Congratulations on your decision to create a new MA meeting! Creating a meeting requires experience, strength, hope and willingness to facilitate the new meeting until regular attending members of the group are willing to also be of service to support the new meeting.
The only requirement for starting a Marijuana Anonymous (MA) meeting is that you be an MA member in recovery and that the meeting adheres to The Twelve Steps and The Twelve Traditions. If you are very newly sober, starting a meeting can be a daunting proposition. Consider building up some sobriety time, experience in the program, and a fellowship of other members before you decide to start a meeting yourself.
Prior to starting a meeting, it is strongly suggested that you:
- Attend a variety of MA meetings (Online / Phone / In-Person) so that you fully understand how the MA program and 12-Step meetings work.
- Have six months free from marijuana (ideally also from alcohol and other substances not taken as prescribed by a medical professional).
- Work with two or more members to start a new meeting, as there are multiple service positions to fill.
There are various responsibilities when starting an MA meeting. This New Meeting Starter Kit is full of resources and insights, gathered from the experiences of many MA members, but the majority of the work is yours to do.
The World Services Outreach committee has also created a Meeting Resource Library that contains a combination of Conference-approved and non-Conference-approved literature for any meeting to use and/or download. You are welcome to adapt any of the template documents for use in your meetings.
Once the new meeting is ready to start, fill out the form to list it on the Meeting Finder via our List a Meeting page.
One addict helping another is a fundamental part of our program, so please don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. We can offer suggestions for the above, but the majority of the work is your responsibility. If you have any questions about creating a new MA meeting, please email the Outreach Trustee.
New Meeting Starter Kit
The New Meeting Starter Kit is full of resources and insights, gathered from the experiences of many MA members regarding things to consider before creating a meeting.
Some Contents of a New Meeting Starter Kit:
- Responsibilities when starting an MA meeting:
- 7th Tradition / Treasury
- Venue suggestions (In-person/online/phone)
- Attributes of the meeting (open/closed, affinity groups, etc.)
- Script composition
- Group literature and other materials:
- Meeting Resource Library explained
- Sobriety tokens/chip information
- Flyer samples
- Maintaining and fostering a safe and healthy group:
- Listing within the MA Meeting Finder
- Business meeting format suggestions
- Membership retention suggestions
- Understanding the Structure of the Fellowship
- Service Positions at the meeting-level
- Starting a meeting independently or within a District/Region
- Benefits of being part of a District
- MA World Services introduction
Optionally, a print version may be purchased and mailed by A New Leaf Publications, the publishing department of MA.
The Meeting Resource Library serves as a catalog of documents that can be viewed on the website or downloaded for later use. The library contains some materials which are and are not Conference-approved. This includes meeting readings and script samples of various formats. There are also many resources for business meetings and materials for having safe meeting spaces. Additionally, the Meeting Resource Library will also contain translated versions of these documents, as available.
The Outreach Committee maintains the New Meeting Starter Kit and the Meeting Resource Library and ensures it is kept up to date. The Outreach Trustee is available to communicate with Meeting Sponsors and support can be requested by emailing [email protected].
Welcome to the MA family!
New Meeting Starter Kit – digital download
Order the printed version of the New Meeting Starter Kit
When starting a meeting, please additionally receive and refer to the MA Service Manual
The MA Service Manual is an invaluable reference resource for members in service, meetings, Regions, and Districts. The purpose of this manual is to explain the organization and function of the Service Structure of MA. The procedures, guidelines, and service structures have been created to best unify MA and pursue the goal of helping the marijuana addict.
The Service Manual also provides some context to the history of MA, including historical documents, such as the Conference Charter and Bylaws, and further explains the relationship between the fellowship of MA and the nonprofit section 501(c)(3) corporation of MA World Services. We hope that this manual will help all who are interested in service to MA to understand the value of service and the way in which it is rendered. The Service Manual is updated annually to reflect the latest decisions made at the MA World Service Conference.
MA Service Manual v8.1 – Digital Download
*This PDF has been released as of August 2024 and reflects the actions of the 2024 Conference.
**Note: the MA App currently displays Service Manual version 7.1 and will be updated to Service Manual version 8.1 once the app update is released.
Order the printed version of the Service Manual
For additional MA service materials see the MA World Services Committee Handbooks
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