In online dating and social media, the status “420-friendly” is becoming a common sight. It derives, naturally, from the number 420 being associated with western cannabis culture. It indicates that the person is either one of 1] a steady marijuana user, or 2] open to others who use marijuana. This is one more sign of the cultural shift following the mass legalization of cannabis.
What Is a 420-Friendly Partner Like?
When we say a person is 420-friendly, we mean it on the same scale that you would see a dating profile identify as “smoke/drink OK.” Relationships tend to stabilize around an axis of substance philosophies. Non-smokers often report that they can’t live around a smoker. People of religious faith might not be compatible with someone who drinks often. It’s not the only criterion, of course, but it can be an important checkbox when determining the compatibility of a potential life partner.
There can be various reasons why a person would identify as 420-friendly, and find that important enough to include on a Tinder profile:
- They have to take prescription cannabis for medical reasons
- They use cannabis for therapeutic reasons
- They use it in a recreational sense
- They are casual users who don’t mind if you use it
- They are fine with a partner who uses cannabis regardless of their own use
Keep in mind also that in our golden age of cannabis technology and cultivation, there’s a million different kinds of cannabis everywhere on the spectrum. Cannabis does not even have to be something that gets you high, if you’re just taking CBD. There’s delta 8 and the other delta isomers, which also have a less of a mental high effect than pure delta-9 THC cannabis does.
Should You Consider a 420-Friendly Partner?
That might seem like a dumb question; I’m obviously not going to tell you how to date.
Buuuut, say you were a non-user or light / casual user and you have your eye set on a potential partner advertising themselves as 420-friendly. Should you go for it? That may depend on your current living situation. Stop to consider these factors:
Employment – This is a big one. Unless you’re independently wealthy, you have to think first if a 420 partner could affect your own career. Can you risk failing a drug screen because you sampled your partner’s weed brownies? Will this hamper your professional image?
Residence – Lots of us live in 420-legal states without 420-friendly landlords. Some of us would absolutely love to hotbox the bathroom every morning, but cannabis doesn’t always go with the neighborhood.
Travel – Do you like to travel a lot, or have to travel for work purposes? Your partner may not find life that easy if they depend on a prescription for medical use, as one state allows it where another won’t. International travel is impacted even more.
Children – You can be in a 420-friendly state with a weed dispensary on every corner, but still have a teacher, babysitter, or social worker who frowns on cannabis use. Young children also should not be over-exposed to cannabis, since science does show that it affects their development. Even people who would otherwise smoke weed every day will abstain while raising children, just because it makes things less complicated.
That’s a few reasons why you should think over the situation. These are edge cases, to be sure, but relationships are a delicate thing and thrive with the fewest possible stress points.
Likewise, there are those of you who are 420-friendly, waking and baking every morning. If you were looking for a relationship with someone and they turned you down for your 420 use, it might not be because they were a close-minded bigot. They might simply have a life incompatible with a substance just recently crawling out from under decades of prohibition.
Where to Find 420-Friendly Partners
We’re not out to advocate one dating site over another. But for what it’s worth, Mashable has a list of 420-friendly dating websites which are either specifically geared towards marijuana users and fans, or have a tolerant policy towards 420-friendly members. May we also suggest:
- Your local dispensary scene and accompanying lounges, hangouts
- Weed festivals and events
- Social media – More than one couple have met this way, 420 or not
- Fetlife – It is an alternative lifestyle forum, with alts comign together from every persuasion, some 420 as well
Is Weed Good in Relationships?
You just might be in for a surprise, but OKCupid has a fantastic rundown of statistical data for 420 aspects of relationships. VERY loosely speaking, cannabis users seem to be more tolerant of other alt-lifestyles and seem to have better sex! There’s several more studies which seem to point to a more satisfying love life for the 420-inclined. Take it all with a grain of salt; we’re sure there’s plenty of happy couples in the world who never even touch the stuff.
But it’s not too far-fetched an idea to suggest that the couple that dabs together, stays together. Hey, stoners are chill! Less fights, more cuddles, what’s not to like?
