My personal experience, which will very likely differ from others since that's just how it seems to be with substances like cannabis:
In small to moderate quantities, it can definitely increase creativity and generally speeds up the flow of ideas. Now, many of those ideas are bad ideas, but some end up being good ones that may not have occurred to you otherwise. Consume too much at once though and it may be harder to differentiate between the good and the bad ideas, which is why it's often wise to write down what you're thinking and read it the next day when you're sober. I've done this and sometimes thought "oh wow, that's a good idea" and sometimes thought "what in the hell does this even mean / this is a terrible idea".
You will definitely lose short term attention span though, and temporarily gain symptoms similar to ADD/ADHD. You might become hyperfocused on something for a minute or 2, but your mind will quickly wander off afterwards. In small quantities this can actually work well for programming, but even moderate amounts often make it impossible for me to be productive when programming.
You may become fixated with something so you can think about it in depth sometimes in novel ways. You can't be programming stoned or your code will suffer, it's more for relaxing/exploratory. Now I know some people program under the influence but it has never worked for me.
I think it changes from person to person. I have friends who get much more work done when stoned. If I am I can't get a single thing done and just zone out all the time.
I think it's mostly a placebo effect, plus the whole cultural heritage. Much like alcool, we give ourself permission to be more daring and out of the box.
Think about tea: when we drink it, we don't do it just for the flavor, but the "relaxing experience" label attached to it. We think of asian monasteries or comfy London cafè, nature and meditation. We want to shape the experience in the same way that it's sold to us.
Cannabis means peace, nature, harmony, media representation of the "trip", enlightenment. Also, creativity.
While there is a placebo effect, when it comes to substances like cannabis you can experience serious temporary mind alteration if you consume enough, to a degree that is far more than a placebo ever could. Just like alcohol if you drink enough of it.
So, I disagree with you quite a bit here. Your mind will pump out ideas at a much faster rate when you consume a sufficient quantity of cannabis. Many of these ideas may be awful, but it's an experience shared by millions of people. Your mind begins to freely associate things haphazardly.
I would say that it, induces creativity because it forces you into a different mindset. Even if it is a placebo for general creativity, it still puts you into a different state of mind which can change the way you approach things. Whether your are more creative or not you will approach issues differently.
You're (admittedly) just making this shit up. Why would you pretend to have a useful opinion when you have absolutely zero experience? It's just weird.
Most tea contains caffeine which is a psychoactive drug. Caffeine is absorbed into your bloodstream and crosses into your brain. It gets you high.
I'm not making "shit up", it's called an opinion and you should respect it. I said "mostly" and I also wrote "There's something about it that is indeed relaxing". However:
"Does using it actually enhances focus and creativity?" My answer is a definitive NO, and I described a better alternative. I see people trying it because they believe they'll become creative geniuses and it's just delusional. There's no magic trick for getting more focused and creative except practice and consistency.
Yes you are. Unless you're citing scientific studies you can not possibly be drawing on your own declared lack of experience.
> it's called an opinion and you should respect it
Nothing here is "called an opinion". You should probably stop using that phrase because it's ridiculous. I'm showing you respect by pointing out that you're wrong. If you don't like my choice of words then perhaps you should question your own.
> "Does using it actually enhances focus and creativity?" My answer is a definitive NO, and I described a better alternative.
The idea that you would attempt to answer this question based on zero experience is hilarious. That you would take an authoritative tone makes you a bit of an idiot.
> Unless you're citing scientific studies you can not possibly be drawing on your own declared lack of experience.
what does "drawing on your own declared lack of experience" even mean? how do you draw on a lack of experience, exactly? is this some sort of allusion to necessity driving invention?
also, if he was "citing scientific studies" would he then necessarily be "drawing on his own experience"? aren't the two distinct things?
> Nothing here is "called an opinion". You should probably stop using that phrase because it's ridiculous. I'm showing you respect by pointing out that you're wrong.
of course it's an opinion, it's very clearly one. it's staggeringly obvious. what is the point of your belligerent idiocy? are you pissing yourself over particular phrasing?
> The idea that you would attempt to answer this question based on zero experience is hilarious. That you would take an authoritative tone makes you a bit of an idiot.
what's rather amusing in this tirade is that you completely fail to understand the implications of "placebo" in the context of "experience". just because you "experience" something, does not make you an authority, precisely because of (among other things) the placebo effect.
I see I attracted a lot of negative attention. It's not safe to share certain experiences on the Internet, thus the warning at the beginning of the post.
I've also seen other people using it and my response is genuine. I don't think that the substance will help the user on the long run and I find meditation a much better alternative.
I'm a virgin but I've seen other people experience problems as a result of sexual relations. I can definitively say sex is NOT worth the trouble! Just meditate guys!
You're associating the pleasure of sex with your argument, while inferring mine as the "not fun" alternative. Please refrain from such car-salesman-tricks.
I see you're really just a troll and you're picking on me. If you believe the guy should get incredibly high to get work done, fine. Let him try one way, then the other. Or a mix of both.
I'm telling you what I'd tell you in person. That your view point is ridiculous. Probably for your benefit alone. I admit it's hard to see that my tone is not all that serious.
Mostly. There's something about the cannabis that is indeed relaxing, but you shouldn't rely too much on external sources, no matter the benefits. You will start to think that your creativity only comes from such dependency. Give a try to meditation and mindfullness – there are many kinds and one will surely fit your needs. Meditation is placebo to an extent, but it comes from you (no external sources), it can be done anywhere and it makes you more aware of yourself. Everyone I know that started practicing self-awareness is happier, more creative AND more disciplined.
In small to moderate quantities, it can definitely increase creativity and generally speeds up the flow of ideas. Now, many of those ideas are bad ideas, but some end up being good ones that may not have occurred to you otherwise. Consume too much at once though and it may be harder to differentiate between the good and the bad ideas, which is why it's often wise to write down what you're thinking and read it the next day when you're sober. I've done this and sometimes thought "oh wow, that's a good idea" and sometimes thought "what in the hell does this even mean / this is a terrible idea".
You will definitely lose short term attention span though, and temporarily gain symptoms similar to ADD/ADHD. You might become hyperfocused on something for a minute or 2, but your mind will quickly wander off afterwards. In small quantities this can actually work well for programming, but even moderate amounts often make it impossible for me to be productive when programming.