The Marijuana Creativity Connection: Does Weed Make You More Creative?

There’s an old Bill Hicks bit where the late comedian mentions the connection between drugs and creativity, stating that the artists behind the most revered albums of all time were, as he puts it, “…real high…”

That’s an argument that gets tossed around a lot: marijuana makes people more creative.

As legalization continues to sweep the nation, it’s something many people continue wondering about. But what does the evidence say?

Keep reading to find out about the marijuana-creativity connection and find out once and for all if weed makes us more creative.

What Science Tells Us

Most people swear up and down that marijuana makes them more creative. But science isn’t quite so sure.

For instance, take the research conducted by Maurice Bourassa and Pierre Vaugeois in Creativity Research Journal. The duo used 120 participants and tested for the following four factors:

• Fluency
• Flexibility
• Originality
• Elaboration

Their findings ultimately found that marijuana didn’t have a major effect on what they refer to as divergent thinking.

Anecdotal Evidence

Perhaps you or someone you know likes to use marijuana as a means to relax and open yourself up during creative endeavors. After all, there has to be a reason why creative types have lauded weed for centuries now. Filmmaker Kevin Smith notes that weed makes him more productive.

That anecdotal evidence is important, even if it doesn’t contradict the findings noted in the Bourassa and Vaugeois study.

Another study, published in Consciousness and Cognition, notes that the heightened sense of creativity some may experience while high is less about the substance used and more about the individual.

These findings note that those who feel more creative might have a natural inclination toward creative endeavors — even while sober. It’s all due to what the study refers to as a heightened openness to experience.

Our Take

When push comes to shove, there’s no way to settle the debate on marijuana and creativity. While it’s true that weed can make people more creative, that’s only the case if those individuals tend to lean toward creativity in the first place.

Dispensary fans shouldn’t feel down, however. The THC found in cannabis aids relaxation. In turn, this may influence your creativity.

So go ahead and spark up (if it’s legal in your area) and knock out that art project. It might not make you more creative, but it can take some of the stress off.

The Marijuana-Creativity Connection: Our Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the truth surrounding the marijuana-creativity connection is more than a little surprising. If you’re like most people, you might’ve believed that weed naturally makes people more creative.

While it can, it’s clear that ‘yes’ comes with a major caveat that muddies the water, so to speak.

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