This might come as no surprise if you think about it, but if you blaze up on the daily, you might have a rosier idea of most things — but particularly your relationship.
Researchers at Rutgers University and Mount Holyoke College say that marijuana users aren’t too quick to pick up on red flags in a relationship and overestimate their ability to resolve conflicts.
While marijuana users often tout its calming effects, the scientists’ analysis of 145 couples in which one partner smokes found the potheads have “a reduced ability to respond to stress” in a flexible way and that they tend to be “more critical and demanding of their partners.”
Not a surprise, however, the marijuana users were found to avoid conflict.
In simple terms, while a pot user might not think dishes stacking up is anything to get upset over, they’re also likely to lose in the fog the fact that their partner always gets worked up about it and why.
The study’s findings, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence,”do not mean that cannabis use is wholesale good or bad for relationships.”
“Rather,” Rutgers’ study author Jessica Salvatore notes, “it gives insight into how couples can better navigate conflict and come to a resolution. When you don’t see problems, you can’t solve them.”