• 630 pairs were monitored for 9 years.
  • The results show that couples who regularly marijuana smoke do not show signs of domestic violence.

Husbands and wives who often smoke marijuana are less likely to be victims of domestic violence than those who consume the drug less regularly, a new study says. Yale U Researchersniversity and the University of Buffalo and Rutgersthey watched 634 married couples for nine years.

They found that when couples used cannabis three or more times a month, they recorded the lowest number of domestic violence incidents in the first 9 years of marriage (partner violence).

Violence against the intimateThe Partner (IPV) was defined by researchers as physical aggression, including strikes, beatings and choking. Couples inthey filled in regular questionnaires throughout the study, and questions were about how often they used the drug and other substances, such as alcohol.

They wereThey were asked to report their partners violence last year and any acts of violence that occurred during the year before the wedding.

Study results

The study concluded that the more both spouses smoke cannabis, the less likely they are to engage in domestic violence.

They leadResearcher Kenneth Leonard, Director of UBs Research Institute on Addiction, said the findings suggest that cannabis use predicts lowerlevel of aggression against a partner, but only within one year.

"As in other research studies on marijuana and partner violence, our study explores patterns of marijuana use and the incidence of violence over a year," he said. "He doesn't check whether the use of marijuana on a given day reduces the likelihood of violence that day."

Mr Leonard noted that other factors may be responsible for the link between husband and wife who use cannabis and lower domestic violence.

"It is possible that, like alcohol partnerships, couples who use marijuana together can share similar values and social circles," Leonard said. "And this similarity is responsible for reducing the likelihood of conflict."

The authors claim that chronic cannabis users have a "numbed emotional response to stimuli", which could also reduce the likelihood of aggressive behavior.

Leonard now hopes that further research will examine the daily use of cannabis and alcohol and the likelihood of domestic violence that day before stronger conclusions can be drawn. The study was published in an online edition of Psychology of Addictive Behavior in August last year