By Max Sargent


Many couples like to use cannabis together. Whether it’s to relax at the end of the day, or to get stuck into something creative, it can be a lot of fun. For other couples, cannabis use can drive a wedge between them, with one person perhaps using it in an unhealthy way.

In this article, we look at how cannabis might affect a relationship, how to use it healthily, and how to approach talking about it with your partner.

Can Smoking Weed Affect Your Relationship?

When it comes to relationships, cannabis—and wider drug use (including alcohol)—can be a force for both good and bad, depending on how it’s used. Either way, cannabis can absolutely affect your relationship.

It doesn’t just come down to weed being “good” or “bad”, but the personal circumstances of each individual, their relationship with cannabis, and their relationship with the other person. For many couples, sharing a joint can be a way to unwind and spend some novel time together, high and carefree.

For others, one person’s cannabis habit may become detrimental to them and their ability to respond properly to their partner's needs, ultimately damaging the relationship.

Although cannabis can be, and often is, fantastic in the context of a relationship, it’s important not to be naïve. It’s a strong drug with powerful effects, which can alter some people if used too regularly. Therefore, if you use cannabis in a relationship, being honest with yourself and your partner about how it’s affecting both of you is crucial to ensuring that it doesn’t get between you!

Benefits of Smoking Weed With Your Partner

Let’s start off with the many benefits of using cannabis together as a couple. It should be noted that these benefits refer to those who use cannabis sometimes rather than constantly getting high together.

  • Alignment of Mood and Thoughts

It’s no secret that smoking weed gets the mind moving in unusual ways, and can stimulate some pretty strange and exciting ideas. Well, when you get high with someone else, these ideas tend to align, and you can feel pretty connected to someone. When you experience this with a partner, it can create a deep sense of connection and understanding.

  • Intuitive Understanding

On that note, this can lead to an increased ability to communicate about certain things. Understanding how your partner feels in the moment can become more intuitive, as can your ability to deliberately influence one another’s moods. By mentally aligning, a particular type of understanding can be reached. Regarding this point, it differs greatly from person to person, and it’s worth recognising that it may be easier to communicate about some things than others. Dealing with genuine issues tends to be more difficult if you’ve consumed cannabis, depending on the amount.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Double Your Creative Energies

Being creative when you're high—whether it’s playing music, writing, or drawing—is great fun. Being doubly creative with your partner when high can be a beautiful bonding experience. The end result doesn’t matter so much. Rather, the act of getting stuck into a project with someone you enjoy can be a perfect way to spend an evening.

  • Unwind Together

One of the main reasons people love to smoke weed is simply to relax and unwind. With a partner, this joint sense of relaxation can be very special. Even if you just curl up and watch a film together, it can have real benefits. Life can be very busy and stressful, as we all know, and unwinding with someone can be a really helpful way to reconnect, without having to do much.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Laughter

It’s said that we become more attractive to others when we laugh and smile. So smoking weed with your partner and getting the giggles can only be good, right? Things can become very silly when we smoke weed, and we tend to laugh a lot. Especially if you get high with someone you’re very close to, it can be very easy to get stuck in a pleasurable loop of continuously making one another laugh. And spending an evening in laughter is surely good.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Delicious Meals

Cooking for a partner is very enjoyable. As is being cooked for. Eating when you're high is also very enjoyable. So why not combine the two? The experience of cooking a fresh meal from scratch when you’re high can be good fun, and when you bring another person pleasure from it, even better!

  • Physical Intimacy and Sex

Partner intimacy[1] can potentially be increased by consuming cannabis together. Getting high increases mental and physical sensitivity, which can make physical intimacy very special—whether sexual or not.

Sex, in all its forms, can be enriched when both partners use cannabis together—for some people. For others, the effects of THC may make that level of physical intimacy uncomfortable. If you intend to use cannabis—or any other drug—during sex, communicate about it before getting high, and make sure that both partners feel genuinely comfortable before pursuing it.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?

Downsides of Smoking Weed With Your Partner

Using cannabis in the context of a relationship can also have downsides, as many can attest. Usually, these problems occur because at least one partner consumes so much that it has a negative effect on their life.

  • Feelings of Tiredness

Using cannabis regularly can make people feel tired, and sometimes apathetic too. Constantly feeling drained obviously has many downsides, one of which is difficulty doing other fulfilling things in a relationship. It’s possible to find that you end up spending too many nights lying on the sofa watching tv, and wonder where the excitement has gone.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Routines (Try to Break Them!)

Often, tiredness occurs because we get stuck in routines. We end up smoking every evening, or even every morning. As well as being high most of the time, the cumulative effect of regular smoking can result in quite a powerful habit. So try to avoid excessive routine when it comes to smoking weed, whether in a relationship or not. It’s fine to have a vague weed routine that you follow, but try not to get bound to it.

  • Smoking Solo Can Make One Partner Inaccessible

In many relationships where cannabis becomes an issue, it’s because one person smokes and another doesn’t. As much as someone has the right to be as high as they’d like, there’s no denying that this can become quite draining for a partner, especially if they don’t join you. Someone who’s always stoned usually becomes more inaccessible, and this can leave the sober partner feeling isolated and rejected. At the very least, being around a stoned person all the time can just get a little boring.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Can Make It Difficult to Emotionally Provide for Another

On that note, regular cannabis use can make it difficult to emotionally provide for someone else. Large, underlying issues can seem too big to deal with when you’re high. And if you’re high all the time, then they’ll always seem too big to deal with.

  • Easier to Develop a Problem With Someone Else

Smoking weed with a partner can be really fun, and herein lies its greatest danger. It’s very easy to find yourself repeatedly smoking and hanging out with a partner, because you enjoy it so much. But after a while of doing this, you may find that the joy has turned into a problem, both for the relationship and each individual.

Developing an unhealthy relationship with cannabis is easier when you’re taking it with someone else.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • You Can Come to Rely on Cannabis to Stimulate Your Relationship

You don’t want to rely on cannabis to make your relationship enjoyable or fun. Use it from time to time to have a novel evening, definitely. But if you find that the only way you can have fun together is by getting high, it might be worth a discussion.

The Importance of Planning a Discussion With Your Partner About Cannabis Use

Whether it’s talking about using cannabis together, or one partner talking to the other about their solo cannabis use, having a conversation about drug consumption is an essential part of a healthy relationship with another person, and with drugs themselves.

It may be as simple as an organic, quick conversation. But for some, drug use can be a sensitive topic, and it’s certainly one that deserves adequate attention. So, given that, it might be worth planning a discussion to help it flow.

Prepare to Talk To Your Partner About Cannabis Use

Before discussing cannabis use with your partner, regardless of whether the conversation will be challenging or not, it’s worth having an idea of what you want to talk about, so that each of you has a chance to express and understand the things you need to.

  • Understand Why You Use Cannabis and How It Affects You

First off, if you use cannabis, be honest about why you use it and how it affects you. If you come across as being out of touch with yourself and your own cannabis use, then this isn’t going to be very convincing. This means acknowledging that even if you enjoy cannabis and see it as being a positive force in your life, it doesn't mean it is without any downsides. Being honest about cannabis use is crucial, especially for your own relationship with yourself.

  • Research Legality

Cannabis laws vary across the world, and in most places it’s still illegal. So make sure that you’re aware of the law where you live, so that you and your partner are fully aware of the risks you’re taking if you choose to consume cannabis.

  • Be Compassionate

Being compassionate is an important aspect of any intimate discussion, including drug use. If you intend to use drugs together, then it must be approached compassionately. Otherwise, one person may feel pressured into it, which is a terrible situation.

Likewise, if you intend to talk to someone about their cannabis use, be compassionate about it. If they do have a problem regarding cannabis consumption, then a kind approach is worth taking.

While Talking to Your Partner About Cannabis Use

Once you’ve prepared, it’s time to have the conversation. These conversations can get emotional sometimes, so bear the following in mind.

  • Get Comfortable

Make sure you’re in a space that’s comfortable for you both. Talking to someone about potentially problematic drug use in a busy, public space is not going to go well. So choose somewhere safe, and where you have all the time you need.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Pick Your Moment

On that note, pick the right moment. To either consider using drugs or stopping drug use, someone has to be in the right frame of mind.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?
  • Listen to Feedback

Really consider what your partner tells you. For instance, if you’ve tried smoking weed together before and they didn’t enjoy it, don’t try to persuade them otherwise, and don’t try to persuade them to try it again unless they suggest it.

Does Smoking Weed Affect Relationships?

After Talking to Your Partner About Cannabis Use

These conversations often don’t end after a single chat. So keep the conversation going afterwards and check in with one another. Like all things in life, people’s desire to use drugs can change, sometimes drastically. Just because someone once enjoyed something doesn’t mean they always will.

Explore Cannabis Use Together!

Given all the above, you can see that using cannabis in the context of a relationship can be a fantastic endeavour, so long as it’s approached carefully.

Exploring cannabis use as a couple is not just about taking the drug, but about exploring how to take it, including when not to take it. Another person can be very helpful in helping you figure out when your cannabis use is healthy, and when it’s not—so take this opportunity.

Done well, using cannabis with a partner can be a sheer joy.

External Resources:
  1. Marijuana Use Episodes and Partner Intimacy Experiences: A Daily Report Study - PMC https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: