<p>The detection of complex organic molecules, often abbreviated as COM in <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-astro-082708-101654" rel="noreferrer">astrochemical literature</a>, has only taken up pace in the last couple of decades since substantial advances were only made possible with the advent of new, high-end observational facilities (Green Bank Telescope (GBT), Very Large Array (VLA), Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-Millimeter Array (ALMA), etc.) in the radio-regime, where specific fingerprints of rotational, vibrational or ro-vibrational transitions are possible to observe.</p>
<p>An regularly updated list of detected molecular species in space can be found at the <a href="https://cdms.astro.uni-koeln.de/classic/molecules" rel="noreferrer">Cologne Database for Molecular Spectroscopy</a> (CDMS), maintained by the Universität zu Köln. In the table below, you can immediately see that only four organic molecules have so far been detected that are made out of more than 12 individual atoms. However your molecule of interest, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is constituted by 53 (!) individual atoms as one can infer from its chemical forumlae: <span class="math-container">$C_{21}H_{30}O_{2}$</span></p>
<p>Its going to be almost if not certainly impossible to ever detect THC in an extraterrestrial environment through remote observations (i.e. sending rovers or other space exploration mission for in-situ explorations is another story altogether). Furthermore, THC would need to be in detectable quantities in an exoplanets atmosphere or within a molecular cloud in interestellar space. A scenario which is missing any arguments or evidence about a process or mechanism that could provide such a high density. The existence of detectable amounts of THC in interstellar space is hindered by the harsh enviroments, e.g. X-ray and UV-fields from nearby stars that would not allow any high concentrations of very large molecules. Furthermore, I believe THC is a biogenic molecule, i.e. not being created except for biochemical processes in terrestrial lifeforms or - of course - as synthetical variant in chemical laboratories. I am not aware of any non-biogenic process that could provide for high THC concentrations in a planets atmosphere. That would make it a dream candidate as a biomarker, i.e. a molecule whose presence alone would strongly hint at biological/xenological activity.  Anyhow as a consequence, the feasibility of the detection from THC fails on numerous levels, thus making the detection via telescopes virtually impossible, from at least what we know so far about how, where in what typical quantities THC is formed.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-03T14:34:51.550Z
2020-09-03T14:53:34.753Z
2020-09-03T14:53:34.753Z
Diazenylium
<p>I was wondering if and how astronomers have/had detected the molecule Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), commonly known for it's effects in marijuana, in space.</p>

<p>I had previously seen a hoax regarding the drug being detected on an exoplanet, but I wanted to know if there was any possibility of it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-04T16:26:14.500Z
Why was this downvoted? Does someone wish to maybe offer an explanation to improve my question instead?
Pulchritude
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-04T16:56:06.470Z
Oh, ok. What do you suggest I change about it?
Pulchritude
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-04T20:52:30.717Z
The photo of Chris Hadfield with a bag of weed is Photoshopped. I'd not be at all surprised if some space-botanist tucked a seed or two into his sock before slipping the surly bonds of Earth.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-05T10:24:19.857Z
This would be much better served over on Skeptics.SE, using the claim from World News Daily report that user11056 gave in his answer.
Rory Alsop
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-28T16:47:20.193Z
Ultraviolet Spectrum Peak 276.5 nm FTIR shows nothing remarkable: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/content/dam/sigma-aldrich/docs/Sigma-Aldrich/Datasheet/1/t4764-091k8801dat.pdf , sopicking out the molecule in space is going to be hard.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-23T07:50:41.707Z
I’m voting to close this question because 1) I believe it is... well.... sub-optimal from a scientific view 2) I want a completely politics-free Astronomy SE.
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-23T08:09:11.897Z
There's plenty of ethanol though.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-23T14:22:49.417Z
Surely a molecule or two has drifted out of earth's atmosphere. However, a bit of searching reveals no "nebula 420" other than as a subreddit.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-24T01:21:48.310Z
I don't see anything wrong with this question, voting to **stay open!**
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-07T23:45:58.883Z
six months later, nothing has changed, there's still a good answer to an on-topic question, so voting to **stay open, again!**
uhoh
<telescope><space><astrochemistry>
Has THC been detected in space?
Pulchritude
# Has THC been detected in space?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-04)

I was wondering if and how astronomers have/had detected the molecule Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), commonly known for it's effects in marijuana, in space.

I had previously seen a hoax regarding the drug being detected on an exoplanet, but I wanted to know if there was any possibility of it.

**Tags:** telescope, space, astrochemistry
> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Why was this downvoted? Does someone wish to maybe offer an explanation to improve my question instead?  
> **username_0**: Oh, ok. What do you suggest I change about it?  
> **username_1**: The photo of Chris Hadfield with a bag of weed is Photoshopped. I'd not be at all surprised if some space-botanist tucked a seed or two into his sock before slipping the surly bonds of Earth.  
> **username_2**: This would be much better served over on Skeptics.SE, using the claim from World News Daily report that user11056 gave in his answer.  
> **username_1**: Ultraviolet Spectrum Peak 276.5 nm FTIR shows nothing remarkable: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/content/dam/sigma-aldrich/docs/Sigma-Aldrich/Datasheet/1/t4764-091k8801dat.pdf , sopicking out the molecule in space is going to be hard.  
> **username_3**: I’m voting to close this question because 1) I believe it is... well.... sub-optimal from a scientific view 2) I want a completely politics-free Astronomy SE.  
> **username_4**: There's plenty of ethanol though.  
> **username_1**: Surely a molecule or two has drifted out of earth's atmosphere. However, a bit of searching reveals no "nebula 420" other than as a subreddit.  
> **username_5**: I don't see anything wrong with this question, voting to **stay open!**  
> **username_5**: six months later, nothing has changed, there's still a good answer to an on-topic question, so voting to **stay open, again!**  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-09-03. Score: 8

The detection of complex organic molecules, often abbreviated as COM in [astrochemical literature](https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-astro-082708-101654), has only taken up pace in the last couple of decades since substantial advances were only made possible with the advent of new, high-end observational facilities (Green Bank Telescope (GBT), Very Large Array (VLA), Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-Millimeter Array (ALMA), etc.) in the radio-regime, where specific fingerprints of rotational, vibrational or ro-vibrational transitions are possible to observe.

An regularly updated list of detected molecular species in space can be found at the [Cologne Database for Molecular Spectroscopy](https://cdms.astro.uni-koeln.de/classic/molecules) (CDMS), maintained by the Universität zu Köln. In the table below, you can immediately see that only four organic molecules have so far been detected that are made out of more than 12 individual atoms. However your molecule of interest, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is constituted by 53 (!) individual atoms as one can infer from its chemical forumlae: $C\_{21}H\_{30}O\_{2}$

Its going to be almost if not certainly impossible to ever detect THC in an extraterrestrial environment through remote observations (i.e. sending rovers or other space exploration mission for in-situ explorations is another story altogether). Furthermore, THC would need to be in detectable quantities in an exoplanets atmosphere or within a molecular cloud in interestellar space. A scenario which is missing any arguments or evidence about a process or mechanism that could provide such a high density. The existence of detectable amounts of THC in interstellar space is hindered by the harsh enviroments, e.g. X-ray and UV-fields from nearby stars that would not allow any high concentrations of very large molecules. Furthermore, I believe THC is a biogenic molecule, i.e. not being created except for biochemical processes in terrestrial lifeforms or - of course - as synthetical variant in chemical laboratories. I am not aware of any non-biogenic process that could provide for high THC concentrations in a planets atmosphere. That would make it a dream candidate as a biomarker, i.e. a molecule whose presence alone would strongly hint at biological/xenological activity. Anyhow as a consequence, the feasibility of the detection from THC fails on numerous levels, thus making the detection via telescopes virtually impossible, from at least what we know so far about how, where in what typical quantities THC is formed.


---

