David Bienenstock
Researchers from University College London published a paper entitled “Hyper-Priming in Cannabis Users” in 2010, which shows that consuming cannabis helps the human mind connect seemingly unrelated concepts more quickly and efficiently—the exact kind of thinking associated with heightened imagination, innovation, and creativity.
So you don’t just feel more creative when you’re stoned, you are more creative—at least potentially. But don’t take my word for it, here’s what famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan had to say on the subject:
There is a myth about [cannabis] highs: The user has an illusion of great insight, but it does not survive scrutiny in the morning. I am convinced that this is an error, and that the devastating insights achieved when high are real insights.
While the hyper-priming study only focuses on the way cannabis promotes creativity in a single individual, it’s certainly worth exploring how the heightened state engendered by the herb affects a group of artists and innovators when they all indulge and interact with each other.