Cannabis in the space, it's just around the corner



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Module attached to the NASA International Space Station. Photo by: Getty Images.

As the legal benefits of marijuana continue to reach stratospheric heights, it appears that the cannabis plant itself can grow in space – rising more than 250 km from the Earth in the International Space Station (ISS) of NASA.

Scientists from bioengineering company Space Tango, which specializes in research and manufacturing microgravity environments, want to test the reaction of the hemp plant in a low-gravity space orbit. Orbiting the Earth in a stress-free spatial atmosphere, the pharmacological results scientists are looking for could be provided.

"When we send plants to the International Space Station, we eliminate a nucleus, a constant force, to which plants are well suited: gravity," said Dr. Joe Chappell, a member of the scientific advisory team. Space Tango, a specialist in drug development and design, and participated in previous ISS experiments. "When plants are" stressed, "they shoot from a gene pool to produce compounds that allow them to adapt and survive."

Cannabidiol is an essential component that Chappell probably refers to – and only one of the more than 100 known cannabinoids found in cannabis. The plant's current featured therapeutic compound (referred to as CBD and non-psychoactive, so that it does not produce high level of marijuana), has gained popularity in recent years and has proven to be a healing agent for many physical diseases. Its most impressive feature is its ability to minimize severe seizures in epileptic patients. As a key determinant of the development of cannabis as a drug, the recently elevated status of CBD has been reinforced this year with the approval of the Epidiolex CBD-based drug, both by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration. . An unprecedented initiative by the two august bodies, cannabis in general remaining a Schedule 1 drug (alongside heroin and LSD) and, therefore, illegal at the federal level in the United States.

Space Tango's CubeLab modules are used at NASA's International Space Station.Courtesy of Space Tango

Space Tango's strategy of testing hemp plants rather than marijuana plants stems from the federal designation of hemp as containing less than 0.03% THC, the highly inducing compound of cannabis. At this amount, there is no psychoactive effect, unlike marijuana, which is perceived as a drug. Tango's impetus for space also follows the efforts of US Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to legalize hemp at the federal level with this year's Farm Bill, which includes the Hemp Farming Act of 2018. Hemp advocates believe it's just a matter of time before the chains of Schedule 1 are removed from cannabis, which will allow drug companies to search and market freely develop new drugs from more than 100 potentially curative cannabinoids.

NASA is no stranger to growing plants in space. The vegetable production system – dubbed "Veggie" – is a plant growth module launched in 2014 that produces green vegetables "to provide the crew with a source of fresh, nutritious and safe food. for food, as well as a tool to promote relaxation and recreation, "says NASA. "Veggie is also used for fundamental space biology experiments such as the Advanced Plant Experiments series and educational activities in space biology.

Building on the wave of new biological experiments on the ISS, Space Tango has created modules called CubeLabs, fully automated laboratory systems that allow multiple payloads to operate independently while orbiting the Earth. Their laboratories offer interactive management via the Earth and the ability to download images and data in near real time from the station. With a proven track record in conducting agricultural experiments in the space, Space Tango collaborated in 2017 with the company Anheuser-Busch on a barley seed test project in the United States. Atmosphere without constraint of the spatial orbit. These data provided key results regarding seed exposure and germination.

By collaborating with Atalo Holdings, an agricultural technology company that will supply certified hemp seeds and the expertise needed for this venture, it is hoped to study the development of some promising hemp varieties in the absence of pressure. gravitational. Online retailer Anavii Market, a source of hemp-based CBD-based therapeutics, will also join the collaboration scheduled for launch in February 2019.

"Understanding how plants respond in an environment where the stress of traditional gravity is eliminated can provide new insights into how adaptations occur and how researchers might benefit from these changes to discover new features. characteristics, biomedical applications and efficiency, "said Chappell.

Space Tango's future research could be another positive step in the evolution of cannabis as a drug and the unleashing of the cannabis plant in open markets.

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Module attached to the NASA International Space Station. Photo by: Getty Images.

As the legal benefits of marijuana continue to reach stratospheric heights, it appears that the cannabis plant itself can grow in space – rising more than 250 km from the Earth as part of the NASA International Space Station (ISS).

Scientists from bioengineering company Space Tango, which specializes in research and manufacturing microgravity environments, want to test the reaction of the hemp plant in a low-gravity space orbit. Orbiting the Earth in a stress-free spatial atmosphere, the pharmacological results scientists are looking for could be provided.

"When we send plants to the International Space Station, we eliminate a nucleus, a constant force, to which plants are well suited: gravity," said Dr. Joe Chappell, a member of the scientific advisory team. Space Tango, a specialist in drug development and design, and participated in previous ISS experiments. "When plants are" stressed, "they shoot from a gene pool to produce compounds that allow them to adapt and survive."

Cannabidiol is an essential component that Chappell probably refers to – and only one of the more than 100 known cannabinoids found in cannabis. The plant's current featured therapeutic compound (referred to as CBD and non-psychoactive, so that it does not produce high level of marijuana), has gained popularity in recent years and has proven to be a healing agent for many physical diseases. Its most impressive feature is its ability to minimize severe seizures in epileptic patients. As a key determinant of the development of cannabis as a drug, the recently elevated status of CBD has been reinforced this year with the approval of the Epidiolex CBD-based drug, both by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration. . An unprecedented initiative by the two august bodies, cannabis in general remaining a Schedule 1 drug (alongside heroin and LSD) and, therefore, illegal at the federal level in the United States.

Space Tango's CubeLab modules are used at NASA's International Space Station.Courtesy of Space Tango

Space Tango's strategy of testing hemp plants rather than marijuana plants stems from the federal designation of hemp as containing less than 0.03% THC, the highly inducing compound of cannabis. At this amount, there is no psychoactive effect, unlike marijuana, which is perceived as a drug. Tango's impetus for space also follows the efforts of US Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to legalize hemp at the federal level with this year's Farm Bill, which includes the Hemp Farming Act of 2018. Hemp advocates believe it's just a matter of time before the chains of Schedule 1 are removed from cannabis, which will allow drug companies to search and market freely develop new drugs from more than 100 potentially curative cannabinoids.

NASA is no stranger to growing plants in space. The vegetable production system – dubbed "Veggie" – is a plant growth module launched in 2014 that produces green vegetables "to provide the crew with a source of fresh, nutritious and safe food. for food, as well as a tool to promote relaxation and recreation, "says NASA. "Veggie is also used for fundamental space biology experiments such as the Advanced Plant Experiments series and educational activities in space biology.

Building on the wave of new biological experiments on the ISS, Space Tango has created modules called CubeLabs, fully automated laboratory systems that allow multiple payloads to operate independently while orbiting the Earth. Their laboratories offer interactive management via the Earth and the ability to download images and data in near real time from the station. With a proven track record in conducting agricultural experiments in the space, Space Tango collaborated in 2017 with the company Anheuser-Busch on a barley seed test project in the United States. Atmosphere without constraint of the spatial orbit. These data provided key results regarding seed exposure and germination.

By collaborating with Atalo Holdings, an agricultural technology company that will supply certified hemp seeds and the expertise needed for this venture, it is hoped to study the development of some promising hemp varieties in the absence of pressure. gravitational. Online retailer Anavii Market, a source of hemp-based CBD-based therapeutics, will also join the collaboration scheduled for launch in February 2019.

"Understanding how plants respond in an environment where the stress of traditional gravity is eliminated can provide new insights into how adaptations occur and how researchers might benefit from these changes to discover new features. characteristics, biomedical applications and efficiency, "said Chappell.

Space Tango's future research could be another positive step in the evolution of cannabis as a drug and the unleashing of the cannabis plant in open markets.

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