Standing Rules ratified at the Marijuana Anonymous World Services Conference 2025

Rule 1 – Purpose

The Conference is the guardian of the Traditions of Marijuana Anonymous (MA), the perpetuators of the World Services of our Society, and the voice of the group conscience of our entire Fellowship.

Rule 2 – General Warranties of the Conference

“In all its proceedings, the World Service Conference shall observe the spirit of the MA Traditions, taking care that the Conference never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle; that none of the Conference Members shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority over any of the others; that all important decisions be reached by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy; that though the Conference may act for the service of MA, it shall never perform any acts of government; and that, like the Society of Marijuana Anonymous which it serves, the Conference itself will always remain democratic in thought and action.” (Service Manual, Appendix I: Foundation Documents, Conference Charter of Marijuana Anonymous, Article 12)

Rule 3 – Conference Relation to MA

The MA World Service Conference is the forum where we conduct the official business meeting(s) of the Members that allow Marijuana Anonymous to exist and continue as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, as required per our Bylaws. During the Conference, members from around the world gather to discuss matters which affect Marijuana Anonymous as a whole and come to group conscience decisions as we consider how best to move forward as a community, including the election of Trustees.

Voting Members should be free to vote as their conscience dictates. Delegates have an important responsibility during discussions to report the collective group conscience of the district which they represent and to vote as a Member of the Conference Body using their own independent judgment as a delegated trusted servant.

Any change in the General Warranties of the Conference (see Rule 2), the Twelve Traditions of MA, or the Twelve Steps of MA must be made with the written consent of three-quarters of the MA groups, as defined in the resolution adopted by the October, 1989 Conference and Service Manual Chapter 19 The MA World Service Conference.

Rule 3.1 – Conference Body

The Conference Body shall be comprised of all registered Trustees, A New Leaf Publication (ANLP) representatives, Delegates, Participating Observers, Special Workers or member volunteers.

Rule 4 – Voting Members

Article V of the Marijuana Anonymous World Services Bylaws explains “Members” is capitalized to distinguish Corporation Members from the term, “member,” which can include any member of the larger fellowship of Marijuana Anonymous. (Service Manual, Appendix I: Foundation Documents)

The Conference shall be open to all members of the Society and Special Workers. The voting “Members“ of the Conference (Corporation Members) are the Marijuana Anonymous World Services Trustees, duly-elected District Delegates, and the ANLP Chairperson (or another ANLP Officer). Others (including observers) are not voting members. 

Each Member has only one vote, no matter how many positions they may hold. The Chairperson shall only cast a vote in the circumstances where their vote would affect the outcome of a motion. 

All voting Members must be sober. Sobriety is defined as abstinence from marijuana, alcohol, and all other mind-altering substances (unless those other substances are taken as prescribed by a healthcare provider).

Rule 4.1 – Delegates and Alternate Delegates

Each MA District may elect two Delegates, and one Alternate Delegate. The Alternate Delegate becomes a voting Member if one of their District’s Delegates is unable to perform their duties. Should a Delegate be elected as a Trustee they are no longer eligible to represent their District as a Voting Member. At this point, the Alternate would be assigned the role of Delegate or the District would elect another Delegate.

Delegates are elected by their district for one Conference cycle to be the legal Members of MA World Services as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and are therefore expected to continue their representative participation as Members of MA World Services, which begins at the Conference and continues until the commencement of the next Conference cycle.

Rule 5 – Quorum

A Quorum is the minimum number of voting Members required to be present to conduct business. Two-thirds of the count of voting Members shall determine the quorum. Quorum is established on the first day of each Conference session. Within any multi-day Conference session, the Quorum will remain for the duration of the session session. 

When the Conference Agenda includes inducting a new District, then that business shall take place following the adoption of the Standing Rules and the Consent Agenda. Should new District(s) be inducted, the Quorum shall be recounted to include their Delegate(s) as voting Members. Thereafter, the Quorum shall not change day to day during the remainder of the Conference session. 

A count of voting Members shall be taken immediately following each scheduled break in the agenda to ensure a quorum is present. If voting Members have left and the number of votes returned on any motion matches quorum exactly, the results of that vote must be unanimous to pass. Should the count of voting Members drop below Quorum, business requiring a vote can no longer be conducted.

A new quorum number will be established for any additional sessions that occur within the same Conference year cycle when more than 48 hours have passed between sessions.

Rule 6 – Conference Chairperson

The MA World Services Board President shall be the Conference Chairperson (the Chair), or the Board of Trustees shall select another MA member to be the Chair. 

The Chair will facilitate the Conference in an impartial manner, utilizing these Standing Rules, and if needed with consultation from a Parliamentarian.

A member who wishes to address the Conference Body gets the attention of the Chair by raising a hand (electronically if the Conference is virtual) and waits to be recognized by the Chair. This is done in silence with two notable exceptions: Point of Order and Request for Information.

Rule 6.1 – Acting Chairperson

If the Conference Chairperson needs to step away for any reason, the Chair has the discretion to appoint any MA member as acting Chair. If the Chair is unable to appoint an acting Chair due to extraneous circumstances,  the Secretary shall act as the Chair, or appoint a suitable acting Chair.

Rule 7 – Consent Agenda

The Consent Agenda is used to expedite voting for items on which there is often unanimous consent (See Rule 13 Voting). The Consent Agenda contains the routine, procedural, informational, and self-explanatory items that are considered non-controversial (by the Agenda Committee) such as the Conference schedule, Standing Rules, approval of previous Conference session minutes, and the ratification of a Convention host. 

If any individual wants debate or further discussion, there is no unanimous consent. The item(s) to be debated are removed from the consent agenda and shall be taken up as regular motion(s) immediately after the consent agenda is passed.

Rule 8 – Motions

Motions are formal proposals for action, put forth at the Conference by a World Services’ Committee or any Conference attendee. Any motion or amendment  shall be presented in written form. 

Any motion moved by an individual must be seconded, as in, endorsed for discussion by another attendee. A motion is seconded when any member of the Conference Body states, “This is (name), I second the motion.” If no one seconds the proposed motion there will be no further consideration.  Motions presented by World Services’ Committees inherently are proposed by more than one individual and as such are not required to be seconded.

Rule 8.1 – Friendly Amendments

Before the motion is open for debate on its merits, the motion maker and the person who seconded the motion have the right to modify the motion at will, which includes accepting Friendly Amendments. Friendly Amendments are typically minor modifications, in the spirit of the motion, and are given by someone trying to improve the motion.

In order for the Friendly Amendment to be accepted, the motion maker and seconder must agree to the proposed change(s). Should the original motion maker and/or the person who seconded the motion not agree to what is being suggested, the person proposing the modification can make a “Formal Motion to Amend” once the Chair has Stated the Question. The motion maker may also choose to withdraw it entirely, but no longer has the ability to do so once the Chair has Stated the Question.

Rule 8.2 – Stating the Question

Immediately following Friendly Amendments, the Chair States the Question by reading the most current version of the motion, presenting it to the Conference Body for its consideration and action. At the Chairperson’s discretion, if the text of a motion is unchanged, has been distributed to the Members in advance and with sufficient time for careful reading, lengthy motions need not be read in their entirety when moved or stated by the Chair.

Motions that have been moved, seconded, and Stated by the Chair now belong to the Conference Body as an active motion. There may be only one Main Motion active, or “on the floor,” at a time. 

The motion maker, the original motion author(s), the person who seconded the motion, and the Conference Body can no longer make changes without a Formal Motion to Amend.

Rule 9 – Formal Motions to Amend

Once the Chair States the Question and a Main Motion is on the floor, a Formal Motion to Amend (or Amendment) is required to make any changes to the Main Motion. Amendments modify the wording, and often the meaning, of the Main Motion. A person who proposes an Amendment should specify exactly where the suggested changes are to be made and precisely what language to use. 

These types of Amendments are subsidiary motions. They follow the standard journey of a motion: being seconded, proposed friendly amendments, stated by the Chair, debated, and voted upon (or accepted by unanimous consent). Debate during a Formal Motion to Amend shall regard only the proposed changes to language; debate on the Main Motion should be held until the Motion to Amend is resolved. 

If the Motion to Amend is accepted, the new language becomes the Main Motion to be discussed. Should the Motion to Amend fail, then the Conference Body resumes debate using the original language of the Main Motion.

Rule 10 – Debate

Debate is the discussion on the merits of a pending question (motion) to determine if the issue should be adopted or not. No motion shall be debated until seconded, as required, and stated by the Chair. Debate shall be managed by the Chair in an impartial manner. 

Debate on any main Motion, together with any amendments, shall be limited to one hour (60 minutes), unless otherwise ruled by the Chair or extended by a two-thirds vote. At the end of the sixty minutes, the Main Motion (and its subsidiary motions) shall be postponed, referred to a committee, or moved to a vote.

Members may participate in debate only when they are recognized by the Chair. A member may only interrupt another member who has the floor to make a Motion to Recess or Adjourn; a Request for Information; a Point of Order; or to raise a Point of Privilege.

One of the original authors of the motion, and/or the motion maker, are entitled to speak first. Debate shall continue with two (2) members in favor of and two (2) members opposed to the Motion. Each member may speak for two (2) minutes on each turn. Three (3) minutes will be provided for those with English as a second language. At the end of the given time limit, the member will no longer have the floor unless given permission by the Chair to continue.

A member may speak twice to a motion, and twice to any subsidiary motion. If a motion is tabled and debate continues at a later time, the member’s right to debate is renewed. Any Conference attendee who has not spoken on the motion shall be recognized ahead of those who have previously spoken. The Chair has the discretion to solicit information from any of the motion’s original authors, and/or the motion maker, to clarify specific questions raised in the debate.

Once all discussion points have been heard, the group is ready to vote. The Sixth Concept for Service states, “A ‘Right of Appeal’ exists to protect minority opinions, and to ensure that all viewpoints have been considered in the decision making process.” The Chair will specifically call for and stress the importance of sharing any final dissenting opinions followed by a countdown of 5…4…3…2…1… Debate will officially end once the Chair calls for the vote or members have moved and seconded the Previous Question.

Rule 11 – Previous Question

When recognized by the Chair, a member may offer a motion to close debate and require a vote on the pending Motion. The proper wording is, “I move the Previous Question.” A motion to move the Previous Question must be seconded and voted on immediately. There will be no discussion about whether or not to move the previous question. However, debate on the pending Motion cannot close until at least four (4) speakers have been given the opportunity to speak, two (2) in favor, and two (2) opposed.

Rule 12 – Postponement of Motions

The following methods of postponing pending Motions are subsidiary motions that require proper recognition by the Chair, must be seconded, and require a vote of two-thirds to pass.

1. A motion to Postpone to a Certain Time is debatable, and temporarily sets the Motion aside until the designated time.
2. A motion to Postpone Indefinitely is debatable and removes the Motion for consideration for the remainder of the Conference.
3. A motion to Refer to a Committee is debatable and may be used to facilitate informal discussion. (see Rule 18.3 Referral to Committee)
4. A motion to Lay on the Table is not debatable, and sets the Motion aside in order to take up something else of immediate urgency. The original Motion remains set aside until a member moves to bring it back up for debate.

Rule 13 – Voting

When it is time to vote, the Chair states the exact issue that is before the Conference Body. During voting, only the Chair, Meeting Manager(s), vote counter(s), and specifically designated volunteers may speak to the voting process. During voting, a “Request for Information” may be utilized only by voting Members. The Request for Information must be stated as a question and be vital such that not addressing the question would impede the Member’s ability to vote on the Motion.

Each voting Member casts a ballot of “in favor” or “opposed.” Alternatively, they may “abstain” from voting. The quorum number established at the beginning of the Conference session is the number of “in favor” votes needed to approve any action. 

A Member who “abstains” is choosing not to cast a vote either in-favor or opposed. In effect, “abstentions” are the equivalent of an “opposed” vote. Acting the same way as any “no” vote, abstentions prevent the action’s outcome from reaching the required threshold to pass. If there are many Members choosing to abstain from a vote, it could be due to a lack of understanding on the issue; there may not have been enough discussion; or Member(s) may be neutral, or ambivalent, about the outcome of the action. This may be cause to “refer the motion” for further work and consideration.

Votes—Secret Ballot is conducted in the case of election of Trustees. Voting on all other issues is done using Zoom Reactions:

• • “In Favor”   
  • “Opposed”
  • “Abstain”   

Unanimous Consent—If it appears to the Chair that a motion or amendment is not controversial, it is proper for the Chair to ask if there is “any objection” to adopting the motion or amendment. If no objection is made, the Chair declares the motion or amendment adopted. If even one member objects, however, the motion or amendment is subject to debate and vote.

Rule 14 – Point of Order

If a Conference attendee notices a breach of the Standing Rules of order, that may do harm if ignored, they get the Chair’s attention by calling out, “Point of Order.” No second is necessary, and no vote is taken. Without waiting for recognition, they immediately explain how procedurally they think the Standing Rules have been violated. The Chair, if needed consults with the Parliamentarian (this may be done privately), then rules on the Point of Order, briefly giving reasons for their ruling.

Rule 15 – Request for Information

A Conference attendee may get the Chair’s attention by calling out, “Request for Information.” Request for Information is not used for the requestor to give information to the Conference Body but rather to gain information in order to better understand the issue at hand. The Chair may rule a Request for Information out of order at their discretion.

Rule 16 – Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Conference in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of MA World Services and these standing rules.

A concise guide to the rules is the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief [emphasis added]. This practical handbook will be used at the Conference.

Rule 17 – Election of Trustees using the Third Legacy Procedure

Trustees, also referred to as Directors, and Alternates are elected using the ”Third Legacy Procedure.” To qualify to serve as a Trustee or an Alternate, a member must have a minimum of two (2) years of continuous sobriety. (See Service Manual Chapter 18 – Trustees for more information about term-limits and for the Trustee Job Description)

All qualified Conference attendees shall be eligible to be elected as Trustees or Alternates. To be elected Trustee, a member must be present at the time when the eligibility list is established and attend the majority of the Conference. 

All attendees added to the eligibility list (who are not elected) are considered “Alternates-in-Waiting.” Alternates-in-Waiting will only be called upon as official Alternate Directors in the event one or more of the official Alternates are called to serve as Trustee(s) due to a vacancy on the Board of Trustees.

a) Election Procedure

• 1. The names of all persons who meet the Trustee requirements are placed on an eligibility list, subject to view by all members for the duration of the Conference. Names listed must be at least one (1) character different to differentiate between the eligible candidates.
  2. Candidates may strike their name from the list at any time.
  3. Before the first round of voting begins, each Candidate may provide a brief summary of their service history such as; serving as a sponsor; service at the levels of meeting, district, and World Services including service sponsorship; and any relevant career qualifications such as having nonprofit management experience, being an attorney or CPA, and/or having bookkeeping or accounting experience. (Note: Not having a lengthy service resume does not preclude an eligible candidate for selection to the Board). Depending on the Conference schedule, and at the discretion of the Chairperson, this summary may be provided in writing and shared in a document that will be available to the Conference Body.
  4. Each candidate will introduce themselves to the Conference Body for the purpose of associating names with faces.
  5. To vote, each voting Member selects names, exactly as listed, of their chosen candidates, from the current eligibility list, on a secret ballot.
  6. For each round of voting, voting Members must select the exact number of names as there are positions to be filled (i.e., if there are three Trustee positions available, Members must select the names of three candidates on their ballot). As positions are filled, the number of names required on each ballot will change.
  7. Errors made by voting Members regarding item numbers 5 or 6 above shall require that the vote be discarded, and a new vote taken.

b) Voting Process

1. 1. The first vote: Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. Note that this vote may result in no one being elected.
      
   2. The second vote (if required): Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If all available positions are not filled, ‘automatic withdrawals’ begin. Generally, the names of candidates receiving one-fifth or fewer of the votes are removed from the eligibility list.
      • The number of candidates remaining on the list must be one (1) more than the number of positions still available. To satisfy this requirement, there may be cases where candidates who did not receive one-fifth of the votes remain on the list.
   3. The third vote (if required): Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If all available positions are not filled, the names of candidates receiving one-third or fewer of the votes are removed from the eligibility list.
      • The number of candidates remaining must be one (1) more than the number of positions still available. To satisfy this requirement, there may be cases where candidates who did not receive one-third of the votes remain on the list.
   4. A fourth vote (if required): Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If, at this point, positions remain unfilled, the names of candidates receiving one-third or fewer of the votes are removed from the eligibility list.
      • The number of candidates remaining must be one (1) more than the number of positions still available. To satisfy this requirement, there may be cases where candidates who did not receive one-third of votes remain on the list. At this point, the Chair entertains a motion to:

a.) stop balloting and draw remaining names from the hat; or

b.) conduct a fifth and final vote.

* If 4a.) above carries, the remaining names go into a hat and positions are filled in the order that the names are drawn.

**If 4b.) carries, a FINAL VOTE is taken. Any person receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If no election is made, remaining names go into the hat and positions are filled in the order that the names are drawn.

c.) Designation of “official” Alternate Trustees and “Alternate Waitlist”

The number of Alternate Directors to be designated as “official” Alternate Directors, for logistics purposes, such as receiving email accounts and attending the monthly Board of Trustees meetings, shall be determined by that year’s Conference Body. The remaining Alternates (all other remaining candidates not chosen as Trustees by the Third Legacy) will be designated as being on an “Alternate Waitlist”. The Alternate Waitlist shall be listed in the reverse order that the remaining candidates were removed (e.g., the last candidate removed before all available Positions on the Board of Trustees were filled, would be the “First Alternate-in-Waiting”, and so on, so that the final name on the “Alternate Waitlist” is the first Candidate removed by the Third Legacy Procedure.)

“Alternates-in-Waiting” will only be called upon as official Alternate Directors in the event one or more of the official Alternates are called to serve as Trustee(s) due to a vacancy on the Board of Trustees.

For a visual aid visit: mawsconference.org/the-third-legacy

If you have any questions regarding the Third Legacy Procedure contact the Policies and Procedures Trustee: [email protected]

Rule 18 – Standing Committees

Standing Committees refer to the World Service Committees that are regularly held year after year. Ad Hoc committees are defined as “when necessary or needed,” and typically are formed temporarily for a specific project or purpose. Subcommittees refer to a committee that falls within the purview of the Standing Committee. These subcommittees are often run by an appointed chairperson but also may be chaired by the associated Trustee.

As of 2025, there are currently sixteen total committees, subcommittees, and ad hoc committees: Conferences & Conventions (CoCo), Conference Agenda (subcommittee); Finance; Hospitals & Institutions (H&I); Internet; Literature, Literature Stories (subcommittee); Literature Translations; Newcomer Support; Outreach, Representation & Accessibility (R&A subcommittee); Public Information (PI), Website Redesign (subcommittee), Social Media (subcommittee); Policies and Procedures (P&P); Growth in Service (Ad hoc)

Rule 18.2 Formation of Committees

Committees may be formed by the Conference Body (through a motion), or at the direction of World Services. The formation of an Ad Hoc committee may be “created or done for a particular purpose as necessary.” When the purpose of an ad hoc committee goes beyond one project, or a subcommittee gains further importance, it may become a standing committee at the direction of World Services.  

Rule 18.3 Referral to Committee

A motion to “Refer to Committee” applies only to the Standing Committees within the purview of the subject of the issue. Should the issue or action not fall within the purview of a Standing Committee, it would require the formation of an ad hoc committee. 

When an action or issue is “referred to committee” via a subsidiary motion by the Conference Body, it simply means a specific Committee is being directed to review the issue. Within its discretion that specified Committee then decides what will then happen with the action or issue at hand, including possibly setting other issues as higher priorities. When making a “motion to refer” it is strongly suggested that all members who are passionate about this issue join the specific committee to address the reasons why this issue was referred to committee rather than voted on as is.

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Agenda Committee Contextual Statement:

The MA World Service Conference utilizes a modified version of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised to conduct business in an orderly way that is fair to all meeting members.