Sceletium Tortuosum was likely to have been used by pastoralists and hunter-gatherers as a mood-altering substance from prehistoric times. The earliest written records of the use of the plant date back to 1662 and 1685. The traditionally prepared dried plant material is chewed, or smoked, or powdered and inhaled as a snuff. Sceletium elevates mood and decreases anxiety, stress and tension. In intoxicating doses it can cause a euphoria, initially with stimulation and later with sedation. The plant is not hallucinogenic, and no severe adverse effects have been documented.