cbsmith

I stopped drinking in October, coming up on one year, and feeling great. I recently took over chairing duties of my AA group and go to 4 or 5 meetings a week.

While I haven't had any relapses with alcohol since quitting, I have continued to smoke weed once or twice a month. I keep a close eye on it. I cut out Klonnapin when I cut out booze last year, as well as cigarettes. I just don't consider marijuana to be addictive in the same way booze, benzos, and nicotine were for me.

And yet I know it's not suggested in recovery. I'm wondering what people's take it on the subject.

have a great sunday!

Brian

Nattythreads

Ooooh! Sure you'll get a range on that one Brian - some strident, some more laissez faire. I know many in AA that continued smoking for quite a while and then that went too because they found it was beginning to sit all wrong with them. I'm presuming you're starting to have your own doubts?

I suppose one of the common things that the thread will throw up is "have you checked with your sponsor?" if you indeed have one?

But when I last looked, Step One said "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol" whereas in NA we're "powerless over our addictions". So I can imagine if you were chairing an NA meet, that might be somewhat more of an issue!

And like me, I'm presuming you've had problems on multiple fronts so sponsor aside, it's really going to come down to you mate. If you're comfortable and feel you're being completely honest with yourself, that's what counts.

Best of luck chap.

least

There are many people who can take pot or leave it. But there are just as many who have big problems with it. Bottom line is that it's still a drug and still illegal, which is a problem in itself. I'd take it up with your sponsor.

silentrun

I thought when it became legal in Minnesota (I believe some day it will) I might smoke once in a while. Then I just recently came across this. I cut out the part of the article that pertains:


Houston reported attending several rehab facilities in the past few years, where she would have learned that she would need to abstain from both drugs AND alcohol in order to be sober and to maintain long term recovery. The message that Houston gave viewers in this interview is that if you are a drug addict, then you do not need to abstain from other mood altering drugs such as alcohol (with the exception of medications that are taken AS PRESCRIBED by a medical professional). She appears to justify drinking "now and then" because alcohol "wasn't an issue" for her. However, it is known within the addiction treatment and recovery world that in order to be truly sober, a drug addict would also need to abstain from alcohol-even if they did not consider themselves an alcoholic. The same applies for sober alcoholics who report that they do not have a problem with marijuana-it should be understood that sobriety will involve abstaining from marijuana as well

If you want the link to the entire article
Whitney Houston

phoebe64

Well, if you can smoke pot twice a month and not have a problem, hopefully it stays that way and does not lead you to other substances. That is for you to figure out. However, if you use a drug, you are not sober. Sober is a freedom/abstinence from mood altering substances.

digdug

As someone who has jumped from drug to drug, substitutions left and right, it's all or nothing for me.

I didn't start drinking hard until I was 28, and that was when the weed stopped working for me.

And as Natty has already expeditiously pointed out, what does your sponsor have to say about your choice?

And this not to make you feel guilty, just trying to point something out. You know that people come to AA with problems with drugs, including weed, in addition to alcohol. How do you think someone who is powerless over marijuana would react to you chairing the meeting?

Obviously there are no clear cut answers. Talk to you sponsor lol.

ScottFromWI

My thoughts on pot is that its a drug, it can can be addictive, and I'm an addict. You mention you "keep a close eye on it"...why would you need to if you had no potential for addiction?

And whether you agree with the law or not, it is still illegal in many places and many employers and insurance companies test for it.

sugarbear1

What did you and your sponsor agree on? It's a program of honesty.

I honestly can't do anything that messes with my head.

MythOfSisyphus

The more distance I put between myself and my drinking days the more I've begun to view all drugs in a negative light. Probably the worst side effects of weed for most people are the legal ones (ie it's against the law). I can't say what's right for everyone else but for me I wouldn't quit one drug (booze) and keep doing another (weed). But if you honestly just smoke bud a couple times a month it's probably not a big deal.

Dee74

I destroyed my life as completely on pot as I did on alcohol later.

There's a lot of others here who did the same, or had loved ones who did, so in the course of this thread I'd ask we remember them and respect the fact this is a recovery forum.

For me, I was the problem. I wanted to escape my life and I had an appetite for self destruction. Pot fitted the bill as well as anything else, probably better cos I could kid myself it wasn't as bad as other things.

Looking back tho, it was - it stole the best part of 30 years from me.
I found nothing benign or lesser about it at all.

I think you're so close to being totally free of the shackles Brian - why not go for it completely?

D

misspond

Personally, pot was a way for me to hide from the problems in my life that were holding me back. The drug and my AV had me believe that it wasn't a problem. However, once decided not to smoke it any more (and committed fully to that decision after some 20 years of daily use) I discovered that I had been lying to myself about a very big thing. I'm now about 1000% happier for giving up pot and changing my life.

Amajorityofone

Since I became 100% sober I've read more than 20 books over the last thirteen months, and ten over the last three. Right now, I'm on pace to quadruple my reading production from a year ago. When I juxtaposed my reading production over the same time period with the addition of marijuana, the results were horrifying. And this ignores fitness, sexual, financial, appearance and housing improvements.

For me, life is simply much, much, better without any drugs and/or alcohol.

DG0409

I quit marijuana as well as alcohol and I'm glad that I did.

FourSeasons

I am glad you posted about this topic! Thank-you.

I live in a state where marijuana is legal. It is used to treat many ailments including depression and anxiety. I have tried many big pharma cures to depression and anxiety in the past. The very nature of these drugs is to alter moods. They are mood altering. Prescription drugs never helped me and I did not enjoy the negative side effects. Plus, I am generally disgusted with Big Pharma for many, many reasons.

I have been toying with the idea of getting a prescription for medical marijuana. Please know, I am empathetic to those who have struggled with pot addiction. I personally can take it or leave it. I am ok with one joint... unlike my inability to be ok with one glass of wine.

However, for me, I view the benefits of marijuana to far outway the negatives of Big Pharma's little pills...

I am curious to know what other think regarding the legalization of marijuana, now in many states, and how they view marijuana compared to other "prescribed" mood-altering drugs...

SkyeSea

I only ever smoked it a handful of times, but I have to say, that those were in the days when all you had to worry about, was 'Is it grass or weed'.
These days, you never know WHAT is mixed in with it! Be careful!! x

Dee74

If you've disclosed your full addictive history to your Dr, 4S and you both truly believe that medical marijuana is the best way forward, then thats between you and your Dr.

I self medicated marijuana for many years - pain relief was one of my main excuses - truth be told it didn't do much for the pain for me - it did make me care less about it tho (and everything else)

Personally I'm happy with the Big Pharmas little pills because all they do for me is effectively deal with my pain - but they're not something I ever crave - frankly it's all a bit of a chore and I avoid taking them unless I really need help...and for me thats a good relationship for me and meds.

D

Jsober

Thank you for the share. I know with myself, I am addicted to escaping problems and really just life. I would just ask yourself, why am I smoking right now? I am trying to escape life, thoughts, others, myself. And really just look at that honestly.
I have found I grow when I don't escape and walk through the feelings and thoughts without chemicals. I am forced to cope with life on life's terms and learn new ways to cope.
Maybe you aren't trying to escape anything- just a thought on one thing to examine.

Ohio1

The point of sobriety isn't hitting some threshold or fitting a legal definition- its being happy and leading the best life you can. Personally I could never smoke pot moderately- if its around I'm smoking it and I'll make sure its around. Regardless it leads back to alcohol for me, there's just no way around this. I think you will find that basically every alcoholic who smokes pot will have problems from it, and every drug user who tries to drink moderately will have the same problem in reverse.

Mountainmanbob

Just for me
if I smoked pot it would not conform with my sobriety date

FourSeasons

Hello, Mountainmanbob! I appreciate your comment. My question to you then is would you be ok with taking a prescribed pill to treat depression or anxiety and would Big Pharma prescriptions confirm to your sobriety date under these circumstances?