Am I a marijuana addict?
If you find it difficult to control your marijuana use, if you think about using marijuana even when you are not, or if you have broken promises to yourself or others about limiting or stopping your use, you may be an addict. Only you can decide. No one in Marijuana Anonymous will decide for you.
“Based on our own experiences, we who seek recovery in MA generally consider ourselves to be marijuana addicts. Whether or not our addiction is psychological, physical, or both, matters little…”
“...MA has no opinion about marijuana itself one way or another. Marijuana Anonymous exists solely to provide a means of recovery to the suffering addict who seeks help.”
FAQ page of marijuana-anonymous.org, © Marijuana Anonymous World Services 2020
Answering these questions may help you determine if marijuana is a problem in your life.
The Twelve Questions of Marijuana Anonymous
What happens at an MA phone meeting?
MA phone meetings closely resemble the format of a Marijuana Anonymous land (face to face) meeting. People discuss their problems with marijuana, what they did to recover, and what life is like now. We have found that as a group, we can achieve for ourselves results which, as individuals, we failed repeatedly. People from all over the world who struggle with their use of marijuana come together to share their experience, strength and hope.
What will be expected of me should I attend?
No one is going to demand anything of you. You won’t be singled out. You need not disclose anything about yourself if you don’t want to; in fact, you may choose to just listen if that makes you feel more comfortable. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana. We suggest newcomers attend 6 meetings or more to help determine if this group might be right for you. No one will bother you if you do not wish to come back.
What are the benefits of joining MA phone meetings?
How do I dial in and what do I do when I get on the call?
How to Participate in MA World Phone Meetings
What is the ‘Meeting After the Meeting’ and why should I attend?
Immediately following every MA phone meeting attendees can remain on the call for a less formal gathering where participants can exchange phone numbers, ask questions and engage in fellowship. It also gives anyone willing to be a sponsor or a temporary sponsor the opportunity to announce their availability.
Why is it important that I develop a support network?
Our book, Life With Hope, states, “We are responsible for our own recovery”. We encourage members to develop a support network by getting phone numbers and calling people you feel comfortable with. We work recovery for ourselves, not by ourselves. Connection is the opposite of addiction.
What is Sponsorship and why is it important for my recovery?
Sponsorship is one recovering person talking to another recovering person. For the newcomer, a sponsor is a special person with whom she or he can discuss problems, ask questions, and through whom they can gain an understanding of recovery through the Twelve Step program. Having frequent, close contact with another member of the program provides an opportunity to deal with issues in private that one might not be able to share on the group level. At minimum, a sponsor encourages their sponsee to take the Steps and guides them through the process that the sponsor has already experienced.
The usual way to find a sponsor is to ask a member who has some of the spiritual qualities that you admire; they “have what you want”. It is helpful if the potential sponsor has been clean and sober long enough to have worked the Twelve Steps of recovery and applies the Twelve Principles in their own life. In order to select a sponsor, it is best to attend as many meetings as possible, to widen your exposure to recovering persons. Take a look at the MA pamphlet, "About Sponsorship", for more information.
Where can I find out more about Marijuana Anonymous?
The MA Phone Lines are independent groups of Marijuana Anonymous World Services. Information about marijuana addiction and recovery, literature and pamphlets, meeting schedules (in person, phone and online), and our organization are available at the website, marijuana-anonymous.org, and the Marijuana Anonymous app.
The Marijuana Anonymous book Life with Hope: A Return to Living Through the 12 Steps and the 12 Traditions of Marijuana Anonymous is our primary source of literature. There is also an accompanying workbook for working the steps. Both are available for purchase at Marijuana Anonymous and access on the Marijuana Anonymous app.
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