Cannabis Users Seem More Creative, But It's Actually Their Personality
Sober cannabis users scored higher on creativity measures than non-users, but this advantage disappeared once their higher levels of openness to experience were accounted for.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This study tested 412 sober cannabis users and 309 non-users on both self-reported and objective creativity measures to determine whether cannabis use is associated with enhanced creativity.
At first glance, the results supported the creative cannabis user stereotype. Sober cannabis users reported higher creativity and performed significantly better on a test of convergent thinking (the ability to find a single correct solution to a well-defined problem).
However, when the researchers controlled for personality differences, specifically cannabis users' higher levels of openness to experience (a personality trait associated with curiosity, imagination, and appreciation for art and ideas), these creativity advantages disappeared entirely.
The finding suggests that cannabis users are not more creative because of cannabis. Rather, people with more open, creative personalities may be drawn to cannabis use. The creativity is an artifact of personality, not a product of the drug.
Key Numbers
412 sober cannabis users vs. 309 non-users. Cannabis users scored higher on openness to experience, self-reported creativity, and convergent thinking. All creativity advantages disappeared when openness to experience was controlled.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study comparing 412 sober cannabis users and 309 non-users on measures of cannabis consumption, Big Five personality traits, self-reported creativity, and objective convergent thinking performance. Statistical analyses controlled for personality differences.
Why This Research Matters
The "creative stoner" is one of the most persistent cannabis stereotypes. This study provides a clean test of that idea by measuring creativity while users were sober and statistically controlling for the personality trait that actually drives the association.
The Bigger Picture
This study illustrates a common research pitfall: confusing correlation with causation. Many perceived effects of cannabis may actually reflect the characteristics of people who choose to use it. Understanding this distinction is essential for accurate public health messaging.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot definitively establish the direction of causation (openness leading to cannabis use vs. cannabis use enhancing openness). The study tested convergent thinking but not divergent thinking (generating multiple novel ideas), which is another important creativity dimension. All testing was done while sober, so acute cannabis effects on creativity were not assessed.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does cannabis enhance divergent thinking (idea generation) even if convergent thinking advantages are personality-driven?
- ?Could long-term cannabis use actually increase openness to experience over time?
- ?Does cannabis alter creative processes in the moment, even if baseline creativity is personality-driven?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis users' creativity advantage disappeared entirely when personality was controlled
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional study with appropriate statistical controls. Preliminary because it does not experimentally test whether cannabis causes or changes creativity.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2017.
- Original Title:
- Inspired by Mary Jane? Mechanisms underlying enhanced creativity in cannabis users.
- Published In:
- Consciousness and cognition, 56, 68-76 (2017)
- Authors:
- LaFrance, Emily M(3), Cuttler, Carrie(13)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01424
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis make you more creative?
This study suggests the "creative cannabis user" is a myth. Cannabis users did score higher on creativity measures, but this was entirely explained by their personality trait of openness to experience. More open, creative people may simply be more likely to use cannabis.
What is openness to experience?
It is one of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by curiosity, imagination, appreciation for art, and willingness to try new things. Cannabis users in this study scored significantly higher on this trait, which fully accounted for their apparent creativity advantage.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01424APA
LaFrance, Emily M; Cuttler, Carrie. (2017). Inspired by Mary Jane? Mechanisms underlying enhanced creativity in cannabis users.. Consciousness and cognition, 56, 68-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2017.10.009
MLA
LaFrance, Emily M, et al. "Inspired by Mary Jane? Mechanisms underlying enhanced creativity in cannabis users.." Consciousness and cognition, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2017.10.009
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Inspired by Mary Jane? Mechanisms underlying enhanced creati..." RTHC-01424. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/lafrance-2017-inspired-by-mary-jane
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.