With marijuana now legal for adult-use in more places than ever, it’s natural for couples to wonder and worry about how marijuana affects relationships. Or, they may ask, does marijuana affect my relationships at all?

Marijuana Affects Relationships?

The short answer is yes, it does. In many ways, it’s no different than any other recreational activity. If one person is doing it and the other isn’t, there are likely to be issues.

However, some things are singular to marijuana use, starting with one of the most important aspects of any relationship: sex. In this area, cannabis is a good thing.

Marijuana and Sex

There’s no doubt that marijuana affects relationships, and science now backs up that belief.  A recent study found that the more people smoke marijuana, the more sex they have.

The results somewhat surprised Dr. Michael Eisenberg, an assistant professor of urology at Stanford University who conducted the study. He told CNN: “Usually, people assume the more frequently you smoke, the worse it could be when it came to sex, but in fact, we learned the opposite was true.”

The study included responses from 28,000 women and 23,000 men. Women who didn’t use marijuana reported having sex an average of six times in the four weeks leading up to the survey. Those who used marijuana reported having sex an average of 7.1 times.

Men who didn’t use marijuana reported having sex 5.6 times over the same period, while daily marijuana users reported having sex 6.9 times.

Marijuana First

However, issues can arise with marijuana use. This is especially true if people use marijuana at a young age. A study by the New York University School of Medicine found that those who use marijuana at around 16 are more likely to have relationship issues in their 20s. Of course, no one – especially those in favor of marijuana legalization – supports the use of marijuana at such an early age.

Happy Together

In most cases, couples report problems with marijuana because the couple is not experiencing cannabis together. Some resent having to deal with a partner who is sleepy or loopy because they have used marijuana. Others simply don’t enjoy marijuana and have issues being with someone who does.

All this comes down to putting marijuana before the relationship, which is not a good idea. Of course, the same could be said of any hobby, hanging out with friends or watching sports on television. If you put something ahead of your partner, it’s going to lead to trouble.

More Quality Time

On the flip side, those who enjoy marijuana together often report spending more time together. That could mean getting cozy on a Friday night and watching a movie rather than going out and drinking. Or it could mean having long conversations and laughing a lot, which is as good a bonding experience as any.

When it comes to how marijuana affects relationships, don’t take it lightly. Understand that it does impact your relationship, but much of it has to do with how you approach using cannabis. Like anything else, doing it together is better than doing it apart.