What is California Sober – The Fresh Toast

Some buzzwords pop up on the radar frequently, while others have been around for some time. But “California Sober” was something new for us. It’s more than just Demi Lovato’s hot 2021 song. Some people consider themselves California sober because they use marijuana instead of alcohol and other addictive substances. Others define it as moderate consumption of alcohol and marijuana while avoiding other drugs.

Cannabis and sobriety used to have a strained relationship that now appears to be changing, and possibly even evolving into an entirely new concept. Not everyone has health-related reasons for being sober, and not all stem from an aversion to intoxication—some people just don’t like intoxicants.

We spotted the term in an article for Broadly by cannabis author and rave queen Michelle Lhooq, discussing a breather from some kind of heavy party. Lhooq says:

“The truth is I will always love drugs and rave – and a future without both would be spiritually unfulfilled. Being sober in California allows me to gain a foothold in both subcultures, while the parameters make it easier for me not to give in to temptation. I’m able to get what I’m looking for from these experiences—expansion of consciousness, self-exploration, empathetic connection, sensory enhancement—without the addiction and selfishness and other types of ugliness that I associate with many nonpsychedelic drugs. ”

RELATED: The Key to Treating Alcoholism with Medical Marijuana

As natural as it came across in their description, Reddit users couldn’t agree on the term; This appeared to be more of an argument about the use of the term “sobriety” than the idea that someone can give up hard drugs and have a word for it.

Sobriety used to mean one thing above all: strictly abstaining from all substances. But considering that this is often not the case with caffeine and nicotine, some people are beginning to understand that cannabis falls within the definition of sobriety, as it is only a mild intoxicant when consumed in moderation.

It’s true that some people can develop a cannabis addiction, but research shows that they do Cannabis could help drastically reduce side effects and make withdrawal from opioids and other drugs easier.

RELATED: Proof that marijuana is more than 100 times safer than alcohol

Regardless of motivation and outcome, it makes sense that someone would name a mostly sober crap about cannabis after the most weed-friendly state: California.

No matter what someone “uses,” compassion, nonjudgmental, and caring are the far more important methods of dealing with addictions of all kinds. Humans are imperfect, and reducing the stigma of substance dependence, addiction, or help is a big deal—society needs to change if we are to heal the pain of more harmful addictions. If cannabis is a “softer” way to come down from something, that means more power for those who consume it that way.