Author: Jonathan Kendall / Source: Big Think
- The first human colonists on Mars are expected to endure intense amounts of stress while adapting to the planet.
- Their maintaining mental wellbeing is critical for successful colonization efforts.
- In a 2018 study, participants perceived a 58 percent reduction in anxiety and stress following cannabis use.
Atop a plume of smoke, Yuri Gagarin blasted out of Earth’s atmosphere on April 12, 1961. In doing so, the Russian cosmonaut became the first human to venture into that vast, cold realm that we dub “outer space.”
Since then, trails of hot exhaust, slowly dissipating in the ether, have become emblematic of space travel. Nowadays, though, a different sort of smoke — or source of it, rather — has caught the attention of modern astronomers.
As Big Think reported in September of 2018, traveling to Mars will, indeed, be a technical feat, but keeping humans sane while dwelling there is poised to be an even greater one. Between the stressors of living beyond the view of Earth — far from family and friends — and prolonged cabin fever, among other things, the first Martians are liable to go “completely bonkers.”
Indeed, in simulations here on Earth designed to mimic a Martian existence, crewmembers — people in various missions — grew incensed with one another. If this played out on the Red Planet, it could lead to a breakdown in teamwork, compromising colonization goals. Not to mention the safety of the first Martians.
Nevertheless, with the increased interest in space colonization, we will soon be venturing beyond the known limits of what the human body — and mind — can endure. The longest anyone has lived in space, for instance, is 14 months — a trifle compared to the years a permanent move to Mars would entail.
All of this said, the question currently whirling in the minds of space enthusiasts is whether marijuana use, in either its recreational or medicinal incarnations, could help the first Martians cope with the intense amounts of stress they are likely to experience. According to the science, probably. However, there are still other factors that need to be considered.
The Pros
Multiple studies published in 2018 reported that marijuana use did, in fact, significantly reduce participants’ stress levels. One study, for instance, authored by researchers at Washington State University, and published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that:
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