FORMER MARIJUANA ADDICTS SHARE HOW THEY GOT CLEAN, GOT THEIR LIVES BACK

Adam started smoking marijuana in college at concerts and outings with friends.

"It was just sporadic," recalls the licensed professional, who asked
to not reveal his last name or community.

He increased his use of the drug, smoking every weekend, then long
weekends and finally - by the end of college - he was smoking every day.

Adam, now 35, sought help - and because of that, he is now trying to
let people abusing marijuana know that there are Marijuana Anonymous
groups to help people break the addiction.

Adam said in the early years, his wife didn't complain about his smoking.

"Then she noticed I was smoking way too much," he said.

He would try going two weeks without smoking or only smoke on weekends.

"No matter how I tried to quit or set up parameters, I would break
(them)," he said.

Adam smoked for 18 years.

"I knew I had a problem long before I did something about it because
I didn't think it was a big deal," he said.

"Finally I agreed to attend the Marijuana Anonymous meeting in
Ferndale and found others who shared similar stories I could directly
relate to," he said.

Mike, Marijuana Addict

Mike said he sees people from all walks of life at the Marijuana
Anonymous meeting held Tuesdays and Saturdays in Ferndale at Zion
Lutheran Church.

"Teachers, lawyers, and a significant number are court-ordered
attendees," he said.

The group has been meeting since the late 1990s, he said.

There are other groups that meet in Detroit and recently a group
began in Ann Arbor.

"It's a fellowship I can relate my drug of choice to," said Mike.

"I didn't feel comfortable in Narcotics Anonymous because I didn't
get blown out on coke (cocaine) or prescription drugs. But my life
did become unmanageable."

Mike has been clean 18 years, he said.

Medical Marijuana Debate

With Michigan communities now snarled in issues involving medical
marijuana, Mike thinks about the various aspects of the law, passed in 2008.

"I struggle with (the law)," he said.

"I know marijuana can be medicine. I know there are mental health
disorders that could be addressed by this. (It can help) people with
chronic pain."

Mike is concerned about how easily people seem to acquire a medical
marijuana card, he said.

"There are people at our meetings who say you can see (certain)
doctors and get a card pretty easily. I know people (who have cards)
who are not debilitated."

Adam said medical marijuana may add "mental hurdles" to addicts.

"Because it's a psychological addiction, it gives you more reasons to
go back to smoking," he said.

"If society says it's OK to be smoking, then why shouldn't I?"

In Adam's experience, the people attending Marijuana Anonymous
meetings are "100 percent" recreational addicts, not people who were
involved with medical marijuana.

People Welcome at Meetings

Now clean for nearly two years, Adam began a new Marijuana Anonymous
in Birmingham in November.

"I'm trying to raise awareness of it," he said.

There is no fee to attend the meeting, which is held at 8 p.m. on
Wednesdays at the First Presbyterian Church at 1669 W. Maple Road.

"For me, the biggest (draw at meetings) was having others around who
have same addiction," he said.

"I hear them struggling as I struggled. I tried to do this on my own
(but couldn't)."

Adam says his life has changed for the better.

"After two or three weeks, my headaches were gone and my lung
capacity was better," he said.

"My anxiety was gone. I feel totally different."

Adam knows there are people who abuse all kinds of drugs, including alcohol.

"There are people who drink and don't abuse alcohol," he said.

"That's what these 12-step programs are for - for people like me who
have no 'off' button.

"I want to help others who are as addicted to marijuana as I was. As
the saying goes in the meetings, when you help others, you help yourself."