cause for nearly 1 million arrests every year.

Hey everyone, Laci Green here for DNews. The notion that people who smoke weed are non-violent

peace lovers may be more than just a stereotype. A new study in the journal Psychology of Addictive

Behaviors has found that couples that smoke weed together have staggeringly lower levels

of domestic violence. Couples where both spouses smoked at least a few times a month -- which

was the highest end of the researchers’ scale -- had the lowest levels of violence

in the study. The study looked at 638 newly-wedded couples over the course of 9 years. The couples

each did an initial interview and then subsequent interviews after one year, 2, 4, 7, and then

9 years. Part of the data collection included reporting their marijuana usage and instances

of aggression within the relationship.

The researchers say that this means marijuana use can help predict violence levels over

the next year - but they don’t know if smoking weed has the power to influence violence levels

on any given day. The sample is also limited to straight couples in their first marriage.

Veeeery interesting. Of course, the temptation is to jump to the conclusion that weed makes

people more peaceful - but there may be other reasons why this connection exists. They’ll

need to do more research to know for sure. One reason that couples that smoke together

are more peaceful may because they’re more likely to share core values and social circles,

making them less likely to fight. The researchers also describe the possibility of a “positive

effect” - which is basically science-speak for “people feel happy when they’re high

so they’re less likely to fight.” Another mechanism on the table builds on previous

research - we know that marijuana users have dulled reactions to threats and aggression,

making them less likely to initiate aggressive behavior.

What’s even more interesting is that this study was funded in part by the National Institute

for Drug Abuse - an institution that is well-known for it’s strong position against recreational

marijuana use. The study adds to the growing body of research about the effects of marijuana

on individuals, their relationships, their lives and work. Here in the US, we really

are amidst a giant green flurry. Some of you may recall last month the New York Times did

a huge marijuana issue which called for legalization on the front of the Sunday paper in big, bold

letters. About half the country now allows medical marijuana with a prescription, in

2 states it’s fully legal. Researchers are watching Colorado like a hawk - AND the federal

government has upped its marijuana research quota. Now they’ll be growing 650 kilograms

of weed. Last year they grew 21.

I expect the research will continue to avalanche in the coming months and years and perhaps

more policies will be changing in response. Thanks for joining me for Dnews, we’ll see

you next time.