Democracy Dies in Darkness
Brain Matters

Sorry, weed probably does not make you more creative

In experiments, the work of light cannabis users was not rated as more creative than of nonusers

By
April 20, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
An illustration of someone painting on an easel, with a cloud of smoke covering their head.
(George Wylesol for The Washington Post)
6 min

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.”