So, you may have heard that cannabis can lead to increased creativity. That increase in creativity can then theoretically be harnessed by those who make a living from creative jobs. This might include inventors, writers, and, of course, artists.
How does weed make you more creative? It is widely accepted that it does, but that’s a generic response. Here, we will take a look at why weed serves to make you more creative, how much you need to take, and the best way to consume it to harness that creativity.
Does Weed Make You More Creative?
Creativity is most associated with the frontal lobe in the brain, and we know that the consumption of cannabis increases the cerebral blood flow right to this area. As such, the area automatically becomes more active, resulting in an uptake in creativity.
That frontal lobe activity can help to stimulate your output of creativity in two primary ways. The first is that it can activate the area near the nucleus accumbens in the brain. This leads to increased creativity. In addition, the frontal lobe is considered the primary location for what is called creative divergent thinking.
Creativity vs. Divergent Thinking
You can think of divergent thinking as a way to measure creativity. It is a pattern of thinking that explores a variety of potential solutions, and it does so in a non-linear way.
Divergent thinking is free-flowing and spontaneous. You can think of its practical applications as being free writing, creative thinking, and brainstorming.
In essence, divergent thinking can often lead to arriving at your most creative ideas. If you think about your average day, you will likely find divergent thinking whenever you list out several possibilities or options.
Dosage Is Key
So, it is widely accepted that cannabis has the potential to make you more creative. However, that isn’t where it ends. The dosage is a key part of increasing your creativity.
In general, lower doses are capable of improving two different aspects of specific divergent thinking. They are fluency and flexibility. Fluency is the number of responses, while flexibility is the variation of answers.
When you raise the cannabis dose, those areas of creative thinking decrease. There are a variety of studies that look at how exactly weed can make you more creative. However, the vast majority of them support the claim that lower doses are better for increasing your creativity.
Are Some Strains Better for Increasing Creativity?
We know cannabis has the potential to make you more creative. We also know that the dosage matters. Now, we can take a look at what strains are considered most effective at getting you to be more creative.
Not all strains of cannabis are created equal. This is due to the differences in their cannabinoid profile and terpenes.
For some users, the strain makes no difference. You might find an artist who doesn’t care what strain of cannabis they use. To them, they always become more creative regardless of the cannabis strain used. Others, however, will swear that there are very specific strains that allow them to engage in more creative thinking.
There are some strains that are rated as highly creative by reviewers. If you are thinking of trying cannabis as a means to be more creative, some of these might be a good place to start.
Jack Herer
This strain has a sharp, nice pine aroma that works to give you a focused and alert mindsight. Your mind should remain flexible while you enjoy a really nice and even high.
Kali Mist
Kali Mist is a strain that is euphoric and bright. It works to awaken your imagination and can be quite motivating.
Chemdog
This strain is a hybrid that is quite potent. It is usually only recommended for use by more seasoned consumers who are really looking for a great increase in their creativity.
This is because the high you experience with this strain can almost be too much for some users. It is marked by being cumbersome and a bit dizzying.
LSD
LSD is also a hybrid strain. It is known for bringing to light new ideas and concepts and awakening a new level of creativity for its users.
Getting Creative: The Best Methods
Does weed make you more creative? We now know that it does. We also know that there are some strains, like those mentioned above, that are better suited for bringing out your creativity.
Finally, we know that you need to be careful with dosage if you really want your weed to help you be more creative. A smaller dose is simply more effective.
Now, we can move on to the final piece of the puzzle, which has to do with the best methods for consuming cannabis in order to use it for its creativity-enhancing properties. Most users swear by using a vaporizer.
In a lot of ways, you will need to find a way that works best for you. If you are still trying to hash out exactly how cannabis works to get you more creative, you may want to play around with how you consume it. That might mean changing your dosage, trying different strains, or even changing the environment you are in when you consume it.
Final Thoughts
Weed can absolutely make you more creative, but it may not come naturally. You need to find the perfect storm of environment, strain, and dosage that will bring out your most creative self and thoughts.
With that said, one final thought is that many users suggest that weed is only going to help you get more creative if you aren’t already a creative person. For those who are already quite creative on their won, cannabis might not be as powerful for you.
While the verdict is out on the degree to which cannabis will help you be a bit more creative, one thing is widely believed—weed does, in fact, work to make you more creative. If you are in a creative profession and find that you are blocked for content, a little cannabis may be just what you need.
