Cannabis makes people more creative

[n2doc]

We’ve recently gone over the side-effects of cannabis, but we didn’t mention the biggest myth theory about cannabis and drugs in general: they make you more creative. Robert Arthur’s Narco Polo blog posted a piece entitled Marijuana Promotes Creativity: The Evidence. Let’s go over his piece, and other like-minded attempts to give cannabis credit for stimulating the “Dionysian” side of your brain. You won’t need to be familiar with Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy, I promise.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this was your brain on drugs, rather than this?



Maybe it is?

Wired.com editor Jonah Lehrer wrote last year about Marijuana Cannabis and Divergent Thinking. In the article, Lehrer mentions a study that focuses on hyper semantic-priming in cannabis users:

The study looked at a phenomenon called semantic priming, in which the activation of one word allows us to react more quickly to related words. For instance, the word “dog” might lead to decreased reaction times for “wolf,” “pet” and “Lassie,” but won’t alter how quickly we react to “chair”.

Interestingly, marijuana seems to induce a state of hyper-priming, in which the reach of semantic priming extends outwards to distantly related concepts. As a result, we hear “dog” and think of nouns that, in more sober circumstances, would seem to have nothing in common.

more
http://hailmaryjane.com/science-says-cannabis-makes-you-more-creative/

[mysuzuki2]

1. unfortunately, cannabis gives me really serious

anxiety attacks. Oh well, another thing I can't do anymore.

[astral]

7. It used to do that to mee, too.

I was never that crazy about the stuff but totally support anybody's right to use it.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. This is news to some...

Not to most creative artists....

[CanSocDem]

3. I've noticed this effect while driving.

Made me more aware of the larger traffic environment and the various potentialities inherent within.

Just sayin'....

:hippie:

[Nelson Tondreau]

4. Nice to know

I don't smoke regulary, but the few times I have I felt an increased sense of awareness, a higher sense of connection with something higher if you know what I am trying to say.

[Odin2005]

5. This is NEWS???

[bemildred]

6. Sounds like a job for Obviousman all right.

Next somebody will do a study to show that it feels good (which seems to be the main reason we aren't supposed to like it, like feeling good was really dangerous.)