state dependent learning

It was actually admitted by our neurophysiology TA that it is better to smoke pot while studying (creating a drug-altered effect) and then to smoke right before taking the test than to not smoke at all. I guess drug altered states cause really strong state-dependent learning, and recall is way enhanced if you put your brain in the same state again, even- get this- even if the drug-altered state is detrimental to memory formation. We haven't quite learned the mechanism for the detrimental drugs, but I find it interesting.

Of course, if you're smoking pot there's the challenge of getting yourself to really focus on studying or taking the test. I am told that while it's easy to really focus on one thing while high and kind of tune everything else out, one is also easily distracted by other interesting things.

I'm not planning on trying it. But it is interesting.