2026 temporary order already places mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in Schedule I [6]. The notice does not schedule mitragynine or kratom leaf itself [6]. The status has been changing during 2026, so check the Federal Register for current rules.
The practical takeaway is that "kratom" now covers very different products: leaf and powder, and concentrated extracts or isolates with much higher 7-OH. The regulatory attention falls mostly on the latter.
What is the legal status of kanna and kratom?
Neither is a federally scheduled controlled substance as of the sources we reviewed, but kratom's status is actively contested.
The DEA's fact sheet says kratom is not a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act [3], and NIDA says it is legal in many areas of the U.S., while noting that the FDA has approved no medical uses [2]. The FDA says kratom is not lawfully marketed as a dietary supplement or food additive [1]. Local rules vary, and the 7-OH action above could change things. Kanna is sold as a dietary supplement ingredient; our is kanna legal page explains what we could and could not confirm.
Kanna vs kratom at a glance
| Kanna | Kratom | |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Sceletium tortuosum [8] | Mitragyna speciosa [3] |
| Plant type and origin | Succulent, South Africa [8] | Tropical tree, Southeast Asia (coffee family) [3] |
| Key compounds | Mesembrine-type alkaloids [8] | Mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine [3] |
| Proposed mechanism | Serotonin transporter and PDE4 in lab studies [7] | Mu-opioid receptor activity, plus other receptors [1][2] |
| Reported effects | Small healthy-volunteer trials on anxiety-task and cognition outcomes [8][9][12] | Stimulant-like at low amounts, sedating at high amounts, per user reports [2][3] |
| Main caution flags | Serotonergic drug interactions; pregnancy data lacking [10] | FDA consumer warning; dependence and withdrawal; contamination reports [1][2] |
| Federal control | Not scheduled in sources reviewed (see is kanna legal) | Kratom itself not scheduled; DEA notice of intent (Oct 14, 2026) on 7-OH above a threshold, not final [3][6] |
| FDA status | Not approved or reviewed [10] | No approved uses; not lawfully marketed as a supplement [1] |
Why do some people choose kanna instead of kratom?
Usually because they want to avoid opioid-receptor activity, dependence questions and the regulatory uncertainty around kratom.
Those are preferences, not medical judgments, and kanna comes with its own limits: a thin evidence base, wide variation in extracts and doses, and medication interactions. If you are comparing it against other plants, our three-way comparison of kanna, kava and kratom puts all of them in one table, and kanna vs kava goes deeper on that pair. For the ashwagandha question, see kanna vs ashwagandha.
If you or someone you know is struggling with kratom or any substance, SAMHSA's National Helpline is free and confidential: 1-800-662-4357 (samhsa.gov).
This page is general information, not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Kanna products are not intended for any disease or health condition. kannadrinks.com is published by Psilly Goose, a kanna drink maker.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA and Kratom (page current as of December 2025). fda.gov
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. Kratom. nida.nih.gov
- Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section, October 2025. deadiversion.usdoj.gov
- O'Malley Olsen E, et al. Notes from the Field: Unintentional drug overdose deaths with kratom detected, 27 states, July 2016 to December 2017. MMWR 2019;68(14). cdc.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA takes steps to restrict 7-OH opioid products threatening American consumers (press announcement, July 29, 2025). fda.gov
- Drug Enforcement Administration. Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of 7-Hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl in Schedule I (notice of intent; Docket DEA-1570). Federal Register, October 14, 2026 (document 2026-20943). govinfo.gov
- Harvey AL, et al. Pharmacological actions of the South African medicinal and functional food plant Sceletium tortuosum and its principal alkaloids. J Ethnopharmacol 2011;137(3):1124-9. PubMed
- Terburg D, et al. Acute effects of Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin), a dual 5-HT reuptake and PDE4 inhibitor, in the human amygdala and its connection to the hypothalamus. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013;38(13):2708-16. PubMed
- Reay J, et al. Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) ameliorates experimentally induced anxiety in healthy volunteers. Hum Psychopharmacol 2020;35(6):1-7. PubMed
- WebMD. Sceletium: Uses, side effects, interactions. webmd.com
- Nell H, et al. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial of Extract Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) in healthy adults. J Altern Complement Med 2013;19(11):898-904. PubMed
- Chiu S, et al. Proof-of-concept randomized controlled study of cognition effects of the proprietary extract Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) targeting phosphodiesterase-4 in cognitively healthy subjects. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014;2014:682014. PubMed
Frequently asked questions
Is kanna the same as kratom?
No. Kanna is Sceletium tortuosum, a succulent from South Africa [7]. Kratom is Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical tree from Southeast Asia in the coffee family [3]. They contain unrelated alkaloids.
Does kanna act on opioid receptors like kratom?
Kratom's main alkaloids act on opioid receptors [1][2]. The mechanisms proposed for kanna in the research we reviewed are serotonin-transporter and PDE4 activity in lab work [7]. Kanna is far less studied, so read that as current evidence, not a guarantee.
Is kratom legal?
Kratom is not a federally controlled substance, according to the DEA's fact sheet [3], and NIDA says it is legal in many areas of the U.S. [2]. The FDA says it is not lawfully marketed as a dietary supplement [1], and on October 14, 2026 the DEA published a notice of intent to temporarily schedule 7-hydroxymitragynine above a threshold, which is not a final order [6]. Rules vary by place.
Which is safer, kanna or kratom?
They carry different kinds of caution. Kratom has FDA warnings, poison-center and adverse-event reports, and a dependence profile described by NIDA [1][2][3]. Kanna has no comparable warnings, but far less human research and a possible serotonergic drug-interaction concern [10][11]. Neither is approved by the FDA for any use.
Can you take kanna and kratom together?
We found no studies of the combination. Kratom has its own opioid-receptor activity and warnings, and kanna has medication-interaction cautions, so talk to a doctor first. See is kanna safe.