Tradition Ten means that MA does not take sides on any issues in our troubled world. This is to assure that we will not be divided by a controversial issue that does not directly affect MA as a whole. Anything that can disrupt our unity, and interfere with our primary purpose of carrying the message to the marijuana addict who still suffers, should be avoided.
Similar to Tradition Seven, in which we avoid pressure from outside sources by not accepting contributions, Tradition Ten protects our fellowship by preventing us from taking “official” positions on outside issues. If we take sides on any issue we run the risk of alienating marijuana addicts whose views oppose the side we have chosen to support. Doing this may keep marijuana addicts from coming to us for help.
Tradition Ten does not mean that individual members should back away from their own personal convictions or from acting as they see fit — but MA as a whole does not enter into any public controversies. Thus, if individual members decide to be active on a public issue, they should take caution that they maintain their anonymity, and use special care in making sure that the public knows that the individual member is acting solely as an individual and does not represent MA as a whole.
