Many cannabis users are convinced that the drug not only heightens their mood, but also their creativity.
Creative luminaries also seem to endorse this idea. Steve Jobs said that marijuana and hashish would make him “relaxed and creative” while astronomer and author Carl Sagan believed that cannabis helps produce “serenity and insight.” In the artistic sphere, Lady Gaga said she smokes “a lot of pot” when writing music, and Louis Armstrong called marijuana “an assistant and friend.”
Despite these popular beliefs about the creative potency of cannabis, scientific consensus has remained hazy.
Now new research suggests that cannabis may not be a gateway drug to creativity after all.
“Almost everyone thinks that cannabis makes them more creative. And it seems like that assumption is not supported by the data,” said Christopher Barnes, professor of organizational behavior at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and an author of the study.
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