Does Weed Really Make Music Sound Better? Science Has Answers

Researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University confirmed something we all already knew and did not need research to confirm but I guess it is nice anyway: Music sounds better when you’re high.

In a paper titled “Exploring the interaction between cannabis, hearing, and music,” the researchers found that people experience significant changes in their perception and cognitive engagement with music when they are high on weed as opposed to sober. 

Through surveys and several interviews with 104 participants, the researchers narrowed down four aspects of the music-listening experience that were altered when people were under the influence of cannabis: 

• Altered Cognitive Processes and Reinterpretations
• Auditory Perceptual Effects
• Emotional Openness and Sensitivity
• Embodiment and Immersion.

When you read the results, it almost sounds like marijuana gives you music-specific superpowers. Half of the participants said they could hear the music better when they were high. A lot of them experienced a deeper connection to the music as the weed allowed them to focus more deeply on the rhythms and lyrics.

One person said, “When I’m not high, I just don’t pay enough attention to the music; it’s like background noise. When I am high, it’s the only thing I am focused on.”

That unnamed participant basically stated the conclusion of the study: cannabis creates a more immersive listening experience that leads to deeper cognitive and emotional engagement with music. 

The influence of marijuana not only brings people more deeply into the nuances of a track but allows for a critical analysis of music and helps trigger nostalgic memories people might have with a song, the researchers noted.

There’s some variance in the intensity of all of these effects from one participant to another, they said. Some study participants said their cognitive and emotional awareness of the music was enhanced pleasantly, while others said being high created a sense of sensory overload that felt overwhelming.  

Ultimately, the research didn’t really say anything we didn’t already know, but it’s nice to get specific minute details of the different ways people interpret art under mind-altering chemicals. 

The ultimate lesson of the research is that when you’re all done with your responsibilities for the day, go ahead and spark up a bowl and throw on your favorite tunes to immerse yourself within the hypnotic rhythms so you can experience your favorite songs.