Can I Quit Drinking Without Giving Up Weed?

Cannabis use can be a controversial topic in the addiction recovery world; ultimately, it's your recovery and your decision.

‘A Group of Danish Artists in Rome', Constantin Hansen, 1837

Hi Sober Lady,

Is it possible to feel like you only need recovery/sobriety from one thing? How can you best find resources that help you with drinking without requiring, say, giving up weed?

-PT

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Hi PT,

This is an excellent and well-timed question; a few weeks ago, I wrote about musician Jelly Roll’s attendance at AA meetings despite being “a known weed smoker,” and earlier today, a friend asked about recovery groups that don’t demand 100 percent abstinence from cannabis.

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The short answer is yes; it is entirely plausible that a person might, for example, develop Alcohol Use Disorder while using cannabis in moderation. Despite this reality, cannabis use can be a controversial topic in addiction recovery—it’s very common for addiction treatment centers, recovery support groups, and others in the recovery community to claim that being addicted to one substance makes you virtually guaranteed to be addicted to other psychoactive substances.

The Myth of the Addictive Personality

The belief that “if you’re addicted to one thing, you’ll be addicted to everything” is rooted in the idea of an “addictive personality.” The theory posits that a person who becomes addicted to alcohol, for example, will necessarily become addicted to any substance with similar psychoactive effects.

There is virtually no scientific evidence to support this theory. Plenty of people are addicted to nicotine but no other substances. Different substances have different addictive potentials. Even for those of us genetically predisposed to substance misuse, the research suggests that there’s no one addiction “gene” but many genetic mutations, some of which correspond to some substances and not others.

Unfortunately, lots of people—including medical professionals—still believe in some version of the theory. It took months of blinding pain before my doctor agreed to prescribe Vicoden for my migraines, certain that it would “bring my alcoholism back” as though it were some horror movie villain. Instead, the pills made me feel like I had motion sickness and did almost nothing to relieve my pain. I stopped taking them pretty quickly. 

Of course, experiences with substance use and recovery range widely, and some people may misuse nearly every potentially addictive substance they encounter. It’s entirely possible; it’s just far from a guarantee. As an example, a 2006 study found that people with Alcohol Use Disorder were indeed more likely than people without Alcohol Use Disorder to have Cannabis Use Disorder (what we used to refer to as cannabis abuse), but CUD among people with AUD was still less than 10 percent. 

Recovery resources that may be open to cannabis use

There are many recovery support groups and resources solely dedicated to alcohol use, but there are a few caveats. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous is somewhat notorious for its “abstinence-only” approach to recovery, but—technically speaking—AA’s mandate exclusively concerns alcohol. The Program very clearly states that “the only requirement for [AA] membership is a desire to stop drinking” and that “the primary purpose of any A.A. group is to carry the A.A. message to alcoholics. Experience with alcohol is one thing all A.A. members have in common. It is misleading to hint or give the impression that A.A. solves other problems or knows what to do about drug addiction.” 

If you wanted to, you could absolutely attend AA while still being a cannabis user, and it wouldn’t violate anything in AA’s Program. 

I mention AA first because it’s the most accessible and well-known alcohol recovery program. Still, there are two big caveats: 1) AA doesn’t resonate with everyone; just because you can go doesn’t mean you’re going to want to, and 2) there can often be a significant difference between what the text of AA’s program says and what people in any given AA meeting say.

If you are open about your cannabis use in an AA meeting, you may well find yourself in an annoying conversation with someone after the meeting about what really “constitutes” sobriety. It’s a bummer and antithetical to the program's thesis, but it happens. (In my ideal world, you respond to this hypothetical person with a wide-eyed, innocent, “Can you explain what AA means by singleness of purpose?” But I realize that may not be the vibe you want to cultivate at your support group.)

SmartRecovery, one of the better-known free AA alternatives, offers meetings and toolkits to “manage addictive and problematic behaviors.” There are in-person and online recovery meetings, and SmartRecovery stresses that people who participate “choose their own goals, skills and tools.” There are materials for download on the website, and there is an emphasis on setting your own course, including a personalized recovery plan based on your specific goals. In my opinion, SmartRecovery sounds like it would meet your needs the best, but I’ll outline a few others so you know what’s out there. 

LifeRing is another secular alternative to 12-step meetings, though reading between the lines, it's less clear that they’d take an inclusive attitude about cannabis use. Their website says, “LifeRing is a network of support groups for people who want to live free of alcohol and illicit or non-medically indicated drugs.” If I had to guess, I’d say you could probably get away with just focusing on alcohol and not mentioning anything related to cannabis. Still, I understand wanting options where you don’t feel like judgment lurks just under the surface. 

Recovery Dharma uses “Buddhist Practices and Principles” to help people recover from addiction. RD meetings are free to attend, and the Recovery Dharma book can be downloaded for free from the website.  

There is also a cannabis-friendly recovery support group on Facebook called Maintaining My Recovery With Cannabis. 

As is the case with AA, I can’t promise that just because a program or support group claims to be inclusive, nonjudgemental, or focused exclusively on alcohol, you won’t run into folks who...do not embody those principles. But I hope that doesn’t preclude you from trying a few. Your recovery is your recovery; no one else gets to decide what that should look like.  

Recovery programs and support groups provide scaffolding for you to build an addiction-free life that works for you. If one scaffolding blueprint isn’t appealing, find another. If someone implies you’re not building the right way, who cares? They’re not going to be living in the house—you are.

There’s one saying in AA that I use all the time, and I think it especially applies here—regardless of which support group you attend—take what you need and leave the rest. 

Readers, if you know of other free resources that might be helpful for this person and others in their situation, please post the info in the comments!

Send questions and feedback to askasoberlady@gmail.com. By sending a question, you agree to let me reprint it in the newsletter with your name redacted or changed. Emails may be edited for length or clarity.

I’m not a doctor or mental health professional, so my advice shouldn’t be construed as medical or therapeutic advice. You are free to take or leave it.