Marijuana use appears to be more of a green flag, rather than a red flag, for Americans who are dating, according to a new poll.
Drug Rehab USA surveyed 1,000 people with recent dating experience to learn about how substance use in a potential partner is perceived.
It found that just one in four respondents considers marijuana use a “red flag” in dating. About four in five millennials — and seven in ten Gen Z adults — don’t mind if a partner consumes cannabis.
Compared to marijuana, significantly more respondents (38 percent) said smoking cigarettes is a red flag in dating. “High-risk” illicit drug use was the biggest turn-off, at 73 percent, followed by misused prescription drugs (60 percent).
The only substance that carried less of a stigma than marijuana is alcohol, with 22 percent saying they don’t consider drinking a red flag.
Additionally, 68 percent of those polled said that they don’t believe their relationships would be stronger if their partner stopped using marijuana. Ten percent said such a cessation could actually lead them to grow apart.
The survey also found that 22 percent of those who are dating say their partner consumes cannabis daily, which rises to 35 percent for Gen Z couples.
Another 24 percent of respondents said substance use “improved their relationships intimacy — more relaxed or passionate,” according to Drug Rehab USA.
Despite the findings that suggest cannabis use isn’t a major contention for most couples, only 13 percent of those surveyed said that they’d be willing to include a photo of themselves smoking marijuana in a dating profile.
“The findings reveal that unlike other substances that can complicate relationships, cannabis is widely viewed as more neutral, or even socially connective for both dating and long-term relationships,” a summary of the survey says.
Last November, a separate survey found that women who frequently use marijuana report greater satisfaction in their romantic relationships.
While both surveys focused on romantic relationships, other recent research has shown that marijuana can play a key role in heightening sexual satisfaction as well.
For example, a recent scientific review found that cannabis use is associated with improvements in symptoms of female orgasmic disorder.
Relatedly, another study published last year found that marijuana use is linked to increased sexual desire and arousal, as well as lower levels of sexual distress.
In 2024, a study found that cannabis-infused vaginal suppositories seemed to reduce sexual pain in women after treatment for gynecological cancer. Combining the suppositories with online exercises in “mindful compassion” provided patients with even greater benefits.
Earlier research also found that administration of a broad-spectrum, high-CBD vaginal suppository was associated with “significantly reduced frequency and severity of menstrual-related symptoms” as well as the symptoms’ negative impacts on daily life.
As for sexual fulfillment, a separate study last year found that while alcohol might be effective to “facilitate” sex, marijuana is better at enhancing sexual sensitivity and satisfaction.
While alcohol increased some elements of sexual attraction — including making people feel more attractive, more extroverted, and more desirable — people who used marijuana “have more sensitivity and they are more sexually satisfied than when they consume alcohol,” the authors wrote.
A broad scientific review of academic research on cannabis and human sexuality published in 2024 concluded that while the relationship between marijuana and sex is a complicated one, use of cannabis is generally associated with more frequent sexual activity as well as increased sexual desire and enjoyment.
That article, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, also suggested that lower doses of marijuana may actually be best suited for sexual satisfaction, while higher doses could, in fact, lead to decreases in desire and performance. And it suggested that effects may differ between men and women.
Written by Kyle Jaeger for Marijuana Moment | Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
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