One of the most commonly cited reasons (as though any are needed) people give for using cannabis is that it makes them more creative. I’ve personally witnessed friends tell me that before they can start writing a song or a poem or rapping in the car that they need to smoke first. So I wondered, is there any truth to the notion that weed actually “opens up your mind”?
A recent study showed that pot smokers (sober during the test) outperformed non-users at one of the two tests researchers devised to assess creativity. But perhaps the more important question is why?
The researchers concluded that the difference lies in the personality traits of the smokers versus non-smokers rather than the effects of cannabis itself. For the study, the team used the Big 5 model of personality to measure the traits of nearly 1,000 undergrad students. The assessments measured divergent (focuses on how many solutions you can develop to a problem) and convergent thinking (focuses on a singularly correct answer to a problem). Somewhat surprisingly, the cannabis users outperformed the non-cannabis users in convergent thinking, while their divergent thinking was on a similar level. The team hypothesized that the reason cannabis users excelled in this area is the personality trait described as “openness to experience.”
The idea of the artist influenced by marijuana gets pushed by media in part because of the waves of talent like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Steve Jobs, The Rolling Stones, and on and on who have cited its use in their success. But again, the connection seems to be related to the types of individuals that are attracted to marijuana instead of it affecting them creatively.
People that are high in the trait defined by openness to experience are typically more tolerant of diversity, liberal, and extraverted. There’s no way to say that cannabis definitively does not positively influence creativity, but the link is spurious. Marijuana is a stimulant, so it’s not unheard of to imagine that it could increase creative output in the short-term. The effects of cannabis also largely depend on the person. For instance, a person dealing with anxiety might be able to channel their creativity better because of the calming effect of marijuana. However, someone who is already driven and in the flow state might be pushed out of it into a state of inertness.
Others claim that marijuana is useful for idea generation, but less so for the execution of those ideas. Like LSD and certain psychedelics, marijuana causes the brain’s synapses to fire differently during use, which can trigger thoughts one may not necessarily have during sobriety.
Another school of thought is that because drugs lower inhibitions, they help to quiet or silence the critic within. Since emotions can be fluidly translated into words and images through association, some individuals may be able to create easier due to reaching new emotional states stimulated through marijuana.
The amount of cannabis one uses is essential to determining the effect. In a 2014 study, researchers found that low doses (5.5mg of THC) slightly improved fluency and flexibility of divergent thinking (the number of responses and variation of answers). Originality of answers also went up, but the scores diminished once the dosage increased to 22mg of THC.
A study conducted in 2012 found that those who are already strong in creativity-based skills and thinking were not helped by cannabis, but those who were weak in creativity-related areas saw short-term improvement in their abilities.
Conclusion
Whether or not cannabis actually makes you more creative depends on a number of factors, but really, it mostly depends on you. What is your personality like? Is your mind already trained to think creatively? Despite the notion that it’s a trait gifted from the gods, creativity is a more analytical skill than you might think, one built on recognizing patterns.
If you can recognize these patterns on your own, then you be fine continuing to get in the trenches and work on your craft. However, if you are creatively bankrupt, enlisting the help of a little cannabis could be the key. Either way, know thyself.
