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Hemp Seeds Leave Earth For Special Space Station Analysis

hemp space
Written by Steven Bridge

Hemp Seeds just made history after being launched into Space aboard SpaceX 17 from Cape Canaveral, headed for the International Space Station to be studied and analyzed under zero gravity.

The Hemp seeds’ mission was organized by Space Tango, a microgravity researcher, and manufacturer, alongside Atalo Holdings, a hemp-derivatives lifestyle company within the emerging Hemp industry. They work with transformative technologies for crop science and agronomics. The third party involved in the Hemp Space mission is CBD retailer Anavii Market.

A recent Lex 18 report noted that the seeds sent to space were sent to be studied for improvements here on Earth. Kris Kimel, founder, and CEO of Space Tango told reporters that this was a historic moment for Hemp. “This is the first time the plant has ever left the planet,” he said. “So, we’ll see what zero-g does to it.”

Hemp isn’t the first seed to go to space for research though. Space Tango has carried out similar research projects with other plants to see how they react under zero gravity. “We expect something will happen,” Kimel said. “It could very well be material changes that enhance the efficacy of the plant, and that could have a major impact on people’s lives, particularly in the biomedical area.”

This opens a fantastic Pandora’s Box of opportunity and potential innovation, especially in light of the recent Farm Bill that was passed by the Trump Administration in 2018. The act reclassified industrial Hemp (containing no THC) from Schedule I to an “agricultural asset.”

hemp space

This project is access hemp’s stability in different environments, zero-gravity for example

This paved the way for massive Hemp cultivation that could be a fantastic money-spinner and provide people with sustainable and low-cost medicine. The space study of the Hemp seeds is looking to see how that environment will affect the seeds and see if growing and cultivation techniques here on Earth could be improved.

Bill Hilliard, CEO of Atalo Holdings, also agrees with Kimel’s sentiment. “I think this is knowledge that can improve this plant for the benefit of a wide universe of people,” He said. Hillard also went on to explain that this project went through meticulous planning before it was put into action and took more than a year to organize.

He gave credit to the government for passing the Farm Bill, explaining that the mission wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. “We were working on it and had a lot more folks that were engaged in the effort, but it was made a lot easier by the passage of the Farm Bill,” he explained.

The Hemp seeds will reside in space for around a month and a half before they return to Earth. But this is only the tip of the iceberg for “Hemp in Space.” Atalo already has plans in the pipeline to launch the next phase which includes germinating the seeds in space. After that stage is complete, scientists and Hemp farmers alike will have a much more robust understanding of how best to cultivate Hemp, and that’s good news for everyone.

Hemp grows on any terrain and is amazingly durable and unaffected by climate. It can also be used for a wide array of things, including making material, paper, and of course CBD Oils and Tinctures.

While the research is interesting that only applies to those interested in the Hemp industry and not in Cannabis, hemp and Cannabis differ in that Hemp contains next-to-no THC – the active compound in the plant that gets you high, while Cannabis is packed full of THC among other compounds.

Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction for Hemp and Cannabis cultivation, and everyone from growers to market analysts are keeping a close eye out for the results of the first ever space study of Hemp.

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About the author

Steven Bridge

Having been a cannabis and CBD aficionado for many years, Steven spends much of his time opposite a shiny MacBook, researching, exploring, understanding and creating interesting reading for people interested in knowing more about CBD, Vaping, Cannabis Strains and Delivery Methods, and just about anything related to magical green herbs that help people with anything from sleepless nights to pain.