“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana.”
Marijuana Anonymous Tradition 3
Marijuana Anonymous (MA) provides a safe haven for recovery to people who feel they have a problem with their marijuana use. We offer a space to be with others who understand that marijuana/cannabis is addictive. In MA, the terms marijuana and cannabis are often used interchangeably. As stated in our Third Tradition, the only requirement for membership in Marijuana Anonymous is a desire to stop using marijuana. There is no mention of alcohol or any other substances. This is to adhere to the “singleness of purpose” concept. However, many of us have found that the only way we can keep our sobriety is to also abstain from alcohol and all other mind-altering substances (unless those other substances are taken as prescribed by a healthcare provider).
When we give up the drug of our choice, a void is created. The initial struggle to abstain from marijuana often leaves us vulnerable because cannabis no longer clouds our feelings, nor takes up time in our day. We may experience positive feelings of happiness, joy, hope, and fulfillment, as well as negative feelings of anger, depression, resentment, shame, grief, and fear. We may also simply feel bored, not knowing what to do with ourselves now that we aren’t consistently using cannabis. To fill this void, we may start or increase the use of other mind-altering substances, including alcohol, or indulge in addictive behaviors “to take the edge off” these powerful new feelings.
Abstaining from all mind-altering substances and being cautious about compulsive behaviors lowers the risk of relapse and ensures greater success in recovery. We must be careful about prescribed medications and over-the-counter supplements. It is vital that we not deviate from prescribed use as there may be a tendency to self-medicate or overmedicate. Staying mindful of our sobriety at all times is necessary to achieve sustained recovery.
Recovering marijuana addicts may engage in behavioral (process) addictions related to food, sex and love, work, exercise, gambling, shopping, gaming, social media, and technology, etc. This is often referred to as transference or substitution addiction, where one compulsion is exchanged for another as a means to satisfy the brain’s reward system. Although we may not now be addicted to these substances or behaviors, they can lower our inhibitions and lead us back to repeating old patterns of addictive thinking and behavior, including marijuana use. The fact that we became addicted to marijuana reflects a tendency toward behavior that may lead to cross addiction or substitution addiction.
Some marijuana users in recovery go back to using (relapse) a few or several times before they find long-term abstinence. It is common to wish to remain a part of our old social circles. However, those of us who have some time in recovery know that our friends were often determined by our marijuana use. We are different from non-addicts—that’s an important idea to accept. There is an old saying, “once you’re a pickle, you can’t go back to being a cucumber.” Members who have long-term recovery have learned to think of other substances or behaviors as something they haven’t gotten addicted to…yet.
If we are using any substance or behaviors to alter our consciousness—“to take the edge off”—that’s active addiction. To prevent cross addiction and/or relapse, it’s helpful to find activities to engage in that are positive and enjoyable that will become new ways to satisfy the brain’s reward system. In 12-Step programs, it is recommended to attend 90 meetings in 90 days. We suggest trying a variety of meetings in order to find a “home group” (a meeting that you choose to regularly attend). You may already feel as though you have a problem with other substances, and/or that you have process addiction(s) as well. We suggest seeking out other 12-Step fellowships for whatever additional issues you may feel you’re having.
Filling our schedule reduces boredom and helps to fill the void that we mentioned earlier. Some additional suggested activities are prayer, meditation, yoga, sports, exercise, and new or old hobbies. We may journal about our feelings, listen to music, spend time with pets, engage in more self-care, and call or text people to re-establish connections. Often, the urge to use passes more quickly than expected when we take a moment to do something different.
The myth that marijuana is not addictive is still widely believed. Recovering marijuana addicts know this is not true. Cannabis controlled our lives. We lost interest in all else. The good news is we can recover and are not alone. To reiterate, the only requirement for membership in Marijuana Anonymous is a desire to stop using marijuana. It is important, however, to recognize the potential to create another problem as we strive to recover from this one.
For more information on the addictive brain, the reward center, and how marijuana affects our cannabinoid receptors, please reference A Doctor’s Opinion About Marijuana Addiction at MA12.org/Doctors-Opinion.
We came to realize that trying to fix our lives with marijuana hadn’t worked. Marijuana had once seemed to be the most effective way to help us cope with the problem of living, at least temporarily. When we stopped using marijuana, we didn’t automatically feel worthwhile and full of purpose. Our overwhelming feelings, character defects, and negative actions were still there. Sometimes they seemed even stronger than before because we had no anesthetic to dull them. We were not problem users whose problems went away when we threw away our stash. When we stopped using, we found we had a problem with living; we were addicts.
– Excerpted from the fourth paragraph of Step 2 in Life with Hope
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