New Study Finds: What Concert Goers Have Known Since the 60s, Cannabis Enhances Enjoyment Of Music

A new academic study created by Lena Darakjian, Harley Glassman, Chi Yhun Lo, Frank A. Russo, via Toronto Metropolitan University confirms what musical legend
Jerry Garcia, Bob Marley and others told society in 1960's the lesson of Woodstock and the hippie generation is that cannabis enhances the enjoyment of music. 

The released new study indicates that marijuana can make music more enjoyable, concluding that “the impact of cannabis on the auditory experience may be overall enhanced” compared to sober listening.

Authors, from Toronto Metropolitan University, wrote in a release that the research “highlights the profound yet idiosyncratic effects of cannabis on auditory experiences among experienced recreational cannabis users.”

Participants reported changes to cognitive processing, noting altered attentiveness, absorption, interpretation of lyrics, memory, and critical analysis. Participants commonly reported drawing greater attention to auditory stimuli, such as music, while high.

“When I’m not high, I just don’t pay enough attention to the music, it’s like… background noise. Compared to when I am high… it’s like that’s the only thing I am focused on,” one participant noted.

However, some participants noted that cannabis occasionally caused difficulties in allocation attention, particularly in aurally overstimulating environments such as concerts.

Participants also reported feelings of absorption or immersion in the music that was intensified while high, aligning with the previously mentioned heightened state of sustained attention.

“If I’m sober, I don’t just listen to music and not do anything else. But when I’m high, I can definitely lie down and listen to music for a while...” reported another participant. 

Participants frequently reported variations in auditory perception, such as enhanced hearing sensitivity, new sound perspectives, and changes in audiovisual perception, rhythm, and timing. They described increased awareness and sensitivity of sounds and volumes, even when the set volume of the music remained unchanged.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first mixed-methods retrospective examination of the influence of cannabis on hearing and music.

These findings provide novel insights that highlight the numerous and significant impacts that cannabis imparts on the auditory experiences of recreational cannabis users. The quantitative analysis determined that participants reported cannabis influenced their hearing, with significant differences in heightened auditory sensitivity (i.e., perceiving subtle changes in sounds), increased state music absorption, and a general preference for listening to music while high.

Qualitatively, the thematic analysis generated four major themes:

(1) Altered Cognitive Processes and Reinterpretations, 

(2) Auditory Perceptual Effects from New Sensations to Sensory Overload, 

(3) Emotional Openness, Sensitivity, and Regulation, and

(4) Embodiment, Immersion, and Out-of-Body Dissociation

These themes collectively highlighted a general enhancement and appreciation for music, as well as increased musical reward, such as enhanced rhythmic perception and the inclination to physically respond to rhythms

Experiences associated with each generated theme also aligned with the music-related reward dimensions outlined in the extended Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (eBMRQ): musical seeking, emotion evocation, mood regulation, social reward, sensory-motor, and absorption. However, it is important to note there was considerable individual variability in cannabis experiences. For instance, some participants may have experienced sensory overload, while others reported clarity of auditory stream segments while high.

Per the study, there was a strong preference for listening to music while high, with most participants reporting frequent cannabis use in conjunction with music, highlighting the habitual nature of this pairing.

Further, participants preferred listening to music while high compared to when sober, underscoring the perceived enhancement and enjoyment of music experiences in the context of cannabis use. 

Contrary to their hypothesis, Freeman et al. (2018) found that cannabis without cannabidiol decreased hemodynamic responses to music in the auditory cortices, and brain regions linked to memory, emotion, and reward while listening to classical music across their young adult cohort

The findings from the present study indicate that classical music was one of the less preferred genres among this age group. This preference might explain the lack of enhanced reward pathways, suggesting that classical music may not be as rewarding regardless of one’s state of consciousness.

Individuals preferred specific types of music to better align with their mood or desired ambiance while high. For instance, there was a greater preference among the interviewed participants for relaxed genres (i.e., smooth jazz or reggae), when in a relaxed state to emotionally regulate mood

Individuals also preferred music rich in bass to enhance vibrotactile sensations and embodiment to reach a desired sensory experience.

Ultimately, the choice of music while high involves several considerations such as strategic selection of music to align with the desired mood, ambiance, or experience.

Heightened emotional sensitivity was a commonly reported experience when pairing music and cannabis. Music independently is known to elicit genuine emotional responses in listeners, intensifying pre-existing emotions such as happiness or sadness (Lundqvist et al., 2009).

While emotional responses to cannabis use include elevated hostility, lack of responsiveness to emotional stimuli, and difficulties with accuracy and response time when identifying and differentiating between emotions (MacKenzie & Cservenka, 2023).

Emotional responses while high and listening to music ranged from nostalgia and happiness to sadness and anxiety, per the study. 

Although many of these emotional responses were positive, such as relaxation, some experiences brought up recollections of past negative experiences and the emotions experienced with them. Other negative emotional experiences also translated into behavioural responses such as crying and intense levels of anxiety that prevented dancing or responding to music as was typical.

The study hypothesized, that in the context of cannabis, music, and emotion, a super additive effect may occur, where the combination of cannabis and music results in a more intense emotional sensory experience than either would produce independently.

In conclusion, this study highlighted the profound yet idiosyncratic effects of cannabis on auditory experiences among experienced recreational cannabis users. According to the study summary, mixed-methods approach allowed for a comprehensive exploration for both depth and breadth in understanding how cannabis influences auditory experiences. It provides a nuanced understanding of how cannabis alters cognitive processes, perceptual sensations, emotional responses, and embodied experiences related to audition. These results indicate that the impact of cannabis on the auditory experience may be overall enhanced which warrants further exploration through experimental studies. These findings provide a framework to further explore the complex relationship between cannabis, hearing, and music.

Thus the wisdom of Jerry Garcia, Bob Marley and others is now supported by academic research, music andcannabis are a natural mix. 

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