Scientists are sending cannabis seeds to space

In addition, it is not the only researcher who works to exhibit plants at higher radiation levels than previously studied. Porterfield, who is one of the scientists who work on the leaf mission of the NASA-un experiment growth of the plants that will go to the moon with Artemis III in 2027-knowing that we know “almost nothing” on the impact of exposure to radiation as well as low earth orbit. Understanding how variability in radiation affects plants will be a “critical focus” of the leaf mission.

“We have been trapped in lower orbit in the last 30 years and we have not made many basic research that we have to go to the deep space, where you find galactic cosmic radiation,” he says. “There may be some unexpected answers from this variable source of radiation. The responses of the plants to these radiation problems will be important for future agricultural systems on the moon.”

Once Mayasat-1 has returned, for the next two years Radiošič and his team will work with the faculty of health sciences of the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia to raise generations of clones with space seeds to study genetic changes and adaptations of plants, including “changes in cannabinoid profiles”-quenade CBD, THC and other compounds. The second phase of their study will therefore involve the simulation of the conditions of the Martian soil and the growing plants in low -gravity environments controlled on earth.

Lumír Ondřej Hanuš, chemist of the University of Palacký Olomouc in Czechia and Jewish university of Jerusalem, has studied the cannabis plant since the 70s. Research councilor on the project, he believes that there are “many possibilities” for scientific investigations once the seeds have returned.

In addition to potential genetic and epigenetic changes, the Martian Gow team will seek structural and physiological changes, such as differences in size of the leaves, chlorophyll content, radical architecture, photosynthetic rates and water use. They will examine what happens after the plant is exposed to stress factors such as disease and analyze the activity of enzymatic hormones and secondary metabolites, which could lead to the identification of new compounds.

“Whether there are changes or not, both results will be important for the future, so we know how to grow cannabis in the space environment,” adds Radiošič.

We are still a bit far from the actual cultivation of cannabis on Mars, or from any plant for that matter. Microgravity, extreme temperatures, lack of nutrients and toxins in the soil have no favorable conditions for cultivation.

“We will have to adapt to the environment on Mars and slowly adapt our plants to survive,” says Petra Knaus, CEO of Genoplant. “For now, we believe it will only be possible [to grow plants] in a closed system container with the adapted conditions. “For future missions, Genoplant is developing a new space capsule in this vein, scheduled for its first return test in 2027, which will allow researchers to grow seeds in space and monitor them for several years.

While cannabis could potentially be a supercrop for the spatial era, returning to Earth, is still mainly considered as a recreational drug (although widely used for medicinal purposes), which has prevented regulators and researchers from fully recognizing its scientific potential. Hanuš is optimistic that the results of the project, whatever appears, could dissipate some stigma and accelerate its scientific acceptance.

“If interesting results are published, it could accelerate our understanding of cannabis,” he says. “It is a very important plant, which I think has a great future if humanity never crosses space and begins life on another planet.”