“Psychoactive Compound THC Found in Meteorite” Hoax

We have determined that this story is a hoax. Unfortunately, it was just so delightful, we didn’t look behind the smokescreen. In our defense, we obtained it from a source that also believed the hoax.

Our original story:
It has been said that the universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine. But now it’s entirely possible that the universe itself may very well affect our imaginations…

A team of astrophysicists tasked by NASA with finding indications of microbacterial life on recovered meteorites has found traces of the psychoactive chemical Tetrahydrocannabinol — better known as THC — on a sample taken from a meteorite found in the Nevada desert. Typically found in psychoactive plants such the cannabis plant, this unexpected finding is the first documented case of the chemical being found from an origin outside of Earth’s atmosphere, and could prompt a change in our approach to the origins of otherwise planet-bound psychotropic agents.

Astrophysicist James Han, head of the University of Hawaii research team that made the discovery, is perplexed by the find: “These findings will have a profound impact on the science of astrobiology as a whole.

“If psychoactive elements are found outside of this planet’s atmosphere, what does it say about the rest of the universe? If these chemical substances, that change brain functions and result in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness in mammals as well as humans, find their origin in outer space, what role then has cometary impacts played on the human species? Or on life on the planet as whole? This discovery ultimately leaves us with more questions than answers.”