You Smoked and You Still Want the Meeting

You smoked cannabis and you still want an A.A. meeting. A desire to stop drinking is the membership test. You can go in and listen.

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Key takeaway

You smoked cannabis and you still want a meeting. The membership test in A.A. is a desire to stop drinking. You can go in and listen. Discussion may be asked to stay on alcoholism. If you want a meeting about using, Narcotics Anonymous is a different room, with its own requirement.

Last updated: 2026-10-06

You smoked cannabis, and you are still standing at the door of an A.A. meeting. Your shoes know the way in. Your head is arguing. Part of you is sure they will smell it, or see it, or already know. Part of you wants a chair anyway, because the drinking is the thing you came here to put down.

You can go in. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. That test does not ask you to arrive with a blank day. You can sit and listen. Sharing is up to you.

The door is for a desire to stop drinking

You do not have to open with what you smoked. Discussion may be asked to stay on recovery from alcoholism. Each group has one primary purpose, to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. If the format stays on drinking, you can listen to that and let the rest wait. You are allowed to be in the room for the reason the room exists.

There are no dues or fees. The chair may ask newcomers to say a name. That is not mandatory. You can just listen. Closed meetings are for members, or for people with a drinking problem and a desire to stop. Open meetings are for anyone interested, and nonalcoholics may attend as observers. If you are there because you want to stop drinking, you can say so to yourself and take a chair.

Leave the chip question on the sidewalk. You do not have to settle it before you sit down. A comment from someone else is their experience. You can hear it and still walk in for the drinking.

A different room if the hour is about using

If what you want tonight is a meeting about using, that is a different fellowship. NA's newcomer pamphlet says the only requirement for membership there is a desire to stop using. Which drug you used is not the point of that welcome. The pamphlet uses the word addict. You do not have to take that word for yourself tonight. Nothing will be demanded of you there. You will hear suggestions.

A.A. and NA are not the same room. There is also a page for when you use drugs and you still want A.A.. Read them when your head is loud. Then pick one door. You can want to stop drinking in this meeting and still look for an NA meeting another hour, if using is the thing you need a room for.

aa.org does not contain a meeting finder. Meeting Guide lists A.A. meetings, and you should confirm the details with the group. Listings on this site are not verified. If you leave this sidewalk for a different fellowship, confirm that listing too.

If you are sick, shaking hard, confused, or you cannot breathe, call 911. A meeting is not detox.

Tonight

If you want to stop drinking, go in and listen. If you need the hour to be about using, look for an NA meeting and listen there. You do not have to win a verdict about the smoke before you are allowed to sit down.

A meeting is peer support. If you need a treatment referral, call (800) 653-9376. The call is free to you. Treatment providers pay for the referral. Call or text 988 in a mental health crisis. Call 911 if you are in danger.

Additional Resources

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Common Questions

Can I walk into A.A. after I smoked cannabis?

Yes, if you have a desire to stop drinking. That is the membership test. Smoking earlier does not erase the want that brought you to the door. You can go in and listen. You do not have to lead with what you smoked. Closed meetings are for members and for people with a drinking problem who want to stop. Open meetings welcome anyone interested, including observers.

Do I have to talk about cannabis in the A.A. meeting?

You can keep it to yourself. Discussion may be asked to stay on recovery from alcoholism, because that is the group's primary purpose. You can listen to that and let your other story wait. Sharing is up to you. If you want the hour to be about using, Narcotics Anonymous is a separate fellowship with its own meetings. You can want both things on different nights.

Does cannabis break a chip?

Leave the chip question alone tonight. A sidewalk guess will not settle it. The membership test at this door is a desire to stop drinking. You can still go in. If someone in the room announces a verdict, that is their share. You can listen without performing an answer. You do not owe the room a confession about the smoke.

Where do I go if I want the meeting to be about using?

Look for Narcotics Anonymous if you want a meeting aimed at stopping using. The newcomer pamphlet says the only requirement for membership there is a desire to stop using, and which drug you used is not the point of that welcome. The pamphlet uses the word addict. You do not have to take that word on tonight. A.A. remains the room where the desire to stop drinking is the test.

What if I only want to listen?

Then listen. Nothing in the membership line requires a speech. You can pass when the share comes to you. You can leave at the end without joining the talk by the door. If you are not sure you belong, use the desire to stop drinking as the test, and go in if that desire is real. If what you need tonight is a room about using, you can look for an NA meeting instead.