Cannabis smokers are more empathetic

New research has discovered that those who regularly enjoy a joint are better at recognising the feelings of others and are capable of putting themselves in other people's shoes.

Experts from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma in Mexico asked 81 cannabis users and 51 people who do not smoke the substance to complete a 33-item questionnaire to assess their empathy.

The results showed that stoners scored higher on the empathy test and had greater connectivity in areas of the brain involved with emotion.

Victor Olalde-Mathieu, co-author of the study, said: "Although further research is needed, these results open an exciting new window for exploring the potential effects of cannabis in aiding treatments for conditions involving deficits in social interactions, such as sociopathy, social anxiety, and avoidant personality disorder, among others."

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