“We strive for progress, not perfection.”

– Life with Hope, first edition, page 33

I have been in recovery for a long time. Newcomers to our MA meetings ask, “Why do I feel I need Marijuana Anonymous? Am I afraid I’ll go out? Do I have cravings? Am I only here to carry the message?” Other 12-Step meetings also have helped me stay clean all of these years.

Before I came to MA, I worked the Steps, had a sponsor, stayed clean and sober, but I had to keep quiet about my pot; my favorite, my precious. When I got high for the first time; it was like finding God. I remember every moment from the second I realized I was stoned until I stumbled into bed four hours later. I was a teenage alcoholic, but marijuana saved me from alcoholism. My friends, my lovers, my lifestyle, where I lived, what I ate, and what kind of parent I became, were affected by pot. Now that I attend MA meetings, I can talk about these things and I can work the Steps from my real self.

Final thought: Today, I understand that marijuana addiction is a disease. Only with the help of my Higher Power, sponsorship, working with others, working the Steps, will I progress in recovery.