Smoking Pot Could Reduce Conflict and Enhance Intimacy in Marriage

Cannabis use is on the rise among nearly all demographics, thanks in no small part to legalization efforts. People are finally coming around to the idea that smoking weed is beneficial in so many ways. Previous, outdated research warned against everything from addiction to aggressive behaviors linked to cannabis use. But as we’re learning more and more about marijuana, we’re finding the data just isn’t supporting those findings any longer. One study is shedding light on married couples and cannabis use, and found that smoking pot can actually enhance intimacy and reduce conflict, violence, and aggression in marriage.

A 2014 study found that couples who smoke pot had significantly fewer incidents of domestic violence.

Researchers from the University of Buffalo studied data from 634 couples over nine years of marriage, starting in 1996. The study was controlled, and accounted for things like demographic variables, alcohol use, and behavioral issues. The couples were given questionnaires on several issues, including drug and alcohol use and physical aggression toward their partner. The data from the study, which spanned decades, showed that couples who smoked pot were less likely to engage in intimate partner violence.

Smoking pot tends to blunt your reaction to negative stimuli, which could account for the difference. Or, as the authors surmise, it could be because stoned people are generally pretty happy!

The authors wrote that, “marijuana may increase positive affect, which in turn could reduce the likelihood of conflict and aggression.” People who smoke pot are just less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors. Which, in turn, can reduce aggression and violence in a marriage. Dr. Jordan Tishler, who has worked as a cannabis specialist for more than 20 years, takes it one step further. Tishler says he’s seen low doses of cannabis help couples improve their sex lives, enhance intimacy, and strengthen their bond. He says, “We may be getting reduced anxiety and greater intimacy, which are not the same thing, but a double benefit cannabis it’s not surprising that cannabis helps enhance marriages.”

Smoking pot may not be for everyone, but it’s hard to deny the benefits it provides to so many.

(Image: iStock / Ridofranz)

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