Create a New Meeting

Congratulations on your decision to create a new MA meeting! Creating a meeting requires experience, strength, hope and willingness to facilitate the new meeting until regular attending members of the group are willing to also be of service to support the new meeting. There isn’t a specific length of sobriety time to start an MA meeting, however, it is suggested to be sober from marijuana, alcohol and all self-prescribed mind-altering chemicals. If you are newly sober you may want to consider regularly attending a variety of MA meetings to learn the program of MA and build up some sobriety time before creating a new meeting yourself.

Creating a new MA meeting carries with it a number of responsibilities, including:

  • Finding a location for the meeting
    • If needed negotiating a weekly or monthly rent for the meeting
  • Announcing and distributing flyers to the surrounding community that a new MA meeting is starting
  • Facilitating the meeting each week, at least until it gets off the ground

Marijuana Anonymous does not provide liability insurance for individual meetings or events, whether they be considered Independent meetings or are part of a District. Such liability insurance, where required by the hosting facility, must be provided by the meeting or event as part of its self-supporting responsibilities.

One addict helping another is a fundamental part of our program, so please don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. We can offer suggestions for the above, but the majority of the work is your responsibility. If you have any questions about creating a new MA meeting, please email the  Outreach Trustee.

Creating a New Meeting Starter Kit

A starter kit contains everything needed to create a meeting of Marijuana Anonymous…except coffee and marijuana addicts. To request a digital copy of the kit, please complete the Starter Kit Request below, your information will be kept confidential. You can also order a physical copy of the starter kit from A New Leaf Publications.

The New Meeting Starter Kit includes:

  • Greeting Letter
  • New Meeting Report
  • Chip Information Sheet
  • Service Manual Chapter 4 Extract (Meeting Formats)
  • Service Manual Chapter 13 Extract (Structure of MA)
  • Full Complement of Conference-Approved Literature, single-sided, for use as masters

Welcome to the MA family!

Guidelines For Creating A New Meeting within An Existing District

This section is a set of guidelines for creating a new meeting within an existing district. It suggests how the person wishing to sponsor the new meeting (referred to subsequently as the meeting sponsor), and the district in which the meeting will be held, can work together to bring the meeting into fruition. If a district is asked to help start a meeting that would be outside their geographic area, that district should refer the meeting sponsor to MAWS, to be mentored by the New Meeting Outreach Trustee and the Office Admin. In this case, the meeting would come into being independently, without district affiliation.

For proposed meetings that will become part of an existing district, the following steps are suggested as a plan of action:

  1. The meeting sponsor finds the meeting place, makes contact with the selected establishment, and negotiates rent. They may have to use their own money for the first month’s rent, keeping the receipt, to be reimbursed by 7th Tradition funds. It should be understood that Marijuana Anonymous does not provide liability insurance for individual meetings or events, whether they be considered Independent meetings or are part of a District. Such liability insurance, where required by the hosting facility, must be provided by the meeting or event as part of its self-supporting responsibilities.
  2. The meeting sponsor picks a time and day of the week for the meeting to be held. Additionally, they choose the date for the first meeting. It is suggested to select a time and day of the week when no other meetings in the area occur. This may help reduce conflict with other meetings, and ultimately increase attendance.
  3. The meeting sponsor creates a flyer. It can be very simple, listing what (new MA meeting), where (name of place and address), and when (day of the week, time and start date). The person may also want to put the Preamble on the flyer, or another excerpt from Conference approved literature.
  4. The meeting sponsor makes copies of the flyer (at least enough for each of the GSRs) and brings them to the district’s next service committee (DSC) meeting.

If necessary, the meeting sponsor can ask for help with any of the above four items from the district.

The following usually occurs at the next DSC meeting, with the new meeting sponsor in attendance:

  1. The district group conscience determines whether or not to adopt the new meeting into the district. If adopted, the meeting can be added to public information material, such as the website, or printed meeting schedules.
  2. Conference approved meeting formats are made available to the meeting sponsor. If the start date of the meeting occurs before the meeting sponsor comes to a DSC meeting, the district can mail it to them. They can also be given a copy of Chapters 4, 5 and 6 of the Service Manual (Formerly Section II, The Structure of the Fellowship of MA), which describes meeting features, and each meeting’s commitment and its suggested guidelines and functions. They can also be guided on other matters such as contacting MAWS, clean and sober requirements for service work, and contacting A New Leaf Publications (from which they may order a physical copy of the MAWS Service Manual and Life with Hope books).
  3. The person starting the new meeting can pick up pamphlets and copies of A New Leafs to bring to their meeting.
  4. The district can suggest they elect a permanent GSR (which may be the meeting sponsor until the meeting grows) to return to the DSC meeting the following month.
  5. The meeting flyers can be distributed to all district GSRs, to distribute and announce at the other district meetings.

Established members throughout the district are encouraged to support the new meeting by attending. Additional support may include “service sponsors,” helping mentor the new secretary or others, especially if the new meeting sponsor is in early recovery.

Good Luck!

Starter Kit Request