Pubdate: Tue, 16 Apr 2002
Source: Washington Square News (NY Edu)
Copyright: 2002, Washington Square News
Contact:  http://www.nyunews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1621
Note:  also listed as a contact
Author: Arielle Castillo

MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS CLEARS SMOKE OF POT MYTHS

Perusal of NYU's online events calendar regularly turns up listings for 
12-step group meetings on campus, but one in particular may inspire 
disbelief and skepticism: Marijuana Anonymous (MA).

Like the Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon groups that meet on campus, 
Marijuana Anonymous is not affiliated with the school, but holds weekly 
meetings in the Student Events Center. Both NYU students and community 
members attend the meetings, said Jane Bowman, Certified Social Worker 
(CSW) and manager of the Office of Drug and Alcohol Education (ODAE).

According to information on the group's Web site at 
www.marijuana-anonymous.org, the groups and meetings are structured similar 
to those of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), with 12 steps and traditions cribbed 
from AA's original wording. But is such an organization necessary for a 
drug seen by many as purely recreational, and is there a need for students 
to be aware of it?

"It's a meeting just like any other, there's no reason why it shouldn't be 
listed," Saul Cunow, College of Arts and Science (CAS) senior, said. "This 
school has a lot of pot smokers, so that alone implies a need. People 
should have the option if it's there."

"I think people have problems, and it seems like it's a good place to get 
that out," Arun Kumar, CAS freshman, said. "The major point of disagreement 
about marijuana is the degree to which it is dangerous," Jane Bowman wrote 
in her University Health Center article, "The Dope on Pot." "There is 
certainly an accumulation of research that suggests that pot can produce 
negative consequences."

Besides the risks associated with impairment of judgment during the high, 
short-term effects include short-term memory impairment and disruption of 
hormone cycles, as well as, possibly, suppression of immune system 
function, Bowman said. Because of lack of research, long-term effects are 
still unknown, although they may include irritation of the respiratory 
tract, pre-cancerous changes in lung cells, development of coughs and 
problems with motivation, she said.

But is marijuana addictive?

"Addiction means becoming physically and/or psychologically dependent on a 
substance such that, when attempting to cease use, one can experience 
marked, perhaps violent, withdrawal symptoms," Bowman said. "People who 
have struggled to quit using pot talk about the subtle and insidious ways 
in which dependence can develop. The withdrawal syndrome that occurs in 
some heavier pot users includes symptoms like anxiety and restlessness. 
There is some argument about whether these symptoms are physical or 
psychological."

MA's appeal to students may be hampered by common perceptions that pot is 
not, in fact, addictive. The organization, however, begs to differ in 
literature on its Web site.

"We who are marijuana addicts know the answer to this question," states an 
oft-repeated excerpt from a book published by MA called "Life With Hope." 
"Marijuana controls our lives! We lose interest in all else; our dreams go 
up in smoke. Ours is a progressive illness often leading us to addictions 
to other drugs, including alcohol. Our lives, our thinking and our desires 
center around marijuana -- scoring it, dealing it, and finding ways to stay 
high."

Students' feelings are mixed, with some conceding that the drug can be 
mentally addictive and far fewer stating it is physically so.

"It's more mental," Kumar said. "It helps you relax, so if you usually use 
it with that thought, then you'll do it whenever you need to deal with stress."

"Marijuana is fun for people who smoke, and I guess anything fun or 
exciting could be addictive," Bettina Andrianantoandro, General Studies 
Program (GSP) freshman, said.

Cunow said the drug is definitely "socially addictive."

"It's something you get used to doing, so you keep doing it even it it's 
not a physical need," he said. "It's a dangerous addiction because people 
think it's not addictive, because there's no medical evidence and then they 
don't realize what's happening."

"Is there anyone who's really addicted to marijuana?" Seth Thomases, CAS 
freshman, asked.

MA claims that there definitely is. "Whether or not our addiction is 
psychological, physical or both, matters little," states the Frequently 
Asked Questions portion of the group's Web site. "When it comes to the use 
of marijuana, we have lost the power of choice. It is strictly up to the 
individual to decide whether he or she feels addicted to marijuana."

And if that individual decides he or she is addicted, MA may be a means of 
recovery. The only requirement for membership is a desire to quit smoking 
marijuana and to work through the program's steps, according to the Web 
site. The second step alone, though, as listed on the Web site, could put 
off many students at the outset: "...believe a Power greater than ourselves 
[can] restore us to sanity."

But the rest of the group's literature is quick to qualify this statement. 
"To some of us, it is a God of an organized religion; to others, it is a 
state of being commonly called spirituality," states an excerpt from "Life 
With Hope." "Some of us believe in no deity; a Higher Power may be the 
strength gained from being a part of, and caring for, a community of 
others. There is room in MA for all beliefs."

Even this is not enough to convince some students to believe in the 
organization as an option for heavy users.

"I don't put much faith in the whole Anonymous thing," Thomases said. "You 
know, that 'I have a problem, sympathize with me.'"

Still, others agreed that it is up to the individual to decide on a 
solution to a marijuana problem.

"If they decide to go, it's up to them," Andrianantoandro said. "Any 
counseling can help anyone."

If you're using pot or any other substance and feel the use is out of 
control, or if you'd like to cut down on your use, confidential help is 
available through the Office of Drug & Alcohol Education (443-1220) and the 
University Counseling Service (998-4780). For more information on Marijuana 
Anonymous and its local meetings, call (212) 459-4423, or visit 
www.marijuana-anonymous.org
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom