Research: Does Cannabis Really Make You More Creative?

As more and more countries and states legalize recreational marijuana use, organizations may increasingly find themselves tasked with understanding and addressing the impact of weed in the workplace. In particular, many celebrities have suggested that cannabis has aided in their creative pursuits — but the authors’ recent research suggests that while weed can make you think your ideas are more creative, it doesn’t actually have any impact on your ability to come up with objectively creative ideas. As such, the authors argue that at least when it comes to roles that require clear-eyed evaluation of creative options, organizations may stand to benefit from implementing policies that respect personal freedom while encouraging employees to stay sober. That said, given the finding that cannabis use had no significant impact on actual creativity, the authors also suggest that for certain roles, prohibiting pot may be an unnecessary infringement on workers’ lives. Ultimately, it’s up to managers to ensure that their decisions and rules related to workplace cannabis use are informed not by pop culture or out-of-date assumptions, but by the latest developments in this nascent scientific field.