Cannabis Boosted Creative Thinking in Less Creative People but Also Increased Psychosis-Like Symptoms
Cannabis acutely improved verbal fluency in people with low baseline creativity, bringing them up to the level of highly creative individuals, while simultaneously increasing psychosis-like experiences in both groups.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers tested 160 cannabis users on two separate days: once sober and once intoxicated. Participants were divided into high and low trait creativity groups. When intoxicated, those with low baseline creativity showed significant improvement in verbal fluency, a key measure of divergent thinking, reaching levels comparable to the high-creativity group.
Cannabis also increased psychosis-like symptoms (state schizotypy) in both groups, and the high-creativity group had significantly higher trait schizotypy overall. However, the creativity boost and the psychosis-like symptoms did not appear to be directly linked to each other.
Key Numbers
160 cannabis users tested. Low creatives (n=47) showed increased verbal fluency when intoxicated. High creatives (n=43) had higher trait schizotypy. Cannabis increased state psychosis-like symptoms in both groups.
How They Did This
Within-subjects design testing 160 cannabis users on separate sober and intoxicated days. Participants smoked cannabis naturalistically (their own supply). State and trait measures of schizotypy and creativity were administered. Quartile splits compared those lowest (n=47) and highest (n=43) in trait creativity.
Why This Research Matters
The stereotype that cannabis enhances creativity has persisted for decades. This study provides nuanced evidence: cannabis may help less creative individuals generate more ideas, but it does not appear to boost creativity in those who are already highly creative. The simultaneous increase in psychosis-like symptoms adds an important caveat.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that cannabis levels the creative playing field, boosting low creatives without improving high creatives, suggests the drug may reduce inhibition or increase associative thinking rather than genuinely enhancing creative capacity. The link between high creativity and schizotypy aligns with broader research connecting creativity to psychosis-spectrum traits.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Verbal fluency is only one component of creativity. Participants used their own cannabis with no standardized dosing. The naturalistic setting introduced variability in strain, potency, and consumption method. The study measured acute effects only and cannot address chronic impacts on creativity.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does the creativity boost in low creatives translate to genuinely useful creative output?
- ?Would the effect hold with standardized THC dosing?
- ?Is the link between creativity and schizotypy a risk factor for cannabis-related psychosis in creative individuals?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Low creatives matched high creatives' verbal fluency when intoxicated
- Evidence Grade:
- Within-subjects study with naturalistic cannabis use; no dose control or blinding.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2012. The relationship between cannabis, creativity, and psychosis remains actively debated.
- Original Title:
- Investigating the interaction between schizotypy, divergent thinking and cannabis use.
- Published In:
- Consciousness and cognition, 21(1), 292-8 (2012)
- Authors:
- Schafer, Gráinne, Feilding, Amanda(3), Morgan, Celia J A(10), Agathangelou, Maria, Freeman, Tom P, Valerie Curran, H
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00616
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis actually make you more creative?
This study found it depends on your baseline. People with low trait creativity showed improved verbal fluency when intoxicated, matching levels of highly creative people. But highly creative individuals showed no additional boost. Cannabis may reduce mental filters rather than genuinely enhance creative ability.
Is the creativity boost related to the psychosis-like symptoms?
Interestingly, no. While cannabis increased both verbal fluency in low creatives and psychosis-like symptoms across all participants, these two effects did not appear to be directly connected. The creativity change and the schizotypy change seem to operate through different mechanisms.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00616APA
Schafer, Gráinne; Feilding, Amanda; Morgan, Celia J A; Agathangelou, Maria; Freeman, Tom P; Valerie Curran, H. (2012). Investigating the interaction between schizotypy, divergent thinking and cannabis use.. Consciousness and cognition, 21(1), 292-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2011.11.009
MLA
Schafer, Gráinne, et al. "Investigating the interaction between schizotypy, divergent thinking and cannabis use.." Consciousness and cognition, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2011.11.009
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Investigating the interaction between schizotypy, divergent ..." RTHC-00616. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/schafer-2012-investigating-the-interaction-between
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.