Why the San People Used Kanna — And What Modern Science Confirms

The San people of southern Africa are among the oldest continuous cultures on earth. Their relationship with the land spans tens of thousands of years, and their knowledge of the plants within it is extraordinarily deep.

Kanna — which they called kougoed, meaning "something to chew" — occupied a specific and important role in San and Khoikhoi culture. It was not used recreationally in the casual modern sense. It was used intentionally.

Hunters chewed the fermented plant material before long expeditions to suppress hunger and fatigue while maintaining mental clarity. Healers used it to enter states of focused calm during ceremonies. Communities used it to ease social tension and deepen connection during gatherings. It was also used to manage pain and ease the process of dying in the elderly and terminally ill.

The preparation was deliberate. Fresh Kanna was fermented — usually buried underground for several days — which converts some of the plant's compounds into more bioavailable forms. Different preparations produced subtly different effects, and this knowledge was passed carefully through generations.

When Dutch settlers arrived at the Cape in the 17th century, they noted Kanna's effects extensively in their journals. The plant was traded, studied, and in some cases carried back to Europe. But systematic scientific study didn't begin until the late 20th century.

What researchers found was striking: the traditional uses mapped almost precisely onto what the pharmacology predicted. Serotonin reuptake inhibition explained the mood enhancement and social ease. The interaction with cannabinoid receptors explained the mild analgesic effects. The anxiolytic profile explained its ceremonial use.

Indigenous knowledge systems, when examined carefully, have a habit of being right. Kanna is one of the clearest examples of this in botanical science.