That sounds like a good program - marijuana anonymous - and I hope it 
grows.  My relapse came about because of pot.  Back then, in AA around 
here, at least in the group I attended, Alcohol was considered seperate
from drugs and we didn't discuss drugs much.  Boy, how times have 
changed in the last 20 years since I've been in AA.  So the whole while
I was doing pot, I thought it was no big thing, and the Xanex, which 
had been prescribed by a doctor, I honestly didn't know it was 
addictive - in fact the doctor regularly re-assured me that it was NOT 
addictive.  And because I wasn't going to AA or having any other 
contact with recovering people, at that time, when I accidentally got 
some pot in some brownies at a party, I just kept eating them - so did 
my ex-husband.  Fortunately for me several things happened.  The first 
thing was that I was working in a detox and someone was admitted for 
xanex withdrawal - freaked me out, i'll tell you.  The second thing was
that I went to a Passover dinner at my sister-in-law's house.  Now this
is ten years ago this coming april.  I had, in the past, brought kosher
for passover, grape juice for these events; however, this time I was 
just "too busy" - my sobriety no longer held first place in my 
priorities.  Someone once told me SLIP stands for Sobriety Loses It's 
Priority and I think they have a good point.  It is one reason I strive
to remain in contact with AA right now, even though physical 
disabilities and other problems - such as my husband recovering from a 
heart attack and my Dad going in and out of remission, while doing very
poorly, from lung cancer.  I am so grateful for these echoes that allow
me to maintain contact with recovery.
.
Anyway, I had a "slip"(?) and drank the wine - four sips - at that 
passover meal.  For me, it was fortunate that this happened, as it 
caused me to realize I was in trouble, whereas the drugs did not. 
(denial - it's not just a river in egypt, any more)  I had had it so 
pounded into my head by the oldtimers - bless their hearts and their 
caustic toungues (GRIN) - in the group I had belonged to when I first 
got sober in AA that time, that I KNEW the first drink is the one that 
gets me drunk because it triggers the mental obsession and the physical
compulsion that will KEEP me drunk.  I went running to an AA meeting 
the next day.  It wasn't my favorite one and still isn't; however, it's
the one that's easiest for me to get to now - and it was even easier 
back then, as I lived a short walk from it.  At that meeting a 
gentleman called on me to speak without asking first.  They had a 90 
days rule - no speaking unless you've been sober ninety days. (It was a
formal speaker meeting not a step meeting or a BB meeting or a 
discussion)  I knew I had to get honest with myself and everyone else 
so I stood up and said out loud "MY name is Judy and I am an alcoholic 
- I have less than twenty four hours sober, so I am not qualified to 
speak"  However I think that man saved my life by putting me in a 
position so I COULD get honest and start over.  (Pride is a killer for 
me)
.
And this time I took suggestions about remaining clean and sober from 
alcohol and other drugs as well.  I'm much more careful about what's 
prescribed by my doctor.  However recently, I did find out I was again 
taking a medication I was assured was not addictive that was.  The 
difference is that I dropped in immediately - instead of using that as 
an excuse to smoke pot and to go on to pick up even ONE drink, which is
always way too many for me, but never enough.  Why the difference in 
attitude?  I don't know.  It could be that I have more contact with the
program than I did before my "relapse" back then.  It could be because 
I've been willing to work the steps to the best of my ability and 
because I have a Higher Power in my life that works for me.  But I 
think alot of it is that Higher Power - the "Grace of God(ess)" it 
talks about on our banners in AA.  I am profoundly grateful that a 
nurse caught the error and told me about it - she was a nurse 
practitioner too, so she prescribed something else that I'm familiar 
with that I know is definitely not addictive, as I've used it before.
.
I also think it was partly willingness - I have it now and I did not 
have it some ten years ago or more, when all that began.  So pot is a 
big part of my story too, as you can see.  Personally, I think I'm the 
lucky one.  My ex-husband didn't see anything wrong with the four sips 
of wine he took that passover.  He compared it to some of our local 
recovering priests who drink wine during the Catholic Mass and still 
consider themselves sober.  He also continues to smoke pot, even though
he still collects coins for twenty or so years of sobriety - and still 
doesn't do much serious step work, etc.   (Nobody is fooled but him - I
know all this because my fellow AA members who see him at their weekly 
meeting see fit to tell me, even though I really don't want to know)
The only difference I can see is a Higher Power, whom I choose to call 
GOD(ess), at work in my life.  
.
Because otherwise I would have remained stark raving sober.  Oh I can 
be that way today on occasion, but NOT like I used to be - I was an 
arrogant B*tch for my first 6 plus years in recovery and I think many 
folks were secretly relieved that I'd finally relapsed and lost a 
little of my steam.  However that one drink forced me to face myself - 
because one particular man and a group surrounding him dunned it into 
my thick skull that it's the first drink that gets you drunk.  That 
little bit of wine scared me where pounds of pot or pills did not - 
thank goodness.  So I am very glad to hear there is a marijuana 
anonymous for those who need it - I know how dangerous that substance 
can be, for me.
.
As usual, I am rambling too much.  However, before I sign off, let me 
share with you something an old timer - 50 plus years sober when he 
died last year or the year before - shared with me.  He told me early 
AA grew and new meetings started because of fellows with a resentment 
and a coffeepot, who started their own meetings.  I don't think the 
resentment is necessary - just the coffeepot and maybe some raffle 
tickets. (GRIN)  By all means, start a meeting in your area if you want
to.  It's worth the effort.  I have a friend who started a meeting of a
new program here in town over five years ago and she just attained 30 
years sober - and she seems to believe that starting this new group, to
deal with another challenge she was facing, has made staying sober a 
whole lot easier.  I'm going to shut up now before I run out of lines.
(GRIN)
--- TriToss (tm) Professional 10.0 - #66
---------------