Pot possession, use and growing becomes legal in Minnesota August 1, with retail sales starting in about a year or so. Now, this is an AA site, not NA, but the two are connected, as most of you know. Here’s an example: A few months ago I was talking to a buddy at an AA meeting here in the Twin Cities about Minnesota legalizing pot. I am a recovering pot smoker as well as recovering drinker, as is my buddy. He said a few years ago when he was a few months sober he learned a state out east had legalized pot. It just so happens the man’s daughter lived in that state, so my buddy decided to go ‘visit’ his daughter. His real plan, however, he told me, was to get stoned. He got stoned and was soon back on the booze and with dire consequences.

I imagine Uptown and all the other AA houses (and NA houses) in Minnesota will start seeing more relapsers just like my buddy; that more struggling recovering alcoholics will take up the ‘marijuana maintenance’ program too. As with my friend, this path will lead to ruin for those of us powerless over booze and other substances. Of course, pot, like booze, wasn’t my problem. I was. Like legal booze, recovering people will just have to deal with it the best way we know how: go to meetings, read the Big Book, stay away from using people and places and work the steps. Its worked for me for 35 years!