Personal Story

IT'S ENOUGH WRITTEN ON A CHALK BOARD

Written By Jess A.

I started smoking pot my freshman year of high school. I was an off and on smoker for 40 years. When I was on, I was on. As time progressed and weed got stronger, quitting became more challenging and my ability to live a normal life got harder and harder.

I found MA phone meetings in 2018. I had 18 months under my belt and then COVID hit, my daughter and her fiancee moved in and I started stealing pot from them. I relapsed 5 times over the next 2 years. I finally said enough is enough. I rented an Airbnb for 4 days/3 nights for my own “rehab”. My husband dropped me off on a Thursday and picked me up on a Sunday. I didn’t have a car, I live in California, so I could have walked to a dispensary, however I was determined to quit for good this time. I listened to zoom meeting after meeting, took baths, went for walks, read, journaled and detoxed.

This time I wanted it to stick. I told myself the missing ingredient recommended was to follow the suggestion of 90 meetings in 90 days, so that was the change I incorporated and I honestly believe that was the difference necessary to become committed to abstinence.

Today, I have 1190 days, that’s 3 years and almost 3 months without cannabis. I am a sponsor, I serve in meetings, I talk to fellows daily, I attend meetings weekly and I DON’T miss Mary Jane, at all. I love myself, others and my MA community. I am a different person than before. I am becoming the person I wanted to be, for years. I attribute it all to working the steps and being committed to improving myself daily. I believe the only requirement is a desire to be a better version of myself and a daily commitment to my higher power, everything else falls in line.💜

Published By A New Leaf – December 2025

More Articles

  • Heard in a Meeting

    “When I smoked, my problems would have puppies.” – Anonymous Published in A New Leaf – May 2025

    Heard in a Meeting
  • Counting the Days

    Artwork by Alan C. Published in A New Leaf – January 2016

    Counting the Days
  • Remember Me?

    Written by Cassie C. Remember me?We met at a party.When I was much younger.You were my best friend.Always there to lift my up.Always there to make me laugh.Always there to help me not care, Nor to cry:I was always the life of the party.You numbed me from reality.From the hurt, and pain inside.You made me…

    Remember Me?
  • “Puff” Piece for 420 Soberthon

    By Ras M. of District 27 I used to smoke to stop time. I just needed a pause – from the oncoming crazy, and my subsequent flooding of anxiety. Of course, there would be the crazy again, 5 hours later. When I stopped smoking, I found it challenging to fill large chunks of time in…

    “Puff” Piece for 420 Soberthon
  • Reclaiming 420 in Recovery

    By M. of District 27 For the past 6 years I have struggled to put clean time together, both in and out of the rooms of MA. Every time that April 20th rolls around, I have tried in vain to block out the existence of this once seemingly celebratory day and the memories that it…

    Reclaiming 420 in Recovery
  • Sober Creed

    Created by Brian B. Published April 2025 As a former U.S. Army military police officer, I learned early on the power of motivation, discipline, and perseverance. Although I couldn’t become a Ranger due to my specialized career, the Ranger Creed became a cornerstone of my mindset. I wore the Ranger tab inside my pocket over…

    Sober Creed