When Kathleen McSharry assumed her position as associate dean of the college for issues of chemical dependency last spring, she looked into the prevalence of marijuana use on campus and its effect on students' abilities to meet academic goals. Deciding there was a problem, she helped set up a Providence chapter of Marijuana Anonymous, which began meeting in September.
The group aims to help members abstain from marijuana use rather than help them moderate it. "People who show up should have a desire to stop smoking pot," McSharry said. "That's an expectation."
The chapter is not limited to Brown students and accepts anyone from the greater Providence community who wants to attend. Currently, Brown students comprise fewer than half the group's members.
"Some people need help in school or with a psychiatrist. I needed a community," said a Brown student who joined the chapter and who asked not to be identified.
Because members assist one another on their roads to recovery, the group provides a positive feedback mechanism that would be absent from individuals' isolated attempts to come clean, McSharry said.
"By themselves, users are much less likely to abstain and live happy and useful lives," McSharry said. MA helps members maintain the gains they have made and encourages them to refocus on their responsibilities, she said.
Since the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous in the early 20th century, many 12-step groups have formed, including Narcotics Anonymous in the 1950s and, more recently, Overeaters Anonymous. Although each group addresses a different type of addiction, they promote similar paths to recovery.
In the late 1980s, groups for marijuana addicts formed in several West Coast locations and later merged into one organization. MA is patterned after AA and uses the same 12 steps and 12 traditions as the basis for dealing with addiction. The guidelines stress that members should each have a desire to abstain from use, uphold the group's primary purpose and respect the anonymity of the members.
McSharry said it is "no surprise" that most MA chapters are located in liberal college towns, citing chapters in Berkeley, Calif., Madison, Wis., and Ithaca, N.Y., as examples.
Members who have attended other 12-step meetings found that when they brought up their marijuana problem, they were ostracized for having an addiction perceived to be less harmful than alcoholism or an addiction to other illicit drugs, such as cocaine or heroin.
According to the Brown student, "When you have a problem with pot, you need something specific. AA and NA didn't work for me. But for the majority of people in MA, pot was the drug of choice," making it easier for members to support one another.
"When more experienced people articulate a certain behavior, you can recognize that you may have experienced that," the student said, adding that members' ability to relate to one another is "very healing and surprising, though most addicts find that."
Older MA members keep attending meetings because they know they can help others in the group. Joe, an MA member and sponsor, believes that the "newcomers are the most important members because they keep the old-timers vigilant" by reminding them of the consequences that will await them if they relapse.
MA promotes a spiritual recovery program, embracing broad values that can accommodate atheistic and agnostic views. "The program can be adapted for every person to fit their needs, (including) ethical and religious predilections," the Brown student said.
Many members find that ceding control to a higher power can help recovery. For some, the idea of a community qualifies as this ultimate force. For others, the power is embodied in God.
"People take what they need from it," the student said.
MA does not impose views on its members. In fact, one of the 12 traditions states that "MA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the MA name ought never to be drawn into public controversy."
Accordingly, MA has no opinion on drug laws or legalization of medical marijuana. McSharry clarified that the MA program is "not meant to raise general awareness or to educate the general population about political issues related to marijuana."
McSharry said that it is "hard to gauge the effectiveness" of the group, since results are "self-reported and anecdotal." The group meets every Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
