Study: Cannabis makes people better by increasing empathy and feelings of selflessness

Through Nina Zdinjak

Does cannabis make people better? A new study titled “Cannabis Consumption and Prosociality” published in Scientific Reports claims so.

Researchers from the University of New Mexico analyzed the psychological characteristics of healthy college students under the influence of THC. It found that young adults who had recently used marijuana had better scores on standardized measures of prosocial behavior, empathy, and moral decision-making based on principles of ensuring harmlessness and a sense of fairness. The study is among the first to show the benefits of cannabis on psychosocial functioning in young adults.

It is also important to note that the research found no differences when measuring anger, hostility, interpretation of face threats, trust in others, the other four remaining personality dimensions (extraversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness), and moral choices. Manufacture based on principles of respect for authority and upholding the concept of purity.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

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“Most research on the effects of cannabis use has either focused on the negative consequences of cannabis addiction or on the physical health effects of cannabis use,” said senior researcher and assistant professor Jacob Miguel Vigil of UNM’s Department of Psychology. “Almost no formal scientific attention has been devoted to understanding other psychological and behavioral effects of consuming the plant, despite its widespread use throughout human history.”

According to recent discoveries, marijuana can bring about changes in self-centered concepts and increase a sense of selflessness.

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Importantly, the study also showed that these effects are transient, considering the differences between marijuana users and non-users are related to the length of time since participants last used marijuana.

Vigil concluded by emphasizing the importance of prosociality and empathy: “Prosociality is essential to the cohesion and vitality of society as a whole, and therefore the effects of cannabis on our interpersonal interactions may ultimately prove even more important to societal well-being than its medical ones effects.”

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.