Couples smoking marijuana are less likely to experience domestic violence

Cannapio seedsOur own brandBrowse ›Tip for this articleAuto Banana OG Kush - autoflowering seeds 5 pcs Cannapio€19.30Browse ›Tip for this articleAuto Pure Haze - 3pcs Cannapio Autoflowering Seeds€9.20Browse ›

• Over 630 couples were followed for 9 years.
• The results show that couples who regularly smoke marijuana together show no signs of domestic violence.

Husbands and wives who frequently smoke marijuana are less likely to become victims of domestic violence than those who use the drug less regularly, a new study claims

Researchers from Yale University and the University of Buffalo and Rutgers followed 634 married couples over a period of nine years.

They found that when couples used cannabis 3 or more times each month, they recorded the lowest number of incidents of domestic violence (intimate partner violence) in the first 9 years of marriage.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) was defined by the researchers as acts of physical aggression, including hitting, beating and choking.

The couples completed regular questionnaires throughout the study, with questions about how often they used the drug and other substances, such as alcohol.

They were also asked to report their partner's violence in the past year and any violent acts that had occurred during the year before the wedding.

Results of the study

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

Lead researcher Kenneth Leonard, director of the UB Research Institute on Addictions, said the findings suggest that cannabis use predicts lower levels of aggression towards a partner, but only over the course of one year.

"As in other research studies on marijuana and partner violence, our study examines patterns of marijuana use and the occurrence of violence over the course of one year," he said. "It does not examine whether marijuana use on a given day reduces the likelihood of violence on that day."

Mr Leonard noted that other factors may be responsible for the link between husbands and wives who use cannabis and lower rates of domestic violence.

"It is possible, for example, that – similar to drinking partnerships – couples who use marijuana together may share similar values and social circles," Leonard said. "And it is this similarity that is responsible for reducing the likelihood of conflict."

The authors argue that chronic cannabis users show a "blunted emotional response to stimuli", which could also reduce the likelihood of aggressive behaviour.

Leonard now hopes that further research will examine daily cannabis and alcohol use and the likelihood of domestic violence occurring on that day before stronger conclusions are drawn.

The study was published in the online edition of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors in August last year

Sources: article, image: read-my-mind.ro; favim.com