Best weed strains for creativity

Cannabis has been used to inspire creativity and artistic endeavors for centuries — from celebrated storytellers like Shakespeare to modern-day artists, musicians, and creative visionaries, countless creators have found inspiration in the culturally iconic herb. But some weed strains are better than others for fueling a creative spark. If you’re interested in using cannabis to inspire your unique creative endeavors, the best strains for creativity are ones with energetic and mood-boosting effects that encourage the mind to flow freely. 

Contemporary artist Pierre Schmidt openly commends cannabis for inspiring the surreal fragments of the cosmic-like reality he creates. Reggae music legend Bob Marley was rarely seen not smoking ganja. Steve Jobs once said that the best way he’d “describe the effect of the marijuana and the hashish is that it would make me relaxed and creative." If you’re curious about using cannabis to tap into your own artistic energy, you’ll find the very best strains for creativity below.

Whether you’re into zesty sativa strains, happy hybrids, or relaxing indica varieties, the following curated list contains a little something from each category and are all known for their ability to enhance creativity. 

Zoomiez

Zoomiez is a sativa dominant hybrid that delivers an uplifting and energizing happy head high known to inspire creative expression. This Crescendo and Biscotti Gushers cross that contains a gorgeous lemony pine flavor with distinctive diesel, fuel-like notes produces creative flow and uplifting effects medical cannabis patients say help alleviate fatigue, stress, and depression. 

Dream Queen 

Dream Queen is a Cali-bred sativa dominant hybrid with an artistic energy that will make you feel like creative royalty. This rich, earthy flavored strain that blends subtle notes of sage and woody tar produces a soaring cerebral euphoria that boosts happiness and stimulates a creative spirit. This fabulously focused experience eventually becomes a super chill body high, where you’ll find yourself hungry and happily content. This Space Queen and Blue Dream cross is commonly used medically to support appetite loss, nausea, and fatigue. 

Gary Poppins

Gary Poppins is a balanced hybrid with beautiful purple-hued buds that produces almost instantaneous euphoria. With a hugely high 27% THC average, just 1-2 hits of this diesel flavored strain with sweetly sour lemon and spicy herbal undertones delivers immediate mood-boosting effects that inspire a happy and relaxed creative vibe that isn’t at all sedating. Its high potency makes it best saved for experienced canna consumers and medical patients interested in supporting chronic pain, nausea, lack of appetite, and stress.  

Khalifa Kush 

Khalifa Kush is perfect for indica fans interested in the best strains for creativity. This strongly indica-dominant hybrid is an OG Kush descendent that delivers an immediate rush of creative euphoria that’s made it a fan favorite among artists and other creative types. The initial cerebral bliss this earthy pine and lemon flavored strain inspires ends in a state of relaxing calm and comfort. Medical consumers often use this popular cannabis strain to support migraines, stress, and depression. 

Goofiez

Goofiez is a heavy-hitting hybrid perfect for anyone interested in the best strains for creativity that pack a powerful punch. It’s known for producing an uplifting, happy head high that inspires creativity and focus before soon turning into a giggly, carefree, and fun experience that reflects its name. With its extremely high 30% THC average, this sweet, berry flavored strain is best for rec consumers with some experience or medical cannabis patients interested in supporting conditions that impact mood, such as stress, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Lemon Mandarin

Lemon Mandarin is a bright and sunny sativa known to deliver a rapid euphoric high that inspires high-vibe creative energy and uplifting social interaction. This Tangie and Lemonade cross contains the juicy citrus taste you’d expect from its parents,  blending zesty lemon with other fresh citrus flavors. It’s a great wake-and-bake or daytime strain that will help you tackle creative endeavors, delivering a brilliant vibrant energy that boosts motivation and keeps you moving. Medical cannabis patients report feel-good strain helps support depression, stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and pain. 

Apes in Space

Apes in Space is an evenly balanced hybrid with an enticing earthy and skunky flavor that produces somewhat intense euphoric cerebral effects that are quickly followed by a rush of creativity. This initial head high will inspire your inner artist before a heavy, relaxing body high takes over that will leave you feeling lethargic and likely locked to the couch. It’s reported to be a good medical strain for alleviating pain, depression, and stress. 

Purple Thai

Purple Thai is a sativa-dominant hybrid with a smooth delicious flavor that blends nutty, earthy tones with berries, coffee and chocolate — famous for delivering a fast-acting cerebral euphoria that’s more like a psychedelic experience than smoking weed. Its uplifting and energizing head high stimulates surges of creativity that eventually settle into a blissful state of relaxation. Purple Thai is one of the best weed strains for creativity if you’re interested in a trippy, mind-altering cannabis experience. It’s also said to help support medical patients seeking relief from pain, stress, depression, and fatigue.  

Mendocino Purps

Mendocino Purps, also known as the Purps, is a slightly leaning sativa hybrid with a sweetly funky grape flavor that produces a positively happy, creative and talkative high. This award-winner is one of the best strains for creativity for both occasional and everyday users thanks to its moderate 22% THC average. Medical patients say this classic Mendocino County, California bred strain helps support pain, anxiety, PTSD, and stress. 

Gelonade

Gelonade is a balanced hybrid with an energizing, euphoric high that boosts motivation and inspires a talkative, creative vibe. This sweet citrus and creamy vanilla flavored strain is great for daytime use, whether getting together with friends and immersing yourself in creative projects. With its average 17% THC concentration, Gelonade is ideal for new and experienced users alike. Medical cannabis patients may find it helps support anxiety, stress, depression, and chronic fatigue. 

Knowing how the best strains for creativity produce an inspired and uplifting artistic energy all comes down to better understanding creativity itself — which involves convergent and divergent thinking. Divergent thinking helps you generate different ideas, while convergent thinking helps you focus on the best to follow and take action on. While there isn’t a lot of research about the connection between cannabis and creativity, one study found cannabis may enhance creativity by improving divergent thinking and reducing inhibition, which could open the mind to new, innovative ideas. 

Sativas are typically considered to be the best weed strains for creativity, however, there are also indicas known to inspire a creative, artistic vibe. Cannabis affects everyone differently, but the energizing and focused effects of sativa-dominant strains are usually the ones sought out for creative endeavors. It’s believed sativas deliver a creative boost by increasing dopamine levels, which can elevate mood, increase motivation, improve focus and concentration, enhance pleasure, and make things more enjoyable.

Indica strains, on the other hand, are largely associated with calming relaxed physical effects, making them more popular for supporting sleep and soothing mental and physical stress and tension than inspiring creative vision. 

It’s not uncommon to find strains on the market today with up to 30% or more THC, meaning you’ve got several options when it comes to creative powerhouse strains. Most are hybrid varieties, many of which contain more energizing, sativa-like effects. One of the best strains for creativity with super strong effects is Strawberry Runtz, a sativa dominant hybrid (70% sativa/30% indica) that contains an astonishing 36% THC. This sweet strawberry and honey flavored strain delivers ridiculously potent effects that produce a fabulously lifted sense of euphoria and creativity.

For new users interested in using cannabis to fuel a creative spark, the best strains are those with low to medium THC levels that provide an energetic buzz with well-balanced, manageable effects. Mac 1, also known as The MAC and Miracle Alien Cookies X1, is one of the best strains for creativity for novices. This gorgeous dark green bud with beautiful purple hues and a thick layer of sparkly white trichome crystals contains around 14% THC, and delivers a functional high known to inspire creativity with a perfect balance of energizing and relaxed effects.