Does cannabis boost creativity?

Both historical and contemporary artists often report that cannabis enhances creativity. The same is true for some students when faced with an exam paper. But what is the truth, and what does science have to say?

First of all, we need to define creativity. The Larousse defines it as the faculty of invention, imagination, or creative power. For Americans, the definition is the capacity for imagination, for seeing things from another angle, for new perceptions followed by creative action.

Cannabis and deviant thinking

The cannabis increases dopamine levels present in the brain. This euphoric hormone increases impulsive behaviors such as hunger and relaxes the person. Dopamine may also stimulate creativity. More activity is reported in the frontal lobe during creative action, a similar effect after cannabis consumption.

Dr. Kenneth Heilman describes in his book «Creativity and the brain» that students who smoke cannabis more often seek novelty than others. A report published in the National Library of Medicine by Gràinne Schafer, suggests that cannabis produces psychotomimetic symptoms, or experimental psychoses, divergent thoughts.

These divergent thoughts, at the root of many artists' creativity, could explain the cannabis/creativity relationship. Bob Marley said that the plant encourages people to break away from the norm and increases their power of meditation. This desire to break away from the norm encourages creativity. According to the same study, 50% of cannabis users feel more creative under the effect of cannabis. THC. From an outsider's point of view, the cannabis user isn't more creative; it's the self-confidence and thought modification that drives him. For this reason, the surge in creativity depends on health and mental fitness.

The disadvantage of the cannabis smoker is that he often has an innovative idea but is either lazy or unable to implement it.

Science can't yet tell.

In 2009, 3 British and Australian psychologists compared the creativity of 3 test groups. One group of cannabis smokers, another of ecstasy users and a group of sober people. At the end of the series of far-fetched tests, the conclusion was that cannabis smokers are not very creative, if at all, if they ingest more than 19 mg THC. Other Australian researchers asserted in 2003 that cannabis is relaxing and euphoric, but not creative.

The lack of files and studies on the subject prevents us from providing a complete answer to the question of effects of cannabis. With the global legalization movement, no doubt many scientists will be asking themselves this question.

However, in the United States, activities are developing around the creative aspect of cannabis. For example, this workshop: smokes, passes and paints. These workshops are springing up like mushrooms in Washington and Colorado.