Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Cannabis should not dictate creativity

We+need+to+place+smokers+and+non-smokers+on+the+same+moral+ground%2C+neither+above+the+other+for+their+choices+surrounding+drugs.+Illustration+by+Ally+Rzesa+%2F+Beacon+Staff
We need to place smokers and non-smokers on the same moral ground, neither above the other for their choices surrounding drugs. Illustration by Ally Rzesa / Beacon Staff

In my first literature course at Emerson, I read a beautiful poem by one of my classmates that impressed and moved me. When I told them how much I loved reading it, they informed me they always write better when they’re high, because that’s when they’re at their most creative. I walked away from that encounter, one of my first experiences at this new school with another writer, feeling that none of my work would ever live up to that because I don’t smoke weed or use drugs in any form. I have faced a different kind of peer pressure to smoke at a school so centered on creativity and being open and free.

During my first few months at Emerson, I seriously considered whether I should start smoking just so I could be included in more social interactions with fun new friends, or seem more artsy and edgy to fit in at a school where smoking is part of the culture. I wondered whether more magazines would accept my poetry or if I would have qualified for the slam team if I had used drugs to write my poems. Substance abuse and creativity in the artistic community are historically very closely related—many famous musicians and artists are known for their drug use, such as Bob Dylan or the Beatles. I made my decision to stay sober years ago based on my mental health history, because I didn’t like not being in complete control of my body and mind. It scared me that I was considering reversing a major life choice just to fit in at a new school, and that this seemed like the only way to succeed.

Inadvertently, Emerson students are including drugs as an integral part of the creative process and leaving behind those who don’t want to participate in that new culture. I know and fear that in many professional artistic circles, drugs are commonplace and considered part of inspiration and creation. While I can’t do anything to change that industry standard, I can ask the Emerson community to break down the idea that drugs are necessary for creativity—not ask students to give up smoking or quit, but to end any fundamental or critical difference in how we treat smokers and non-smokers in a creative setting.  

There are numerous reports on the effects of smoking weed on artistic ability and how it affects one’s brain. A recent study from Washington State University on the relationship between cannabis and creativity found that people who used the drug tended to test as more creative and extroverted. The author of the report said in an interview that the subjects’ openness to experiences was most likely the cause for their apparent increased creativity. That is, subjects who used cannabis tested as more creative not thanks to the drug, but because those who use cannabis tend to be more open to experience in the first place. There’s been no concrete study linking the use of drugs to making people more creative.

In the Emerson community, I want to see students who don’t smoke feeling comfortable with themselves and their work and not feeling inadequate, left out, or like we need to smoke to match up to our peers. Conversely, I don’t want to see students who do smoke feeling guilty or like they should stop—because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

We need to place smokers and non-smokers on the same moral ground, neither above the other for their choices surrounding drugs. For me, this means students shouldn’t mention their state of sobriety when talking about their work altogether—you don’t need to credit your creativity to drugs because in the end you’re still the one making the art.  

 

View Comments (5)
About the Contributor
Abigail Hadfield, Deputy Copy Editor
Abigail Hadfield is a senior from the Philadelphia area who has been with The Beacon for all four years of their time at Emerson. They have served as an editor in the opinion and news sections and served as the Copy Managing Editor in fall 2019. They currently are in their second semester serving as the Deputy Copy Editor, and they plan to pursue a career in copy editing/writing after graduation in order to support their lifelong passion for creative writing. Email: [email protected]

Comments (5)

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  • M

    Memetown / Apr 1, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    There’s a lot of guilt in the writer’s voice

    Reply
  • T

    Tom Smithfield / Mar 28, 2018 at 1:55 am

    Clearly you need to hit a bong. I’ll give you na free rip

    Reply
  • R

    Rod / Mar 27, 2018 at 6:31 pm

    Your problem is that you are not a creative person, trying to be a creative person. There have been plenty of workshops that have tried to develop and foster creativity in myriad ways but the fact remains, creativity is not learned, it is something you are either born with or you are not and if you are born with it, then it can NOT be denied, it will show itself. I am an exceptionally creative individual and I use pot as an enhancement because it allows me to shut out everything else and focus. That is not something I can’t do otherwise, it is just that the pot makes it easier. In my experience creative people don’t care if smoke or not, it is only the art that counts, so if you are feeling left out, maybe it is because you don’t belong.

    Reply
    • G

      GummyBear / Mar 27, 2018 at 11:49 pm

      Fuck me but that was unnecessarily harsh.

      Reply
      • R

        Rod / Mar 28, 2018 at 4:12 pm

        I know, to some people the truth hurts but it is the truth and people who lack creativity are fooling themselves if they think they can learn to be creative. They would be far better served to find a different career.

        Reply