The more often married couples smoke marijuana, the less likely they are to engage in domestic violence, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions and Research Institute on Addictions found that more frequent marijuana use by husbands and wives (two-to-three times per month or more often) predicted less frequent intimate partner violence perpetration by husbands.

"These findings suggest that marijuana use is predictive of lower levels of aggression towards one's partner in the following year." Kenneth Leonard, lead investigator of the study, said in a statement. "As in other survey studies of marijuana and partner violence, our study examines patterns of marijuana use and the occurrence of violence within a year period."

Leonard warned that the study does not examine whether using marijuana on a given day reduces the likelihood of violence at that time.

Searchers based their findings on research data collected by Leonard. The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to Leonard and a grant to Smith from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"It is possible, for example, that - similar to a drinking partnership - couples who use marijuana together may share similar values and social circles, and it is this similarity that is responsible for reducing the likelihood of conflict," Leonard added.

"Although this study supports the perspective that marijuana does not increase, and may decrease, aggressive conflict," Leonard explained. "We would like to see research replicating these findings, and research examining day-to-day marijuana and alcohol use and the likelihood to [intimate partner violence] on the same day before drawing stronger conclusions."

The findings were recently published in the online edition of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.