Is Kanna Legal? Federal Status, Louisiana and What We Could Not Verify

Not federally scheduled, not approved by the FDA, and Louisiana's plant statute names the genus kanna belongs to. Here is exactly what we checked.

Is kanna legal? At the federal level, kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is not listed among the controlled substances we checked, and it is sold as a supplement ingredient. At the state level it is more complicated: Louisiana has a plant statute that names the genus kanna belongs to. This page explains what we verified against primary sources, and where we are saying "check for yourself."

Not legal advice. Last checked October 28, 2026. Laws change. We are a publisher, not attorneys. If a purchase, sale or shipment matters for your business, confirm with a qualified lawyer.

Is kanna federally legal?

Kanna is not listed in the federal controlled substance schedules we checked, which means it is not a federally scheduled drug. We phrase this as "not listed" on purpose: we can show what is absent from the lists, not issue a legal opinion.

Here is what we looked at on October 28, 2026:

• DEA alphabetical list of controlled substances. We searched the full text of the DEA Diversion Control Division's list for "kanna," "Sceletium," "mesembr-" and found no entries [1].
• 21 CFR 1308.11 (Schedule I) in the eCFR. We read the Schedule I text in sections (b) through (h). It contains no entry for kanna, Sceletium, mesembrine or Mesembryanthemum. The nearest plant-related entries are mescaline and peyote (Lophophora williamsii), which are unrelated [2].

We did not separately read every schedule (II through V) line by line, but the alphabetical list in [1] covers all schedules and had no match. DEA can add substances by rule, so this can change.

The plant's accepted names matter here. Sceletium tortuosum is also called Mesembryanthemum tortuosum in the botanical literature [6][7], and the main alkaloids are called mesembrine, mesembrenone and mesembrenol [7]. We searched on all of these.

Has the FDA approved kanna?

No. Not being scheduled is a different question from being approved. WebMD states that the FDA has not reviewed sceletium for safety and effectiveness and that it is not approved by the FDA. It also says the FDA has not tested sceletium products to confirm they contain what the label says [3].

That is typical for supplements. The FDA says it does not have authority to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness. Companies can often introduce a supplement without notifying the agency, and manufacturers are responsible for making sure products meet safety standards. The FDA's role mostly starts after products are on the market [4].

A practical warning: if a brand says its kanna product is "approved by the FDA," that is not accurate. We saw one brand make a claim like this and we do not repeat it. See also is kanna safe for why that lack of review matters.

We did not verify claims you may see online that kanna extracts hold GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status. We could not confirm it in the FDA's own records, so we do not state it.

Is kanna legal in Louisiana?

It is not clear-cut. Louisiana's statute on hallucinogenic plants names the genus Mesembryanthemum, and kanna is classified in that genus under one of its accepted names. The statute also has a dietary supplement exemption. Whether a specific product is covered is a legal question we cannot answer for you.

What we verified, by reading the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:989.1 on the Louisiana Legislature's website [5]:

• The definition of "hallucinogenic plant" is a list of plants. Item (m) on that list is "Mesembryanthemum spp." [5].
• The statute makes it unlawful to produce, manufacture, distribute, or possess with intent to distribute a material, compound, mixture or preparation intended for human consumption that contains a listed plant. The penalty is 2 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $20,000 [5].
• It separately prohibits knowingly possessing such a material for human consumption. The penalty is up to 5 years and a fine of up to $5,000 [5].
• Exemptions include possessing or growing a listed plant strictly for aesthetic, landscaping or decorative purposes, certain FDA-recognized homeopathic drugs, and "any dosage form which is labeled as a dietary supplement and is manufactured in compliance with the requirements of sections 402(g)(2), 415, and 761 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act" [5].
• The page we read lists the most recent amendment as Acts 2023, No. 201 [5].

What we could not verify:

• Whether Louisiana courts or regulators read Sceletium tortuosum as "Mesembryanthemum spp." for this statute. Botanically, Sceletium tortuosum is synonymous with Mesembryanthemum tortuosum [6][7], but the statute does not mention Sceletium by name.
• Whether a given kanna drink counts as a "dosage form" labeled as a dietary supplement and manufactured in compliance with the cited federal sections. That depends on the product's labeling and manufacturing, and a beverage may be treated differently from a capsule.
• Any enforcement history involving kanna.

Some vendors tell customers they will not ship kanna to Louisiana, and some sources report Louisiana restricts it. That matches what we found in the statute text, but we did not confirm any specific vendor's policy. If you live in or ship to Louisiana, check current state law and talk to a Louisiana attorney before buying or selling.

What about other states?

We did not check them individually, so we are not going to claim "legal in all 50 states." That phrase appears on some vendor sites, and we could not source it.

States control their own schedules and can add plants or compounds. Louisiana's list is a reminder that a state can name a plant genus that is not on the federal schedules. If you are in a state not covered here, search your state's controlled substances statute and plant lists for kanna, Sceletium and Mesembryanthemum, or ask your state board of pharmacy.

What about travel and other countries?

Rules differ by country, and we did not verify them, so we are not listing any. A 2021 review in Current Neuropharmacology compared how Sceletium is handled in different national regulatory systems and found it faces barriers as a traditional herbal medicine [8], but the abstract does not give a country-by-country answer we can summarize.

If you plan to carry kanna products across a border, check the destination country's rules for supplements and for botanicals first, as you would with any plant product. Do not rely on a blog post, including this one.

What should you do?

Legal status is one question. Safety and quality are others.

1. Check your state. Especially if you are in Louisiana. Look up the current statute rather than relying on a vendor page.
2. Read labels. Look for named extract, milligrams per serving and an interaction warning. Our ranking of kanna drinks compares what labels state.
3. Talk to a doctor if you take SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, triptans or St. John's wort, or if you are pregnant or nursing [3]. See is kanna safe.
4. Know the product. Not scheduled does not mean regulated for quality. Dosage and kava blends are covered in our other guides.

Disclosure: kannadrinks.com is published by Psilly Goose, maker of Silly, which contains kanna extract. That is a commercial interest in kanna being legal, which is why we show our sources above. If we find an error, we will correct it.

Not legal advice. Last checked October 28, 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. Department of Justice, 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. WebMD. Sceletium: Uses, side effects, interactions. webmd.com
4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA 101: Dietary supplements. fda.gov
5. Louisiana Legislature. La. R.S. 40:989.1, Unlawful production, manufacture, distribution, or possession of hallucinogenic plants. legis.la.gov
6. Brendler T, et al. Sceletium for managing anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment: a traditional herbal medicine in modern-day regulatory systems. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021;19(9):1384-1400 (names the plant Mesembryanthemum tortuosum, syn. Sceletium tortuosum). PubMed
7. Olatunji TL, et al. Sceletium tortuosum: a review on its phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, biological and clinical activities. J Ethnopharmacol 2021;280:114476. PubMed
8. Brendler T, et al. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021;19(9):1384-1400 (abstract). PubMed

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