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