Cannabis seeds are being sent to Space

On a quiet Monday evening, the world took a small but remarkable step toward interplanetary agriculture. Aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, hundreds of biological samples—ranging from algae to fungi and human DNA—blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Among them, tucked safely into a specially designed incubator orbiting Earth, were cannabis seeds.

Yes, you read that right.

We've officially entered the space weed era.

But before your imagination drifts off to zero-gravity joints and Martian bong hits, let's get grounded. This isn't about getting high in orbit—it's about science, evolution, and preparing for a future where humans grow their own medicine and materials beyond Earth.

Why send cannabis seeds into Space?

Sending cannabis into Space might sound like a stoner's fever dream, but it's rooted in very real scientific reasoning.

Dr Božidar Radišič, leading the Martian Grow project from the Research Nature Institute in Slovenia, has long believed in the cannabis plant's versatility. "Sooner or later, we will have lunar bases, and cannabis, with its versatility, is the ideal plant to supply those projects," he explains. And he's not wrong.

Cannabis sativa L. is:

• Fast-growing
• Resilient under environmental stress
• Adaptable to diverse climates
• Packed with hundreds of bioactive compounds
• Usable as food, fuel, textile, medicine, and more

Now, by exposing cannabis seeds to cosmic radiation and the microgravity of low Earth orbit, Radišič's team hopes to accelerate their evolution, potentially uncovering new traits and cannabinoid profiles previously unobserved on Earth.

Aboard MayaSat-1: The Interstellar Greenhouse

The seeds are housed within MayaSat-1, a compact biological incubator developed by Slovenian aerospace company Genoplant Research Institute. Once launched, the capsule travelled into a polar low Earth orbit—crossing through radiation-rich regions near the Earth's poles—and orbited the planet three times before re-entry into the Pacific Ocean.

Unlike the ISS (which orbits around the equator), MayaSat-1 flew through areas with 100x more radiation, creating conditions that no cannabis plant has ever experienced.

This exposure to intense radiation and microgravity is not just about pushing limits—it's about mutagenesis. Simply put, the stress might randomly trigger mutations in the DNA of the cannabis seeds.

According to Purdue University's Professor D. Marshall Porterfield, this is a scientifically sound concept:

"Radiation randomly causes mutations. Some might turn up genes; some might knock them out, others may affect entire signalling pathways."

In cannabis, mutations could lead to:

• New cannabinoid combinations
• Enhanced pest resistance
• Altered growth speeds or sizes
• Unknown medicinal compounds

What happens next?

Once MayaSat-1 was retrieved (from a splashdown site about 9 hours from Hawaii), the real research began.

Radišič's team, in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, plans to cultivate several generations of cannabis from the returned space seeds. They will:

• Compare genetic and epigenetic changes
• Track alterations in cannabinoid profiles (THC, CBD, etc.)
• Examine changes in leaf morphology, root systems, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis rates
• Simulate Martian soil and low-gravity environments on Earth

Essentially, they're trying to build a cosmic grow journal—a record of how cannabis behaves under extraterrestrial pressures.

And the timeline?

Two years of analysis, generation after generation.

It's an ambitious but necessary step toward growing viable crops in deep Space, where conditions are less than ideal.

Why cannabis and not potatoes?

It's a fair question—why not take something more 'normal' like corn, wheat, or potatoes?

According to Gary Yates, head of cultivation at Hilltop Leaf (a UK medical cannabis facility), cannabis outperforms traditional crops in one key area: versatility under stress.

"It doesn't demand much water, it can grow in nutrient-poor soil, and it's shown phytoremediation potential—pulling heavy metals from toxic ground."

In other words, cannabis doesn't just survive in harsh conditions—it thrives. For future lunar or Martian colonies where water and nutrients are scarce, cannabis might be a godsend.

Plus, let's not forget the practical benefits:

• Hemp can be used for building shelters and tools
• Seeds can be pressed for protein-rich food and oil
• Fibers can make textiles and biodegradable plastics
• Cannabinoids could serve medicinal roles for astronauts

In a hostile world like Mars, cannabis could be the ultimate multi-tool crop.

Until now, the closest thing we've had to interstellar cannabis might be this tongue-in-cheek invention from The Goods:

Intergalactic Skunk Truffle Delight Live Resin Pod — a CBD vape that boldly claims cosmic flavour status.

Hey, if you can't grow weed in orbit (yet), at least you can vape something that tastes like it belongs there.

Past efforts to grow cannabis in Space

While this is the most comprehensive mission to date involving cannabis seeds, it's not the first time cannabis has flirted with the stars.

In 2019, a University of Colorado Boulder research group sent cannabis tissue cultures to the International Space Station. Unfortunately, no published results have emerged from that mission.

Meanwhile, NASA plans its LEAF mission—a lunar plant experiment as part of Artemis III in 2027. Though cannabis isn't on board (yet), LEAF will help us understand radiation's effects beyond low Earth orbit.

If missions like Radišič's are successful, cannabis may well join LEAF's plant portfolio one day.

The science behind mutations

So what can happen to cannabis seeds under high-radiation, low-gravity exposure?

Past research has shown that cosmic conditions can induce genetic drift—random mutations that might enhance, reduce, or completely rewire a plant's traits. One 2020 study observed that exposure to spaceflight conditions altered plant gene expression, root growth, and metabolic pathways.

While most mutations are harmless or detrimental, a select few can offer advantages:

• Increased cannabinoid production
• Faster flowering time
• Unique terpene profiles
• Resistance to mould or drought

For breeders and medical researchers, these new traits could be goldmines—especially if they prove stable across generations.

What this means for the future

If humanity is serious about colonizing the Moon, Mars, or beyond, we must understand how our crops respond to the void.

Cannabis could play a key role in survival and quality of life—offering physical and psychological relief from the rigours of space travel.

But we're not there yet.

Petra Knaus, CEO of Genoplant, puts it plainly:

"We will have to adapt to the environment on Mars and slowly adapt our plants for them to survive… [For now], only in closed system containers."

That means sealed greenhouses with artificial light, hydroponics, and radiation shielding. Still, every successful experiment brings us closer to the dream.

Is cannabis stigma holding us back?

Despite its potential, cannabis still struggles under the weight of social stigma and outdated drug policy. It's hard for many governments and regulators to see past its recreational use.

But Lumír Ondřej Hanuš, a renowned chemist and advisor on the Martian Grow project, believes this mission could change minds.

"If interesting results are published, it could speed up our understanding of cannabis. It is a very important plant… [with] a big future if humanity ever crosses into Space."

In other words, Space might finally be the great equalizer—forcing us to look at cannabis not as a controlled substance but as a crop with serious scientific and survival potential.

A Brief Timeline of Cannabis Research in Space

Though cannabis seeds aboard MayaSat-1 mark a significant milestone, this isn't the first time scientists have explored the idea of growing cannabis in orbit. Here's a timeline highlighting key developments in the intersection of cannabis and space science:

1970s–1990s: Space biology gains traction, cannabis overlooked

During the Cold War space race, the U.S. and the USSR began experimenting with plant growth in microgravity. However, cannabis was largely ignored, primarily due to its legal status and social stigma. Instead, researchers focused on staple crops like wheat, soybeans, and potatoes.

Early 2000s: Mutagenesis in plants becomes a tool for crop development

By the 2000s, radiation-induced mutagenesis was widely accepted as a tool to improve crop traits. Scientists discovered that exposure to gamma or cosmic rays could yield beneficial mutations in crops like barley and rice. This laid the groundwork for future experiments involving cannabis seeds, even if indirectly.

2011: First experiments on cannabis germination in altered gravity

A team of Russian researchers unofficially attempted to germinate cannabis seeds under centrifugal hypergravity conditions. While these studies weren't peer-reviewed, results suggested germination could still occur under non-Earthlike gravitational stress.

2016: Cannabis tissue cultures and microgravity

Biotechnological firms in the U.S. began pushing for research into cannabis tissue cultures in low-Earth orbit. Companies such as Space Tango and Front Range Biosciences proposed sending cannabis and coffee tissue cultures to the ISS to observe cell development in microgravity. This marked the first serious commercial attempt to bridge cannabis and Space.

2019: Cannabis cultures launched to the ISS

In December 2019, Front Range Biosciences, in partnership with SpaceCells USA Inc. and BioServe Space Technologies, sent 480 plant cell cultures—including hemp and coffee—to the International Space Station. The goal was to study how microgravity affected gene expression and cell metabolism.

Although detailed findings have yet to be made public, the mission sparked global interest in how spaceflight might unlock new bioactive compounds in cannabis.

2020: Recognition of space-induced mutation potential

A growing number of peer-reviewed studies revealed how spaceflight alters gene expression in various plant species. These studies emphasized the potential for uncovering new traits when exposing seeds to space conditions like microgravity and radiation.

While not cannabis-specific, they strengthened the scientific case for sending cannabis seeds into Space.

🔬 2023: Cannabis mutagenesis gains scientific momentum

With advancements in CRISPR gene editing and synthetic biology, researchers began modelling how space radiation might induce unique mutations in cannabis DNA. Papers explored stress-resilience genes and terpene synthesis pathways, theorizing that cannabis may be one of the best plants to study for space farming applications.

2024: Legal reforms allow broader research

In parts of Europe and North America, cannabis research licenses were expanded to include non-Earth environments. Agencies such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and private firms began accepting proposals involving cannabis or hemp-related space experiments.

This paved the way for MayaSat-1 and the Martian Grow Project to become the first mission dedicated entirely to cannabis seeds in spaceflight.

2025: MayaSat-1 launches with cannabis seeds

On June 23, 2025, MayaSat-1 completed its three-hour orbital mission. Now back on Earth, the seeds are undergoing rigorous analysis in Slovenia, marking the first controlled attempt to evolve cannabis through extraterrestrial exposure.

What makes this different from prior attempts is the scope and follow-through. These seeds aren't just being watched for germination—they're being bred, cloned, and tested for generational mutations, with plans to simulate Martian soil and gravity on Earth.

What's next in the timeline?

The success of MayaSat-1 has already triggered interest in follow-up missions. Companies like Genoplant are developing longer-duration space capsules designed to grow cannabis in orbit for months or even years, potentially uncovering long-term adaptation traits.

It's not out of the question that by the 2030s, we'll be talking about:

• Cannabis strains evolved exclusively in orbit
• Patents filed for space-bred cannabinoids
• Microgravity-enhanced CBD or novel terpenes
• Interplanetary cannabis farming protocols