Anyone who pays at least a little attention to the news can’t get away from the fact that cannabis is becoming a world-wide topic as legalization just took place in Canada and more and more states are giving the green light to recreational use. As if that wasn’t enough, weed just may be entering into space thanks to a bioengineering company based in Kentucky: Space Tango.
Space Tango has designed modules called CubeLabs, and in these labs, they explore the effect of zero-gravity on a range of plants with the aim of identifying information that can be useful on Earth. It’s in one such CubeLab that hemp plants will take their inaugural trip into space.
CBD Options
It’s been well-documented that one of the hundreds of compounds in the cannabis plant, CBD, has amazing pharmaceutical capabilities. Just recently, CBD was actually reclassified by the DEA after a new medication was approved – one that uses CBD and even received approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
Given that CBD has become such a powerful mainstay for so many individuals on our planet, scientists at Space Tango want to see if a zero-gravity environment will have any positive effect on the plant’s cultivation and potency. Imagine if new medications could be produced with ease in space!
Making Way For Hemp
The timing of this next Space Tango mission couldn’t be better, as hemp has made recent headlines in part due to Senator Mitch McConnell’s 2018 Farm Bill which frames hemp in an agricultural light. If this legislation passes, it could significantly change the way that hemp and marijuana plants are viewed and, coupled with the data gathered from the space experiment, could mean big things for cannabis lovers down the line.
Rather than taking cannabis up into the outer realms of our world, the crew is legally required to only travel with hemp as it contains less than .03% THC, yet as the plant is so similar to cannabis, there’s no doubt that the observations made will be monumental.
What’s Next for Space Tango?
Space Tango’s track record is solid, having partnered with the Anheuser-Busch Company in 2017 to test the growth of barley in a zero-gravity environment, and successfully creating sustainable gardens that allow astronauts to consume fresh and nutritious produce during their missions. Another company based in Kentucky, Atalo Holdings, will be providing the hemp seeds along with their expertise, and it’s said that online CBD retailer Anavii Market will be added into the mix for the February 2019 launch.
With all of the momentum that’s building around hemp, it’s easy to see that one victory could create a domino effect across the industry in all parts of the world. The ability to tap into hemp’s resources echoes a wider acceptance of CBD use, both of which mean that federal legislation, as well as social stigmas about cannabis, could loosen up a great deal.
Who knows – perhaps we’ll all end up living in space soon enough and won’t we be thankful that people already figured out how to grow weed inside of a rocket ship?