By Ashley Manta
Molly Peckler is warm, passionate, and exactly the person you’d want helping you find the partner of your dreams. She owns Highly Devoted, a cannabis-friendly dating site and life coaching company. Last month, she and her husband Marc moved from Chicago to Venice Beach, a decision that will undoubtedly have positive effects on her budding cannabis business. We chatted about cannabis dating tips, what to look for in a partner, and making love last.
Ashley: What made you choose to bring dating coaching to the cannabis industry?
Molly: I love cannabis. It’s a huge part of my life and my relationship with my husband. If I were going to start a business in any industry, I’d want it to be in a place where I had a lot in common with it and where I enjoy spending time with my target demographic. That’s exactly why I chose to start a business in the cannabis industry. I saw a massive need that wasn’t being filled. There aren’t coaches or matchmakers specifically targeting sophisticated cannabis consumers. These individuals may feel like they can’t be as open about pot as they want to be. I help them build confidence in all aspects of their lives, including their relationship with cannabis.
I’m a longtime cannabis enthusiast and moving beyond the outdated stigma of cannabis is a passion of mine. I spent time working as a consultant at a cannabis permit acquisition firm, which helped me understand the laws and regulations in various states and countries around the world. I have a family member who has been touched by the need for medical cannabis and I see cannabis as a civil right, and a medicine that saves lives.
Ashley: Can you tell me about your work as a matchmaker before you found the cannabis industry?
Molly: I worked for a company that’s similar to the Millionaire Matchmaker – helping high net worth individuals find love. I really thrived, found it incredibly fulfilling, and was quite successful at it. Instead of just matching my clients, I focused on boosting their confidence and helping them understand the most important traits they needed in an ideal partner and why. My favorite part of matchmaking was coaching, and I decided to bring those coaching skills to the cannabis community.
Ashley: I recently heard about a situation where someone consumed too much cannabis before a date and ended up focusing more on the paintings on the wall than their date. As a dating coach, what advice would you offer with regards to dating and cannabis consumption?
Molly: It is possible to get too stoned for a date. As a rule of thumb, be as sober as possible when you’re first getting to know someone. Do your due diligence and figure out if this is someone you want to spend time with. Don’t feel bad about taking a hit before a date if you’re overly anxious, but go easy. Once you feel comfortable, you can bring actual marijuana into the mix, but don’t wait long to mention your relationship with weed. If cannabis is an important part of your life and something you want reflected in your relationship, be open about it. It’s gonna come out eventually.
If you get a blatantly judgmental response, that’s a huge red flag. With all the evidence about the benefits of cannabis, that may be a sign that the person is small-minded, or that your values are so different that it’s not going to make a difference. The best way to do your due diligence when meeting someone new is to ask about things that are important to you. Don’t settle! You will develop resentment if you try to sublimate parts of yourself that your partner doesn’t approve of, and then you’re not wasting time.
Ashley: You and your husband have been together for 11 years, congratulations! How do you keep your relationship thriving?
Molly: For us, it always comes back to the fact that we’re best friends and we genuinely respect each other. It’s also important to us to keep the spark alive, and that’s something we actively pursue. It’s easy to let that fall to the wayside when you’ve been together for a long time. Every single day, we’re closer friends and we respect each other more. We both feel like we hit the jackpot in terms of who we ended up with, and we’re very grateful for what we have.
I think cannabis has a lot to do with it as well – it’s something we share as a way to blow off steam, relax, connect, and communicate. It’s made our bond stronger as well. We make romance, passion, and fun priorities.
Ashley: What impact has cannabis made in your sex life?
Molly: It’s something that deepens and strengthens our connection. When you bring cannabis into the bedroom, it changes the depth of the experience and it makes every part of the session stand out. This is especially the case when utilizing a cannabis lubricant like Foria. Sex changes from a race to orgasm to taking your time and enjoying the experience as a couple.
Cannabis is also clutch for getting out of your own head. If we’re stressed, we’ll take a couple hits together and then we can focus on each other. There have been times when we’ve consumed an indica strain or we’ve smoked too much to achieve the experience we were seeking, so know your limits and pace yourself.
Ashley: What are your favorite sex strains?
Molly: I usually go for a sativa or sativa-dominant hybrid. Blue Dream is a go-to, but I’m really enjoying Tangie these days.
If you’re interested in working with Molly on dating or confidence building, you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her website, Highly Devoted. She offers a free coaching consultation for new clients, so definitely reach out!
Molly Peckler, founder of Highly Devoted Coaching, is the world’s first cannabis-friendly life coach and dating expert. She works with cannabis consumers around the world who defy the stoner stigma. Molly specializes in helping clients build lasting confidence, achieve goals, and identify the ideal cannabis-friendly partner. She’s passionate about disrupting the stoner stigma of cannabis.
Do you have a sex, relationships, or intimacy dating question? Send it to tips@nullleafly.com and I may address your request in a future article! (Don’t worry, we’ll keep your queries anonymous.)
To continue reading this story, visit our friend’s website (opens in a new window):: “420” Dating: An Interview with Molly Peckler, Cannabis Dating Website Founder