So right now , I can imagine that all the cannabis users are , are , are cheering . Yes , cannabis increases creativity makes people more creative than they would be otherwise . Well , this is interesting , we have to ask ourselves how that was accomplished and it turns out that one of the major ways in which it was accomplished is that cannabis users , even if they are not under the influence of cannabis are far more open to novel ideas .
So cannabis increases dopamine in these areas , elevated dopamine increases divergent thinking and divergent thinking is associated with creativity . And there are studies that support the idea that cannabis can increase creativity . However , there are at least as many studies that say that cannabis does not increase creativity , that cannabis increases consideration of multiple ideas perhaps through elevation of dopamine and related systems .
And that combination of features , openness to experience and what that openness to new experiences brings enhances the convergent and divergent thinking that is characteristic of the creative process . So in short , cannabis increases creativity , but through changes in personality that tap into the creative process rather than directly impacting the neural circuits that for instance , turn on creativity . And I have to say this study is really important because by exploring cannabis users , not while under the influence of cannabis , they were able to tap into this very important what I believe to be fact because if you think about a study in which you would have one group using cannabis and another group not using cannabis , and then you give them some task that taps into creativity , you will see effects and very likely you'll see effects where cannabis might even increase divergent , convergent thinking and creativity that those results have actually been published many times before .
Did a wonderful job of teasing out this impact of cannabis on personality which then impacts creativity . So if somebody asks you or if you're wondering , or if you feel like cannabis increases creativity in some sense , the answer is yes , but the answer is yes . Because of the ways that it shapes openness to new ideas and can I should say can because not in everybody but can in some individuals reduce anxiety .
And there are studies that support the idea that cannabis can increase creativity . However , there are at least as many studies that say that cannabis does not increase creativity , that cannabis increases consideration of multiple ideas perhaps through elevation of dopamine and related systems . But that ultimately the ideas that converge from that are not truly creative ideas , at least they don't meet the criteria for creative brainstorming and extraction of ideas that are truly novel .
