How To Talk With Your Partner About Cannabis Use
"Hey babe, I want to inform you that I smoke weed". Having a conversation with your partner about your marijuana consumption can be trickier than that. Check out the following tips to help the process go smoothly.
If you're looking for advice on how to disclose your cannabis endeavours to your partner, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we provide tools, tips, and things to help make the process go as smoothly as possible. Take all the following information with a grain of salt; all relationships are different, and there is no "one size fits all" advice. Instead, use this article as a launching point to broach the weed conversation with your significant other.
LEGALITY OF MARIJUANA
First, not everyone who smokes marijuana lives in Colorado or Amsterdam. There are many places in Europe and the US where cannabis consumption is very illegal. Even though having an honest conversation with your partner is the advice most people will give you, consider that even if your partner is OK with cannabis, they might not be OK with you breaking the law. Debate with yourself whether disclosing this information is a smart move. You should even consider whether smoking weed in your current location is worth the possible legal consequences.
BE A RESPONSIBLE ADULT
If you’ve considered the legal aspect and decided that you want to tell your partner about your cannabis consumption, you’ll need to be a responsible adult to begin with. One of the main concerns your partner may have is that weed will make you an addict or a lazy couch-potato. You want to show your partner that you’re a smart, mature, and well-adjusted human being. Therefore, in some cases, it may be best to wait for a while, then have the conversation and say "hey, I've been smoking weed during our entire relationship, and everything is going smoothly between us", or something along those lines. Again, this will vary from person to person.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Do your research on the effects of marijuana. It's important to educate yourself about weed, not only before disclosing your endeavours to your partner, but before you start consuming in the first place. If the comment comes “marijuana is dangerous”, you can say, "sure, in some cases, if it's abused it can be, but in comparison with alcohol, it's a much safer substance". Also, be honest. If you’re smoking for medical or recreational purposes, stay in that respective lane. Don’t talk about how cannabis helps to treat chemotherapy symptoms if you’re smoking because you enjoy the experience of being high.
ARE CHILDREN INVOLVED?
If children are involved, your partner may worry about secondhand smoke or accidental ingestion of edibles. You will need to ensure you keep your stash hidden from the kids. Also, you’ll need to show that you're a responsible adult and a suitable role model for them. This includes smoking a safe distance away from anywhere the kids are.
CASUAL TALK
The common narrative is sitting your partner down and having that “we need to talk” conversation. However, you might want to consider disclosing your marijuana consumption more casually, because you don’t want to be setting up an intervention for yourself. Remember, if you believe you're not doing anything wrong, don’t use language that indicates otherwise. Be confident, stand your ground, and stay cool.
MAYBE THEY WILL BE DOWN WITH THE GANJA
Maybe your partner always wanted to try weed and was waiting for the right person to smoke with. If that's the case, you can have a solid cannabis bonding session. If your partner is trying weed for the first time, stay away from concentrates and edibles—stick with the "single puff" policy.
IN CONCLUSION
These aforementioned considerations are something you should debate with yourself when the time comes. It’s best to be adequately prepared before you pull your partner aside to give them the news.
