Does music sound better when you’re high? There’s a new study.
Even a little bit of cannabis can make even the most familiar songs sound better. Is this true or some kind of related or placebo effect? That’s what researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University wanted to find out.
In had had to be one more fun research projects, TMU people connected with a legal Toronto cannabis lounge called Club Lit for work at the university’s SMART (Science of Music, Auditory Research, and Technology) Lab. I quote director Frank Russo (via NOW): “I am particularly interested in the concept of absorption in music and to see how it might be altered while under the influence. Looking ahead, I can see how this might even open new avenues of research on music-based treatments for mental health.”
So does getting high affect your enjoyment of music? Does it impact on your musical taste? Does it help us become more immersed in music?
Many people will answer with a “duh.” Cannabis has been used for centuries to enhance perception of things like music. But what’s the scientific explanation behind it? And for consumers, what’s the optimum level of high for maximum enjoyment?
I’ve previously read that the caudate, the part of the brain that helps us anticipate the future, has its capabilities suppressed by cannabis. This means that even though we may have heard a favourite song a billion times, cannabis turns every note into a delightful surprise. That feels good.
The official title if the study is The Soundtrack of Cannabis. The world awaits its findings.
