After a transformative experience with kanna, Stephanie Wang pivoted her career to launch KA! Empathogenics, a maker of 100% plant-based chews and tinctures that feature kanna – a South African plant that’s a legal psychoactive in the United States.
She recently shared some of her experiences developing kanna-based products, the challenges of marketing a plant that’s not widely known, and the major differences between kanna and MDMA.
What drew you to this line of work?
My passion has always been about consciousness, personal transformation, and wellness, rooted in my own struggles with chronic depression and trauma. I started in finance, which was rewarding but not my soul’s calling. My path of self-discovery led me through film, branding, digital marketing, and eventually to wellness and plant medicine. In 2013, I had a profound experience with kanna, a South African succulent. It’s a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor, not a psychedelic, so it doesn’t distort perceptions but rather helps with stress and anxiety. The ceremony made me feel deeply connected and present, and I knew then I wanted to make kanna accessible to as many people as possible. It helps address our core issues of separation and promotes empathy and interconnectedness.
About five years ago, I connected with our chief scientist and we started to do R&D on how to create a daily kanna supplement that was of the highest quality and effectiveness as well as being super clean – meaning without artificial sweeteners, chemicals or preservatives. That’s how KA! Empathogenics was born.
MDMA is also described as a heart connector. How do you think it compares to kanna?
It’s often said that kanna is nature’s MDMA. Both substances are empathogenic – meaning they open your heart so you feel more empathy and connection with others. However, with MDMA these feelings are much more intense as it contains amphetamines which kanna does not. Besides this there are other significant differences. MDMA is synthetic and can have risky side effects whereas kanna is a plant that is non-toxic, with 35 known naturally occurring alkaloids that help to make it adaptogenic, supporting you to become more resilient to stress over time.
Another major difference is that MDMA has been shown to be neurodegenerative with long-term continued use and is linked to detrimental side effects like addiction, depression and memory issues. On the other hand, studies have shown kanna to be neuroprotective and neuro-regenerative. Although MDMA has been shown to be helpful for mental health, for example, in MDMA assisted therapy for people suffering from PTSD, these studies refer to usage during a therapeutic process with trained facilitators.
Besides being empathogenic, scientific research has demonstrated kanna’s ability to lower stress and anxiety, lift mood, enhance focus and cognitive ability, and improve stamina and endurance.
What is the felt experience of kanna?
Kanna offers a gentle, calming experience with a sense of mild euphoria and grounded energy. It’s adaptable for various situations—boosting productivity, aiding meditation, or enhancing emotional connections. Because it’s not psychedelic, it’s a good starting point for those new to plant medicines and can support integration after other psychedelic experiences. It’s also known for improving physical performance and recovery, helping with focus and stamina.
As an adaptogenic, it helps regulate your nervous system over time by taking you out of fight-or-flight mode and can replenish neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and GABA that are negatively impacted by prolonged use of alcohol and drugs. And unlike those substances, kanna is non-habit-forming.
So you launched KA! with the chews and followed up with the tincture. Because kanna is not as widely known as other psychoactive and psychedelic substances, was public education a big part of your marketing plan?
Yes, absolutely. If you’ve never heard of kanna and someone tells you it can help you in all these different ways, it starts to sound like snake oil. We focused on stress and mood relief in our messaging, and we posted in-depth, science-based articles on our blog for people who want to dive deep. We also emphasize that ours is a very clean product. Our kanna chews are made without artificial ingredients and are patent-pending for our unique, no-heat process that preserves bioactivity. We wanted to create something that’s truly innovative and good for you.
You offer a product called a “Journey Bundle,” which can be used as part of a microdosing program. How does it work?
Anyone who buys bundle can join our “30-Day Kanna Microdosing Journey Into the Heart” program for free. We are currently doing them every January and June. The journey kicks off with an online opening ceremony with myself and a kanna facilitator. Over the next month we host activations and practices led by experts to support and deepen your experience. During this period, our chief scientist and our whole team are available via a private WhatsApp group where anyone can ask questions, share their experience and ask for support.
Why 30 days? It’s not some random thing. Even though you can do a ceremonial dose with kanna, I think the real beauty of it is as a daily supplement. It’s a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which first lowers inflammation in your body. Then you start to feel a lift. If you take it consistently, you will see and notice a huge difference. It’s a subtle medicine, it doesn’t hit you over the head like ayahuasca. It’s a beautiful, gentle plant medicine that works in subtle, but extremely powerful ways.
What are the most common outcomes you hear from customers?
More calm and focus, lifted mood, greater empathy and increased energy levels – those would be the most common effects we hear from customers. For me personally, focus was never an issue but I would feel overwhelmed easily especially as an entrepreneur of a start-up. KA! has been super supportive in this regard, and now I can tackle things calmly one after another. I also used to get brain fog every day around 3 or 4 pm, but that’s no longer an issue.
Kanna helps reset your receptors and in a sense unplugs you from “the matrix” so you can feel yourself again in the best way. Our customers have reported they have more patience after continual daily intake of KA! If you get irritated or frustrated easily, you could find yourself being more tolerant and understanding, with more calm and evenness of mind. KA! supports emotional and mental well-being. People have been taking our kanna Tincture instead of alcohol to relax and enjoy social situations. It’s perfect for that because it helps to energize, provide a sense of calm euphoria and reduce social anxiety so people can connect more easily and without the hangover.
You launched 2 years ago. How’s business?
We’ve been growing quickly which I am grateful for. It took us some time to figure out how to find our audience. Initially we were targeting the psychedelic community, whom we figured are much more open to plant medicines and trying new things. Later, as kanna has become more widely known, we branched out more in terms of who we’re trying to reach. More and more people are hearing about the benefits of kanna and trying it for themselves which is great. It’s a fast-growing market.
Are you concerned about negative experiences with gray-market products?
Yes, I’m concerned about the lack of reverence and understanding for plant medicines. It’s important for users to educate themselves, ensure they use reputable products, and approach plant medicines with respect and curiosity. Proper “set and setting” and guidance from trusted facilitators are crucial for safe and effective use.
Plant medicines help to empower you to be your own healer. To experience this, it’s vital build a relationship with these psychoactive and psychedelic plant medicines. The most important thing is to always bring an attitude of respect, reverence and learning; a bit of humility doesn’t hurt either. Start slow and take your time to explore and experiment with them while paying attention to how your body feels, so you can find what works best for you.
