Who is eligible to vote?

According to Tradition Four, groups/meetings are autonomous and free to determine how to obtain a group conscience for the fellowship-wide vote on the proposed changes. 

“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana.” – MA Third Tradition

MA World Services has no rules or requirements about how to obtain a group conscience, and does not govern. This includes determining member sobriety requirements for voter eligibility, including length of time sober, and/or time attending MA meetings. If a meeting has an established way of obtaining its group conscience, including eligibility requirements, the group/meeting may continue to use any process that functions for the group conscience. 

We ask that you remember Tradition Five, “each group has but one primary purpose, to carry its message to the marijuana addict who still suffers.” The newcomer is often the most important person in the room. 

There are no rules about this from the perspective of MA World Services. Unless the group conscience of the group/meeting says otherwise, members are free to vote at any and all meetings that they attend. 

The goal of MA World Services is to represent every member’s voice within the fellowship. It is understandable that members may want to vote at all the meetings they usually attend, if they have multiple “home groups,” groups/meetings within the same district, or groups/meetings with multiple occurrences per week. 

When the annual Conference motions are presented for groups/meetings to vote, nothing prohibits members from voting at more than one meeting as far as MA World Services is concerned, and in many districts, members do traditionally vote at every meeting they attend.

Autonomous meetings are free to decide whether or not there are any such requirements for the group/meeting, including how to obtain a group conscience for the fellowship-wide vote on the proposed changes. Some groups/meetings may uphold a group conscience regarding if a member has already voted at another meeting. While other times a member themselves may personally carry a belief about how many times they would like to vote, even though there is no group-wide requirement in place limiting the number of times they can vote.

“Every group has the right of self-government undertaken without outside control. Every group can manage itself exactly as it pleases . .  [and] may make any decisions or adopt any format it likes.” -Tradition Four, Life with Hope 3rd edition. pg 71-72

MA World Services does not have limitations regarding a member’s participation in one or more group conscience business meetings.

“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana.” – MA Third Tradition

Learn more about why District 12 chose to bring forth the motion for a fellowship-wide vote in the motion contextual statement: Marijuana-Anonymous.org/Vote

The MA Service Manual explains the, “Procedure for Approval of Changes in the Language of the Steps, Traditions, and/or General Warranties.” 

“Should a conference motion pass which seeks to change the text of the Steps, Traditions, and/or General Warranties, the written consent of three-quarters of all groups, as required by the Conference Charter, shall be obtained as follows: The proposed change shall be sent to all meetings registered with World Services and, after no less than 6 months, those ballots returned shall be counted. A yes vote of three-quarters of the returned ballots shall be sufficient to meet the requirement of the Conference Charter to implement the proposed change(s).” – Service Manual version 7.1 page 62

This section of the Service Manual does not have any further information regarding voter requirements. Based upon the Third Tradition, any person with a desire to quit marijuana is a member of MA. 

According to the MA Fourth Tradition, meetings are autonomous. If a meeting has an established way of obtaining its group conscience, including eligibility requirements, the group/meeting may continue to use any process that functions for the group conscience. 

Whether they’re a newcomer who is attending that meeting for the first time, or they are not a regular attendee of that meeting and attending as a visitor, the group should consider that this individual is an equal member of the fellowship and it is important to hear from all of our member’s voices. We ask that you remember Tradition Five, “each group has but one primary purpose, to carry its message to the marijuana addict who still suffers.”

The newcomer is often the most important person in the room.

No, only groups/meetings can submit a ballot response. However, individual members can submit their vote by voting in the group conscience business meetings about this motion for the groups/meetings they attend. So while individuals cannot submit a ballot vote, there are many opportunities for individual members to vote in the different meetings/groups that they attend. 

No, only groups/meetings can submit a ballot response. However, individual members can submit their vote by voting in the group conscience business meetings about this motion for the groups/meetings they attend. So while individuals cannot submit a ballot vote, there are many opportunities for individual members to vote in the different meetings/groups that they attend.

This demonstrates the importance of providing sufficient notice to the meeting/group of when the group conscience business meeting when the motion will be discussed and voted on is scheduled. While a minimum of two weeks notice is typical, since there are six months for voting to take place, it is possible to provide even more than two weeks notice if there is any doubt that some members may not have been adequately notified of when the meeting/group’s business meeting, discussion and group conscience vote will occur. 

However they decide to proceed within their autonomy provided by the Fourth Tradition, meetings and groups should ensure that their group conscience business meetings do not happen on a whim so that all members who wish to have an opportunity to participate in the discussion and voting process.