Alcoholism by Anonymous

I am a recovering alcoholic, and have been "recovering", e.g. sober, over 30 years.  During most of that time I have used m.j. as a substitute for alcohol.  (without the related problems...) In 1970 I tried Alcoholics Anonymous for 1 1/2 years with no success.  Then I turned to a doctor who prescribed Antabuse.   After getting sober I went back to A.A.  I "discovered" m.j.  within the first 4 months of sobriety, and honestly think I  would have relapsed then otherwise.  Mentally I was on the verge of "losing it".

I stayed completely alcohol free for the next 10 years (using my "medicinal marijuana", almost daily) I should also point out that I attended A.A. meetings about three times a week.

Then I had a relapse that lasted four years.  After I sobered up again, it was back to the medical m.j.

In 1988 I quit m.j. for nine years, during which time I had a “slip", (a one-time drunk as opposed to a. Relapse with continued drinking) on average once or twice a year.  The last "slip" lasted 30 days, and I had to sober up in the hospital.

Since then, 1996, I have been alcohol free, of course using my medicinal m.j. daily.

I asked my doctor last year to prescribe Marinol to replace the illegal drug I had been using.  While he gave it *serious consideration*, he elected not to do so.  His reasoning was that it was not an authorized medical procedure.  Personally, I don't think he wanted to "stick his neck out".

So there you have it.  A productive, useful and full life for a hopeless alcoholic.  I would have been dead, under the bridge by age 35 otherwise.  I was nearly there in 1970.

In summary I was/(am) a hopeless alcoholic, as evidenced by  hospitalization in 1969, 1982,3, and 1996 for acute alcoholism. For 25 out of the last 30 years I have been sober, completely alcohol free, and a productive member of society.  All thanks to "medicinal marijuana".