Puffin is New Brunswick’s premier adult-use recreational cannabis dispensary, offering an elevated way to experience calm, good energy, and balance. Puffin is a dispensary located near Rutgers University and landmarks such as Robert Wood Johnson and Johnson & Johnson.

Throughout our time serving our surrounding community, we’ve witnessed a universal truth about cannabis firsthand. Namely, cannabis is inextricably linked with creativity and art.

Let’s cut to the chase–there’s enough iconic imagery telling the story.

Posters of musicians like Hendrix, Marley, and Snoop Dogg with burning joints hanging from their mouths live indelibly in our minds. Yet, music isn’t the only artistic pursuit cannabis enhances–it extends to visual mediums and other abstract concepts.

Read on as we guide you through how cannabis can enhance the artistic experience.

The Science Behind Cannabis And Creativity

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. It triggers a dopamine release in the striatum. This component of the brain directly impacts creative activities like writing [1].

Another way to assess cannabis and creativity is its impact on our mood, bringing users to a more relaxed and positive emotional place. Thus, those partaking in cannabis might find their creativity bolstered, according to research from Harvard Business Review [2].

It’s not necessarily that your ideas will be better. Cannabis won’t magically turn you into Picasso, Jimi Hendrix, or Jack Kerouac. Instead, it chills you out to the point of reducing your inhibitions, encouraging you to think more creatively.

Cannabis Use And Creativity: Strains For Artistic Inspiration

Typically, sativa-dominant strains are most associated with unblocking creativity and helping users conjure fresh ideas.

According to some sources, sativa strains enable users to think divergently instead of linearly and logically. Your thoughts theoretically become more abstract and open and are conducive to brainstorming outside-the-box ideas that otherwise wouldn’t enter one’s mind [3].

One such strain is the Road Tripper KY Jealous Flower. Its uplifting effects and relaxation heighten focus and increase euphoria, all contributing to creative thinking and unique ideas.

Let’s get more specific with creative endeavors.

Verano Reserve Grape Bubblegum Flower strains lend themselves to writing due to their propensity for cerebral elevation and flexible thought. Really, though, these characteristics can lend themselves to any artistic endeavor, from sculpting to painting and graphic design. Limonese terpenes provide elevated mood and anti-anxiety properties. You can also filter the Puffin menu under Effects to find strains that give you the feelings of creativity. (This LINK should take you to filtered creativity results on our menu.)

Consumption Methods For Creative Expression

How you consume cannabis will impact your resulting creative expression. Smoking flower in a joint will inspire you almost immediately. Bongs will undoubtedly be more intense because of bigger tokes, which could discombobulate and halt your idea output. Of course, it depends on your tolerance levels.

Vaporizing is more controlled and precise. This can vibe with some cannabis enthusiasts who need to feel a bit more in control, but those who prefer a bit more chaos might not respond as well to vaping as they would smoking.

Edibles are ideal for marathon creative sessions. At first, they can hit hard and be overwhelming, veering you off course (depending on your dosage). Still, eventually, you’ll settle in and hit the ground running with uninhibited creative expression.

Exploring Different Art Forms

Painting and drawing under the influence will inevitably lead to you experimenting with different colors and techniques. You’ll make connections you previously never made and have abstract ideas that yield previously untapped results.

The same notion applies to sculpting and other hands-on mediums. You’ll be more attuned to tactile sensations, generating exciting results you never thought you’d achieve.

Cannabis and music almost go hand in hand. Cannabis alters our timing and affects the pleasure centers of our brains. Thus, it makes our interactions with music more complex, whether listening, playing an instrument, singing, or performing dance movements [4].

We’ve already spoken about cannabis’s impact on writing. Since sativa strains open our minds, it is likelier for us to experiment with and appreciate different styles and genres. Poets and songwriters might be more inclined to write novels, and vice versa, for instance.

Tips For Creative Cannabis Use

There’s one universal tip that will help you optimize your creative cannabis usage: Know your limits.

Those new to cannabis should start low and steadily increase their dosage until they find their optimal amount. Having too much, too fast, will send you into a state of anxious panic or lock you to your couch. It won’t spearhead creativity as it should.

Also, be mindful that some strains and dosages can get you thinking creatively. But you also need to maintain your focus.

All the outside-the-box thinking in the world won’t amount to anything if you can’t get pen to paper. Ensure the cannabis you consume won’t be too distracting and destabilizing.

Personal Stories Of Creativity And Cannabis

Seth Rogan, one of the quintessential comedy writers and cannabis advocates of our times, is known for continued cannabis use while on the job [5].

You could probably count on your fingers the number of musicians who don’t partake in cannabis. It’s hard to say whether cannabis directly impacts their creativity. However, would–say–Snoop Dogg be the D-O-Double-G we’ve come to know and love if he wasn’t so influenced by cannabis culture?

Preeminent, revolutionary artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvadore Dali were also known to partake in cannabis. The same goes for Oscar Wilde and many more [6].

We can’t say cannabis is the reason these people are or were artists. We can say there’s a link between cannabis, artistry, and creativity.

Responsible Consumption And Legal Considerations

Cannabis is a beautiful way to tap into your more creative lines of thinking.

Nevertheless, there remains the need to stay responsible with your usage. That means not overdoing it and never operating a vehicle or heavy machinery under the influence.

Also, be aware of New Jersey’s state regulations for cannabis.

Yes, adult-use cannabis is legal in the state, but it’s illegal on the federal level. So, knowing the various laws and their intricacies is crucial to staying out of trouble and creating a safe and legal environment.

Conclusion On Cannabis Use And Creativity

Will cannabis turn you into the next Picasso or Jimi Hendrix? Not necessarily. However, the effects of various sativa and hybrid strains can relax and un-inhibit your mind, unlocking creative thoughts you previously never could have accessed.

Explore your creative expressions (responsibly and mindfully) by navigating the vast cannabis menu at Puffin Store NJ.

Sources

1. https://examine.com/articles/does-marijuana-actually-boost-creativity/#:~:text=The%20main%20psychoactive%20ingredient%20of,writing%20(and%20also%20addiction).
2. https://hbr.org/2022/10/research-does-cannabis-really-make-you-more-creative
3. https://getgoodtree.com/sativa-effects-for-creative-thinkers/#:~:text=Sativa%20Effects%20for%20Boosting%20Creativity&text=Instead%20of%20thinking%20logically%2C%20they,not%20otherwise%20come%20to%20mind.
4. https://solisbetter.com/8-ways-cannabis-makes-music-better/#:~:text=One%20theory%20goes%20that%20since,a%20note%20by%20note%20experience.
5. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/seth-rogen-weed-wife-interview-podcast-b2298223.html
6. https://www.missourimarijuanacard.com/post/did-you-know-these-artistic-geniuses-used-cannabis