By The University of Washington conducted a study to try to support or debunk a myth: does cannabis use enhance creativity? The research yielded interesting results.
There is a widespread belief that smoking marijuana increases creativity . Perhaps this myth has its origins in the fact that many people in the art world have been or still are consumers. Charles Baudelaire himself said that the simplest words, the most trivial ideas, take on a strange and new appearance after consuming hashish.
Although famous figures such as John Lennon, Bob Marley and even scientists such as Carl Sagan have been among cannabis consumers, the myth that smoking marijuana increases creativity does not seem to have much basis , as confirmed by a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Although scientists themselves believe that the topic is not exhausted, and that further research is needed, the truth is that the available evidence indicates that smoking marijuana has a minimal impact on creativity and that this only applies to some people. Let’s see what science really says about this.
Smoking marijuana and being creative, a research
The research, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, was led by Christopher Barnes, a psychologist at the University of Washington. The aim was to find out whether smoking marijuana makes us more creative. To verify this, he used 191 volunteers who were occasional cannabis users .
All participants were given a creativity test between 15 minutes and 12 hours after consumption . To make the process more effective, a second parallel study was conducted. 191 volunteers were divided into two groups. The first group was asked to take the creativity test 15 minutes after consumption. The second group was told to take the test 12 hours after having consumed the drug.
In addition to creativity tests, participants were asked to brainstorm at different times . At the end, a panel of judges scored the tests and the ideas that emerged . None of them knew which volunteer they were evaluating, thus trying to avoid any bias.
The results of the research
The results showed that there was no difference between participants who took the test under the influence of cannabis, compared to those who were sober at the time of taking the test . Therefore, it was concluded that smoking marijuana does not influence creativity.
However, the researchers did find that people under the influence of the drug tended to overestimate their own ideas, as well as those of other participants . In other words, they felt that they and others were more creative, even when they were not.
The above also gives us clues to understand why so many people who engage in creative activities attribute their abilities to marijuana use. Scientists think that, in any case, the positive mood that cannabis promotes in most people is an important starting point for being more creative. In that case, it is not the consumption itself that promotes creativity, but the positive disposition to create .
Other research
Christopher Barnes’ findings are consistent with other studies that have analyzed the relationship between marijuana and creativity, although with certain nuances.
A 2012 study found that cannabis use slightly boosted divergent thinking , which is a characteristic of creative thinking. However, this effect was only seen in people who normally had difficulty being innovative, and the effect was not particularly significant.
Another study tested the effects of cannabis on three groups: one was given TCH (the active ingredient in marijuana), another a low amount, and another a placebo. None of the participants knew which group they were in.
A series of tests were then carried out to measure creativity. The results indicated that there was more creativity in those who consumed low amounts of TCH or placebo, than in those who received high amounts of TCH . In fact, in the latter case, there was a noticeable reduction in creative capacity. So, so far there is no evidence, and quite the contrary, that marijuana consumption makes us more creative.