Marijuana in Space is Almost a Thing
Courtesy of https://www.rockthepaper.net/
If you’ve ever fantasized about sparking up in outer space, your fantasy is one step closer to becoming a reality! Scientists at bioengineering company, Space Tango, recently announced plans to test how hemp plants react in the low-gravity setting of space orbit.
In a recent interview, Dr. Joe Chappell, a member of the Space Tango Science Advisory Team stated, “When we send plants to the International Space Station, we eliminate one core, constant force, to which plants are well-adapted — gravity. When plants are ‘stressed,’ they pull from a genetic reservoir to produce compounds that allow them to adapt and survive.”
With over 100 known cannabinoids present in cannabis, this could be yet another groundbreaking moment for the plant. Although the company’s research will focus on hemp plants (mainly due to the fact that hemp is designated as containing less than .03 percent of THC), the increase in approval ratings for recreational cannabis use across the nation is sure to open the floodgates for all kinds of research in the near future.
“Understanding how plants react in an environment where the traditional stress of gravity is removed can provide new insights into how adaptations come about and how researchers might take advantage of such changes for the discovery of new characteristics, traits, biomedical applications and efficacy,” said Chappell.
Space Tango is partnering with Kentucky-based Atalo Holdings, an ag-tech company that will provide certified hemp seed and expertise to the venture, and online retailer Anavii Market, a source for hemp-derived CBD therapeutic. The collaboration is slated to launch February 2019.