Canna-Creatives and the Unproven Link
Art Courtesy Of Casey Renteria
The First Time
It was almost 40 years ago that I began smoking cannabis, and yet I can still remember how unbelievably amazing the music in the room sounded that day.
The introduction of cannabis to my listening experience elevated it to something truly spiritual in nature. I felt as though the cannabis made the notes closer, more real, and more intimate.
As my cannabis journey unfolded, I found myself following the Grateful Dead to participate in those magical live music experiences where the audience, the band, and the music all became one. The unscripted notes the band was playing became almost predictable to some part of me, and I remember my body moving in synchronicity with the music and the entire crowd. It was an experience of momentary unity, community, and unconditional love, brought about by the power of music and enhanced, for me and most others in the crowd, with cannabis.
Cannabis & Creative Community
Creative and artistic communities around the world have been intertwined with cannabis for thousands of years. Since the time of cave drawings, the plant itself has been depicted in various mediums on every continent, which makes it clear that the cannabis plant was held in a place of respect and appreciation until the reefer madness campaign began.
Excavation done in William Shakespeare’s garden revealed several pipes that contained traces of cannabis and other substances, so it’s fair to say this plant played a role in the writing of some of the most famous literary works ever created. Cannabis was condemned by the church during Shakespeare’s time, and writers risked having their books burned if they mentioned it by name, so evidence is elusive. Many scholars, however, speculate that Shakespeare’s Sonnet 76 references the plant in the line “invention in a noted weed.”
The Historical Record
The Catholic church condemned the use of cannabis many centuries before Shakespeare, so you won’t find any traces of it in Renaissance art. It makes a reappearance in the 1600s during the Dutch Golden Age of paintings.
It’s easy to see that modern-day Amsterdam had its seeds planted when Holland was the center of worldwide science, art, trade, and shipbuilding. Hemp was grown widely to supply ships with materials for their hulls, ropes, and sails. The abundance of cannabis circulating beyond the shipyard is evident in a number of famous Dutch paintings from that time, mostly of the lower classes smoking cannabis as a form of recreation. Elites weren’t shown smoking cannabis in paintings as often. The negative stigma of using cannabis likely motivated the upper classes to be more secretive about their use, but examples do exist.
Scientific Evidence of Creativity and Cannabis
Scientists are starting to explore the connection between cannabis and creativity, and some interesting things have been observed.
It was discovered in 2002 that cannabis use increases blood flow to the parts of the brain commonly associated with abstract thought processes and decisions, so it’s easy to see how this might affect the creative process.
Research on terpenes is providing ongoing data on the role these compounds play in helping people channel their inner creator. Knowing how terpenes affect the brain can help people choose cannabis products and strains for desired effects.
Hyper-Priming: Your Creative Brain on Weed
Psychiatrists have noted that there is an increase in semantic processing in the brains of people under the influence of cannabis.
During periods of intoxication, participants in studies showed signs that their brains were hyper-primed, meaning word associations for this group were more abundant than a ‘normal’ response. For example, a normal, sober brain, when asked for a word association with the term ‘sky’ would reply with something simple, like ‘blue’. In the hyper-primed mind, when prompted with ‘sky’, the reply will be a much farther reach, such as ‘eagle’, which indicates a tumbling of thoughts that’s faster than normal.
Hyper-priming is a mechanism that psychiatrists have been studying for decades in schizophrenic patients. The neurodivergent mind is wired to tumble quickly in all sorts of directions which are massive leaps in word and thought association. Because schizophrenic individuals are already in a hyper-primed state, adding cannabis can create a multitude of problems and adverse reactions. This is why cannabis is contraindicated for schizophrenia, and a dormant genetic tendency can (in rare cases) be triggered by cannabis use, and create a psychotic reaction. That’s just one example of why starting with a very low dose of cannabis is so important; we are all very different at the level of biology and brain function.
Tapping into Elevated States
While the science is still forthcoming, it’s widely accepted that cannabis can help people unwind, relax, and arrive fully into the present moment.
I’ve been using cannabis as a tool in meditation for almost twenty years, and there is something that feels intuitively and spiritually supportive about combining cannabis and meditation. That’s my direct experience and many other people I’ve taught meditation to feel the same. In a cannabis-induced state of relaxed openness, creativity flows more easily. Some have speculated that this is what opens the door to more joyful artistic creation. It’s been speculated that relaxation is the true reason that artists find cannabis helpful in the creative process, as it allows them to be still and peaceful.
A recent study claims to disprove any link between cannabis and creativity. But let’s take a closer look at the research design. The first thing to consider is that the study was conducted by a researcher at the University of Washington, Foster School of Business. This was a study to examine how creative thinking in corporate settings might be impacted by cannabis use. The next thing to take under advisement is the test itself, which was to find as many creative ideas for the use of a brick as they could, within a four-minute period.
A second study cited in the same article looked at work-related creative idea generation. Their findings seem to indicate that cannabis is not helpful in these settings, and at higher doses can hinder job performance. Visual arts, music, dance, and other kinds of creative expression were not tested, so the title of their article “Sorry, Weed Probably Does Not Make You More Creative,” seems a stretch based on the limited scope of these studies.
Does Cannabis Make You Creative? Time Will Tell
Time will bring us more science, and a better understanding of what’s really going on with cannabis and creativity. So until then, enjoy living in the mystery.
Creative ability isn’t necessarily something that can be measured by tricks with bricks in four minutes or even longer, so perhaps we should reconsider the way creativity is measured. The creative mind itself is so very unique in each human being, it’s among the most challenging things to define. The gifted musician might be terrible at painting, and the chef can’t necessarily write poetry.
Creativity also tends to show up for people in waves, unannounced, and might not be there on test day. So just puff, paint, play, write, dance, sing, cook, color, and create… tap into that vibe of something that’s fresh and new and uniquely your creation, and have some fun.
Mary Ellen Lorello
Certified Cannabis Coach & Educator