High Times has announced plans to participate in the controversial space colonization project Mars One. The Dutch non-profit company Mars One, led by CEO Bas Lansdorp, plans to establish a human settlement on Mars by 2027. The company began the painstaking process of evaluating thousands of applicants in 2013 and has now narrowed the number of potential Martian settlers down to 100. This week, High Times confirmed that senior cultivation editor Danny Danko is one of the 100 applicants selected to participate in the program.
According to Mars One spokesperson Janice Unero, “Mr. Danko was selected primarily for his knowledge of cannabis cultivation. We hope to study the effects of cannabis on human settlers in such a unique environment.”
Ms. Unero added that the company believes cannabis will provide much needed stress relief and help with motion sickness during the grueling, seven-month journey to the Red Planet.
Because Mars One is an independent company that will use privately owned (non-government) spacecraft for transporting its crew and due to friendly intergalactic marijuana possession laws, Mr. Danko doesn’t anticipate problems with bringing cannabis genetics to Mars.
“I’m quite curious what effect the change in gravity and atmosphere will have on pot,” Mr. Danko admitted. “I’m also very interested in the Martian soil. I believe that, if used in a greenhouse environment, the soil will eventually release the nutrients and water concealed within, making a self-sustaining grow operation possible.”
Mars One’s original business plan was to raise the $5 billion necessary to begin the human settlement project by licensing a Big Brother-style reality television series about the mission. However, talks between Mars One and Big Brother producers failed to result in an agreement. Some believe, as a result, Mars One brought High Times and the charismatic Mr. Danko in to the project specifically to entice potential production companies.
Nonetheless, Mr. Danko is embracing this opportunity. “Yes, I’m excited to grow weed on Mars. But I won’t just be growing weed. I’m the mission’s official horticulturist so I’ll be growing tomatoes and orchids and wheatgrass too.”
All selected applicants for the Mars One human settlement project are to begin training at an undisclosed location in the Nevada desert later this year.
Click here to watch Danny Danko’s original Mars One application.
