When Neil Armstrong took his and all of humanity’s first steps on the moon in 1969, it was a landmark moment for all of planet Earth. However, what he probably didn’t envisage, was the fact that human beings – in 2021 – still wouldn’t have ever returned. Even worse, he probably wouldn’t have thought that this lack of returning would have led to conspiring thoughts that the moon landings were fake. Sorry Neil. Nonetheless, he knew that he was and always will be the first person to ever step foot on the moon. He knew he was most definitely the highest any man has ever been. However, now people look at space and use a different definition of the word ‘high’.
An interesting question now is: can you smoke in space? Or, more specifically, can you get high off THC in space? One would think that the wonders of cannabis and the wonders of space would surely combine perfectly, however, science might not allow it to be that simple. So, can you smoke in space? Let’s find out.
Cannabis is one of the most interesting plants on earth, but would it be possible to consume in outer space as well? Well, you’ll have to read on to find out. But regardless, if you’re interested in reading more articles like this one, make sure to subscribe to The Delta 8 Weekly Newsletter, your source for all things cannabis-related, as well as exclusive deals on exclusive deals on delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, THCV, THCP, delta 10, HHC, THC-O and other legal products.
Cannabis
The cannabis plant has been around for centuries. First it was just a part of nature – untampered by human hands. Then it was used in religious ceremonies and for materials and clothes. After that, it’s recreational benefits became worldwide and championed, until soon it was illegalized for its questionable ‘links’ to crime. However, the true essence of cannabis has never really changed. It has been altered, synthetically edited and formatted into various consumables – but really, cannabis is still the same as it always was. When used right, the combination of the two most prominent cannabinoids inside cannabis – THC and CBD – create a feeling of relaxation and euphoria. It’s this feeling that makes cannabis something that compliments nature so well.
Writer and novelist Arthur Clarke wrote this about the universe:
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”
Clarke perfectly captures the two realities that every human being is afraid of: the feeling of being alone and the feeling of being under threat. Both are equally daunting. Space is something that confuses, scares and inspires almost all of us – and the mind-opening effects of cannabis goes hand in hand with its endless possibility.
Here is a list of the many positive feelings that THC cannabis can induce in a consumer:
- Relaxation
- Heightened sense
- Euphoria
- Giggly
- Creative
- Peckish
- Thoughtful
- Amused
If you’ve ever sat under the stars, enjoyed some high-THC cannabis, and looked in amazement at the universe then perhaps you’ll know – even a little bit – what smoking in space would feel like. Perhaps that’s the closest this generation will ever get. But will our grandchildren, or grandchildren’s grandchildren, or grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren be smoking in space?
Space
Space and the universe is essentially everything. It is all planets, all stars, all galaxies, all universes, and all of time. A popular theory of the creation of the universe is that it all started with a big bang over 13 billion years ago, and that the universe has been expanding since then. With the heightened senses and lack of sense of time that cannabis can sometimes influence in people’s minds – it seems that the human mind post-THC and the universe itself have many similarities. Since the dawn of time, human beings have looked up at the sky and asked questions. They’ve desired to know more about it.
Gravity
The first question that surely arises when thinking of smoking in space is gravity. Gravity is the force that planets have, which pulls other objects into its centre. Thus, the reason why we all don’t float off into space is because gravity from the Earth’s core is pulling all of us and other objects down towards space. However, gravity becomes weaker with distance. Therefore, in space, where distance from planets is further, gravity is almost non-existent. This is why people float in rocket ships. However, funnily enough, humans are able to digest food and drink in space. And considering that smoke is a gas, rather than a liquid or solid, it would surely be easier to consume in space than the other two. Gas barely has any weight to it anyway, which means even on earth smoke sits in the air, rather than falls to the ground. In conclusion, the wonders of cannabis would not be restricted by gravity. Thus, inhaling cannabis and allowing the THC to get into the bloodstream would be possible in space, just like it is on earth.
Fire In Space
One thing you’d need in order to smoke in space is fire. However, fire on earth requires oxygen, and considering there is no oxygen in space, then surely fire is impossible. However, fires inside rockets or space stations are possible as they create a vacuum within the vehicle. Whilst the possibility of a fire on a spacecraft could be deadly, there has been more research in recent years where astronauts have been experimenting with fire in space. Astronauts want to discover how fire reacts in different atmospheres so that if we ever need to create life on a different planet, we’ll understand how to create one of man’s greatest needs: fire. Surely then, during one of these experiments, someone could hypothetically light up a joint and smoke in space. Or, alternatively, a dry herb vaporizer would also work in space and would require no fire whatsoever. Therefore, it wouldn’t be smoking, but it would be still cannabis. However, NASA may have made this slightly difficult.
NASA Cannabis Ban
NASA, who have led the charge at space exploration since their moon landing in 1969, are the first port of call for new space discoveries.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) write on their website that:
Humans are driven to explore the unknown, discover new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and then push further. The intangible desire to explore and challenge the boundaries of what we know and where we have been has provided benefits to our society for centuries.
However, despite their love for space discovery, it seems they are not too keen on the wonders of cannabis. Since Ronald Reagan declared it in 1986, NASA has been a drug-free workplace. This means all employees are not allowed to use recreational drugs whether they are on or off duty. Therefore, any astronaut working for NASA, or even a passenger on a NASA space vehicle, would be unable to smoke cannabis in space.
Elon Musk
Whilst NASA may have been leading the charge in space exploration for decades, billionaire Elon Musk and his company SpaceX are now on a mission to colonize Mars and re-define space travel. Elon Musk first became known for being the founder of Tesla, which revolutionised sustainable cars. However, in 2018, Musk made an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast and – during a long discussion about space – he appeared to take a puff of Rogan’s cannabis joint. Surely if any company would be willing to try smoking cannabis in space then Musk and SpaceX would be the chosen ones. However, Musk got in a great deal of trouble when this footage was seen. SpaceX had to experience an extremely thorough and expensive safety investigation by NASA after Elon’s stunt.
The bright side may be that SpaceX will potentially be teaming up with an Agri-tech company called Front Range Biosciences out of Colorado. Their aim will be to send coffee and hemp cultures to the International Space Station. The goal is to see the effects of space on agriculture. They will spend around 4 weeks in orbit, and then will return to earth. So, unfortunately, cannabis is not for consuming and most definitely not for smoking.
The Future of Cannabis In Space
Although smoking cannabis in space may not have happened yet – or at least it hasn’t happened and been spoken about – that doesn’t mean it will never happen. The wonders of THC and space will most definitely one day unite. What Elon Musk is doing to space travel is constantly extraordinary and may perhaps one day lead to bringing human life to another planet. If this happens, and societies are built, cultures are made, then there is no doubt that cannabis would be a part of it. Humanity, cannabis and space are beautiful together.
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