Marijuana Anonymous
Encyclopedia
Marijuana Anonymous is a Twelve-step program
for people with common desire to maintain abstinence from marijuana
.
and suggests practicing the Twelve Steps, which both originated from Alcoholics Anonymous
. Among the founders at the first MA conference in Morro Bay were delegates from Marijuana Smokers Anonymous (Orange County, California
), Marijuana Addicts Anonymous (the San Francisco Bay
area), and Marijuana Anonymous (Los Angeles County). Other existing fellowships from Seattle and New York
, David Izenzon
, (1974) enfolded into MA later.
Various meeting formats exist. These include, but are not limited to: speaker, participation, book study, candlelight.
's book, Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, this book describes the steps and traditions of the program as they relate specifically to marijuana addicts. Similar to The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)
, Life with Hope contains personal stories of recovery. The full text is available in PDF format and an audio version is archived online.
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
for people with common desire to maintain abstinence from marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
.
History
Marijuana Anonymous (MA) formed in June 1989 to address compulsive use of cannabis. Since its inception, MA has followed the Twelve TraditionsTwelve Traditions
The Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines for relationships between the twelve-step groups, members, other groups, the global fellowship, and society at large. Questions of finance, public relations, donations, and purpose are addressed in the Traditions...
and suggests practicing the Twelve Steps, which both originated from Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. Among the founders at the first MA conference in Morro Bay were delegates from Marijuana Smokers Anonymous (Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
), Marijuana Addicts Anonymous (the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area), and Marijuana Anonymous (Los Angeles County). Other existing fellowships from Seattle and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, David Izenzon
David Izenzon
David Izenzon was an American jazz double bassist.Izenzon began playing double bass at age twenty-four. He played locally in his hometown of Pittsburgh before moving to New York City in 1961...
, (1974) enfolded into MA later.
Meetings
Meetings are a vital part of the MA program. This is where fellowship members go for support, for literature, and mark and celebrate their abstinence from marijuana. There are regularly scheduled (typically weekly) land meetings across the globe, as well as online meetings. Those with a desire to quit marijuana use may also participate in an online discussion forum.Various meeting formats exist. These include, but are not limited to: speaker, participation, book study, candlelight.
Life With Hope
The full title is Life With Hope: A Return to Living Through the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Marijuana Anonymous. Similar to AAAlcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
's book, Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, this book describes the steps and traditions of the program as they relate specifically to marijuana addicts. Similar to The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)
The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)
Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism is a 1939 self-help text on alcoholism, written by the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill W. & Dr. Bob...
, Life with Hope contains personal stories of recovery. The full text is available in PDF format and an audio version is archived online.