MMJ: High Art

Does cannabis really make you more creative? -Tab U. La Raza

Yes. Um, unless it doesn’t. For every Steve Jobs (“The best way I would describe the effect of the marijuana is that it would make me relaxed and creative”) or Lady Gaga (“I smoke a lot of pot when I write music”), there’s a Salvador Dali (“I don’t do drugs. I AM DRUGS.”).

Some people feel more creative after smoking a joint, that’s for sure. In general, cannabis removes mental barriers (like self-consciousness) to being creative and can create a state of “micro-focus,” allowing someone to hone in on a particular task for however long it takes. It may not be that cannabis makes someone more creative, but that cannabis brings creativity to the forefront. Think about the crazy-ass snacks stoners create when they are the grip of the serious munchies. It’s not that making a sandwich out of toaster waffles, bacon, honey, semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter is outlandish, it’s that cannabis allowed you to make that sandwich with no fear.

Back in the day, alcoholic writers used to say, “Write drunk. Edit sober.” Change “drunk” to “high” and it still makes sense.

What are some fun ways to enjoy cannabis and art? -Van Gozeer

Hit all the museums! Seriously. Get high and go. To the Monterey Museum of Art, Dali17, the Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, whatever. Hit up First Friday in Pacific Grove or Salinas and check out the art galleries. Read all the tiny notecards and examine every inch of a sculpture.

Or get high and watch Bob Ross. Smoke a jay and play with clay or have a jam session at your house. Get high and go to a comedy show or learn to do papier-mache. The possibilities are endless. Weed and art go together like… weed and art.

I want to grow weed. How do I get started learning the art of cannabis cultivation? -Greg Ormendel

Grow some plants. That the best way. You can read books – Jorge Cervantes and Ed Rosenthal have written good ones – but the best way is to set up a garden. Start small. Cannabis is easy to grow, but it requires a daily commitment. Blue Dream and Odyssey are easy to grow. Once you have a few good grows under your belt, expand your garden. Have fun.