Why MA?

By, Chuck R.

A lot of people in other 12 Step programs ask the question, “Why Marijuana Anonymous?” I tell them that for twelve years, I was in and out of AA and NA and could not put together any length of sobriety or stop smoking pot. I tell them that I could stop drinking and using other drugs for long periods of time, but I could not stop smoking pot. Marijuana was my drug of choice and the other drugs usually always followed a joint. Marijuana was how I started and ended my day. I didn’t do anything or go anywhere without pot. It was how I functioned. I tell them that I need to hear from people who smoked pot like I did. I need a program that primarily deals with marijuana.

Without MA, I don’t think I could have put together 20 months of sobriety. I never could before I attended MA.

For my sobriety, I attend both MA and AA programs, because I am an addict and alcoholic. I applaud all the 12 Step programs, but MA will always be the foundation of my sobriety. I feel I belong.

Published in A New Leaf – February 1991

  • THEN and NOW

    Written by, Al E. The sixties, everybody was tuning in, turning on, and dropping out. I wanted to feel a part of it all. Love-ins, concerts, flowers in my hair, Beatles, Doors, Stones, and even the music went against the “norm.” I’d swear to this day that the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper told us to “smoke…

    THEN and NOW
  • Thought for the Day

    “Yesterday ended last night. Every day is a new beginning learn the skill of forgetting and move on.” – Written by, Norman V.P. Published in A New Leaf – May 1991

    Thought for the Day
  • The Heart of the Seventh Tradition

    Written by, an Anonymous Trusted Servant The Seventh Tradition is about more than “just” money. It’s about unity, responsibility, and protecting MA’s integrity. By declining outside contributions, we remain free from outside influence. That means it’s up to us to keep our fellowship strong. This Tradition is vital to MA’s growth. It deepens our spiritual…

    The Heart of the Seventh Tradition
  • Contemplating Fellowship

    Written by, Geoff F. Recently, it came to my attention that a new MA meeting has been started at the Gay & Lesbian Community Center in West Hollywood. I knew one day such a meeting would start, for if we believe even Master’s and Johnson’s conservative statistics, 10% of all marijuana addicts are gay. I…

    Contemplating Fellowship
  • Being of Service

    Written by, Kathy C. Webster’s Dictionary defines commitment as:“An act of doing or performing something; a promise or pledge to do something.” I describe commitment as a simple extension of oneself in service to others, done in the name of gratitude. We can have no speakers without listeners, no takers without givers. Being of service…

    Being of Service
  • Heard in a Meeting

    “MA is a Higher-Power-help program — not a self-help one.” Published in A New Leaf – July 2025

    Heard in a Meeting
Shop
A New Leaf – Online
A New Leaf Publications
Marijuana Anonymous
Help

Copyright © 1989–2026 Marijuana Anonymous World Services—All Rights Reserved
—Marijuana Anonymous World Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, does not endorse or accept contributions from any outside enterprise—