From the preamble to the book Life
With Hope:
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana. There
are no dues or fees for membership. We are self-supporting through our own
contributions. MA is not affiliated with any religious or secular institution
or organization and has no opinion on any outside controversies or causes. Our
primary purpose is to stay free of marijuana and to help the marijuana addict
who still suffers achieve the same freedom. We can do this by practicing our
suggested Twelve Steps of recovery and by being guided as a group by our
Twelve Traditions.
- Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon M.A.
unity.
- For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority, a loving God
whose expression may come through in our group conscience. Our leaders are
but trusted servants; they do not govern.
- The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana.
- Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups
or M.A. as a whole.
- Each group has but one primary purpose, to carry its message to the
marijuana addict who still suffers.
- M.A. groups ought never endorse, finance, or lend the M.A. name to any
related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property,
and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
- Every M.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside
contributions.
- Marijuana Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service
centers may employ special workers.
- M.A., as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards
or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Marijuana Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the M.A. name
ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- Our public relations policy is based upon attraction rather than
promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press,
radio, t.v., film, and other public media. We need guard with special care
the anonymity of all fellow M.A. members.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever
reminding us to place principles before personalities.