Addiction: anonymous cannabis users

We've all heard of Alcoholics Anonymous, but Anonymous Cannabis Users (MA for Marijuana Anonymous) go relatively unnoticed. Yet the organization was founded in 1989 and has spread throughout the United States. It follows the same model as Alcoholics Anonymous and aims to combat cannabis addiction by encouraging open discussion and acknowledging the dependency.

A group open to everyone

Membership is free and open to anyone who feels that their cannabis use is taking over their life and who considers themselves addicted. The group does, however, identify characteristic traits of cannabis addiction, such as a lack of interest in other things, an inability to manage one’s life properly, procrastination, and an obsession with smoking.

Through 12 questions, the organization aims to help people determine whether their relationship with cannabis is unhealthy. The questions address cannabis use, for example, whether you use it alone or in a group, whether it has influenced your circle of friends, whether it is a way for you to avoid dealing with your problems or emotions, whether it has caused you problems with memory, concentration, or motivation, or whether it has strained your relationships with your loved ones.

The group denies having any religious affiliation, although’if God is mentioned in his 12 Steps to Recovery. According to the organization, the reference to God refers to a spiritual entity that is not affiliated with any secular institution. The concept of spirituality is, however, prominent in its teachings: the 12 steps are meant to guide one toward a form of «enlightenment.».

A process at twelve steps

To guide its members, the organization offers a recovery process modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous. Having a mentor is also recommended. Essentially, it involves acknowledging one’s powerlessness through rigorous self-reflection and surrendering to a higher power to achieve spiritual enlightenment. It is also about making amends for the harm caused to others and to oneself, and to show the determination to take control of one's life again.

Each stage of recovery is centered around a principle that ultimately leads to self-love and self-respect and a life of sobriety. These principles include: honesty, hope, courage, integrity, willpower, humility, love and forgiveness, justice, perseverance, spiritual awakening, and finally, service.

A particular dependency

While there is a lack of scientific and medical infrastructure to address cannabis addiction issues may become a problem given the growing acceptance and destigmatization of its use; community-based alternatives such as Cannabis Smokers Anonymous are breaking the taboo surrounding addictive behaviors.

According to experts, 10 % of consumers are at risk of becoming addicted. Cannabis addiction is unique in that it is not as dramatic as addiction to other substances: it does not lead to life-threatening physical withdrawal symptoms or violent behavior. It is therefore, in fact, much more insidious and less widely recognized, and often results in productivity issues that primarily affect the addict themselves. Withdrawal symptoms tend to manifest as anxiety, irritability, strange dreams, or sleep problems—all symptoms that can be attributed to other causes and that make cannabis addiction invisible.