EAST WILLIAMSBURG — A new sex ed course for stoners is seeking to provide the spark smokers need to find love.
The East Williamsburg couple that founded "420 Fight Club," a weekly martial arts class aimed at combating the stereotype that stoners are lazy, is now tackling sex and dating for members of the marijuana legalization activist group Occupy Weed Street.
Harrison Schultz and Lorna Shannon, who have both worked as dating coaches, are hosting Occupy's first "Sex Ed For Stoners" lesson Tuesday with the goal of teaching tokers how to navigate sex and the dating scene, as well as the line between sexual harassment and flirting, the couple said.
"These are people who are used to getting high alone," Schultz, 31, said. "They're not used to getting out of the closet. We expect these people to have some awkward tendencies. We want people to learn from this moment."
Tuesday's lesson will start with a "stealthy smoke out" and tips from Schultz, Shannon and other dating coaches. Schultz will then take the men to a bar for practice, while Shannon will take the women.
Schultz and Shannon were inspired to address sex after they heard that some individuals in the activist group were making borderline inappropriate comments or practicing poor social etiquette.
Rather than addressing people individually, they wanted to have a broader, more "sex-positive" discussion on how to approach people for flirting, dating or one-night stands. They also wanted to emphasize hitting on people outside the political group to keep members focused on the fight to legalize marijuana.
Schultz has seen that it just takes "one creepy dude who's desperate" to ruin the social dynamic of an activist group, he said.
"We're certainly not going to discourage an honest sense of romance sparking up," said Shannon, 30. "But we also want to make sure people are doing it in a way that's consensual, that's wanted."
Despite the class' title, the couple said many of the lessons could also easily apply to people who aren't high. It's about getting past neuroses, making eye contact and paying attention to body language, they explained.
Being high, they added, is more conducive to interesting conversations than being drunk.
"It's a more socially mature way of interaction," Schultz said.
If all goes well, the couple said they plan to host additional discussions about dating and sex.
They did, however, offer one stoner-specific tip: Maybe don't tell the object of your affections that you're high right off the bat.
"Talking about alcohol and drugs a lot can be kind of a turn-off," Schultz said. "It's like talking about your job too much."
Shannon agreed.
"You want to talk to someone for a while before you put all your cards on the table."
"Stoner Sex Ed" is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 60 Wall St. starting at 5 p.m.
