According to Newsweek, Front Range Biosciences—in collaboration with SpaceCells USA Inc. and BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is sending cannabis to the International Space Station (ISS).
During March of 2020, cannabis and coffee will be brought to the ISS aboard the next SpaceX resupply mission.
"This is one of the first times anyone is researching the effects of microgravity and spaceflight on hemp and coffee cell cultures," Jonathan Vaught, CEO of Front Range Biosciences said in a statement provided to Newsweek. "There is science to support the theory that plants in space experience mutations. This is an opportunity to see whether those mutations hold up once brought back to earth and if there are new commercial applications."
The company hopes that learning how plants react to space travel could influence the way in which they are grown on Earth. As the planet's climate changes, many plants will struggle to grow in areas where they once could and learning ways to help them survive harsh conditions could help.
"These are big ideas we're pursuing and there's a massive opportunity to bring to market new plants that can better adapt to drought and cold conditions," Peter McCullagh, CEO of SpaceCells, added in a statement. "We expect to prove through these and other missions that we can adapt the food supply to climate change."
