Cannabis and Music: Your Perfect Combo

By Mitch Rice

Cannabis is known for its many effects on the human psyche, one of which is a creativity boost. Probably that’s the reason for an intimate relationship between weed and music, instilled in literally every modern music genre. 

Stoners report that weed makes any music sound much better, and the esthetic pleasure of listening to music, from jazz to hard rock, increases manifold. So, what’s the reason for such an association, and is there any scientific evidence for the weed’s positive impact on our creative juices? Let’s figure it out. 

Weed as a Creativity Booster 

Cannabis has been popular among creatives because of its well-known effect on the human brain. THC slows down the human thinking processes and reactions, thus helping to open the artist’s mind and step over the threshold of their creative potential. Many musicians confess to creating their hits while high, as they could never come up with similarly great ideas in a sober state. 

However, you should always remember that only a properly chosen strain can guarantee the expected effect. You can end up with a frustrating couch-locking outcome if you smoke a joint without checking the components. Expert stoners recommend using the following strains for enhanced creativity: 

These strains possess a proper balance of THC and CBD to give you a creative drive and relaxation without sleepiness. 

What to Listen to When High? 

It is false to think that stoners listen only to music that celebrates weed or talks about it. Cannabis actually works well with any music due to its universal creativity-enhancement and elevated sensation effect. The top-recommended stoner music includes: 

  • The Bitches Brew album of Miles Davis (1969) – the wild jazz improvisations coupled with slowed moments will give you unrivaled esthetic pleasure. 
  • Revolver by the Beatles – seemingly fun and innocent rock’n’roll is actually pot music. 
  • Snoop Dogg’s songs – actually, all of them, as this hip-hop icon has been firmly associated with weed in everything he does. 
  • Sky Blue Sky by Wilco – the album will give you a nostalgic feel of the 70s’ classic rock tradition.  
  • Os Mutantes by Os Mutantes – the sweet combination of Brazilian pop and Anglo-American rock sounds way greater when you’re high. 
  • Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde by Pharcyde – the 1992 album offers a lighter, jazzier version of gangsta rap to take you on a ride from one weed love song to another. 

Overall, there’s much more to choose from when you’re high and want a musical adventure. It all depends on your music preferences and style; any music sounds better after a joint or two due to the cannabinoids’ effect on your reaction, tracking of time, and sensory perception. 

Marijuana in the Music Tradition 

It’s hard to imagine the majority of modern music genres without weed, as many celebrities, ranging from Snoop Dogg to Lady Gaga, have confessed to their love of marijuana in this or that way. Cannabis has been popular among musicians and artists for many decades regardless of its dubious legal status, so we can find tons of weed traces in modern songs. 

  • Jazz. The history of weed in music started a century ago, with Louis Armstrong naming his 1928 instrumental track “Muggles” – one of the many slang names for cannabis. Armstrong was a regular weed user and advocate, and joints named “jazz cigarettes” were sold in jazz clubs in the 1920s, giving weed a popular (though unfavorable) association with Black culture. 
  • Hard rock. From Black Sabbath’s 1971 song “Sweet Leaf” to Sleep’s Dopesmoker, released in 1996, there is a heavy presence of cannabis in heavy metal and rock songs. There is even a separate “stoner rock” subgenre within the rock tradition, meant for stoners to ooze out with the slow, heavy guitar sequences. 
  • Hip-hop. Another predominantly Black music style, hip-hop has also become closely associated with weed. Here, the top representatives are Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, whose influence on the legalization debate was pronounced. 
  • Country music. There are many fans of weed among country musicians. The most famous examples are Willie Nelson (his song “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” is a sincere love confession to marijuana) and Kacey Musgraves. 

What Does Science Say? 

Science is pretty positive about the influence of weed on human music perception and the ability to create music. Here are some studies investigating that relationship: 

  • Daher pointed out that THC disrupts the short-term memory of stoners, thus allowing them to immerse into the music fully. 
  • Freeman et al. discovered that cannabis dampened the effects of music in brain regions sensitive to reward and emotion. 
  • Fachner found cannabis-induced alteration of music perception in participants’ EEG images, concluding that weed can function as a hearing aid. 

These studies suggest that weed causes physiological changes in the stoners’ reaction to music. That’s what they love weed for and what probably makes many of them combine music and smoking on a regular basis. 

Safety First 

As you can see, music indeed goes much better with weed, enabling you to notice subtle compositional elements you would otherwise overlook. It also helps distinguish every separate instrument, thus expanding your musical experiences. However, you need to take care of safety first. We recommend not mixing weed with alcohol, as this combo can cause unwanted consequences – dizziness or vomiting. Try using weed and enjoying the music session at home or in another environment where you feel comfortable.  

Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment, medical or other purposes.

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