Cannabis and Ecstasy/MDMA: Empirical Measures of Creativity in Recreational Users
Katy A. Jones, Mark Blagrove, A. C. Parrott
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs December 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2009.10399769 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | Abstinent cannabis users, abstinent Ecstasy users, and nondrug-user controls |
| Topics | Cannabis MDMA |
| Citations | 41 |
| Key findings | Cannabis users had significantly more rare-creative responses than controls, while Ecstasy users showed no behavioral differences but a borderline trend toward higher self-rated creativity. |
Abstract
This study investigated the associations between chronic cannabis and Ecstasy/MDMA use and one objective and two subjective measure of creativity. Fifteen abstinent Ecstasy users, 15 abstinent cannabis users, and 15 nondrug-user controls, completed three measures of creativity: the Consequences behavioral test of creativity, self-assessed performance on the Consequences test, and Gough's Trait Self-Report Creative Adjective Checklist. The Consequences test involved five scenarios where possible consequences had to be devised; scoring was conducted by the standard blind rating (by two independent judges) for "remoteness" and "rarity," and by a frequency and rarity of responses method. Cannabis users had significantly more "rare-creative" responses than controls (Tukey, p < 0.05); this effect remained significant with gender as a covariate. There were no significant differences between the groups on the number of standard scoring "remote-creative" ideas or for fluency of responses. On self-rated creativity, there was a significant ANOVA group difference (p < 0.05), with Ecstasy users tending to rate their answers as more creative than controls (Tukey comparison; p = 0.058, two-tailed). Ecstasy users did not differ from controls on the behavioral measures of creativity, although there was a borderline trend for self-assessment of greater creativity. Cannabis users produced significantly more "rare-creative" responses, but did not rate themselves as more creative.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Enhancement of Creative Expression and Entoptic Phenomena as After-Effects of Repeated Ayahuasca Ceremonies Journal of Psychoactive Drugs July 1, 2012
- Restructuring consciousness –the psychedelic state in light of integrated information theory Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 12, 2015
- The Associations of Naturalistic Classic Psychedelic Use, Mystical Experience, and Creative Problem Solving Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 8, 2016
- Head in the clouds? Cannabis users' creativity in new venture ideation depends on their entrepreneurial passion and experience March 1, 2021
- A Qualitative Study on the Effects of Psychoactive Substance use upon Artistic Creativity. Substance Use & Misuse July 3, 2018
Cites 6
- Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- MDMA in humans: factors which affect the neuropsychobiological profiles of recreational ecstasy users, the integrative role of bioenergetic stress Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
- Is it time to revisit the role of psychedelic drugs in enhancing human creativity? Journal of Psychopharmacology February 28, 2008
- Breakdown or Breakthrough? A History of European Research into Drugs and Creativity The Journal of Creative Behavior December 1, 1999
- LSD and Creativity Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
and 1 more in the library