Where Do Programs Like “Marijuana Anonymous” Stand in States With Legal Cannabis?
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]M[/dropcap]embers of a 12-step Marijuana Anonymous program are struggling in a state with recreational cannabis, simply because many are re-interpreting ways to handle “cannabis addiction.”
Joseph is a member of Marijuana Anonymous in Eugene, Oregon, where recreational cannabis is legal. Joseph says he was addicted to cannabis for 35 years— since the age of 16. After being clean for ten years, Joseph is questioning the entire program.” I feel really vulnerable now,” Joseph told KOMO News. “Now (cannabis) is legal, and there are green crosses all over town.”
Joseph’s chapter of Marijuana Anonymous draws about eight individuals each week. Attendees are rewarded for their length of time sober. Many factions of MA adopt a spiritual approach to the 12-step recovery which includes a belief in a Higher Power.
Dr. Paul Steier of Serenity Lane in Eugene believes there’s a downside to regular cannabis use. “Marijuana is less harmful than most other drugs used,” Steier said. “It’s even less toxic than alcohol. But like any mood-altering substance, cannabis can have an addictive potential.”
Legal cannabis in Oregon has formed another sub-group of Marijuana Anonymous – those who allow themselves a moderate amount of medical cannabis. Barbara describes herself as a former addict, but continues to use cannabis under a doctor’s supervision. I was able to scale down from 14 medications to just three,” she said.
Even though there is a broad scope still used in terms of “addiction,” many are not seeing cannabis the same way they always have. Mr. Showker is a manager of a Eugene dispensary. “I think there are addicts in the world, and addicts find things to be addicted to,” he said. “It’s possible to be a marijuana addict, like a coffee addict.”
