California, the place where (sober) dreams come true?

As outsiders looking in, it feels like California is almost its own country within America. They just do things differently. The trend towards being California Sober is just another distinguishing trait from this wonderful state. The term “California sober” or “Cali sober” has been steadily becoming more popular over the last few years, and at this point, its reached the mainstream. So, before we're too late and we miss the trend we thought we’d take some time to explain what it means to our fellow Canadian friends.

What Does It Mean To Be California Sober?

You've probably heard of this wellness trend. Are Californians really ditching alcohol and drugs, but continuing to consume cannabis and some other mind-altering substances as well?

The precise interpretation is different across those who partake in the Cali Sober lifestyle, with everyone having their own personal guidelines. And no, you don't have to actually be from California, the movement pushing back against alcohol addiction and dangerous drugs is a global one. Broadly speaking, going Cali Sober is a form of harm reduction for those who aren't interested in a fully sober approach, and are of the frankly righteous opinion that cannabis causes fewer negative consequences than alcohol.

Some people may be exclusively consuming cannabinoids other than THC, while others could be smoking a half ounce of exotics a day in addition to some psychedelic doses spread throughout the week. Keeping your substance use exclusive to cannabis is what really makes one California sober, which makes sense because their weed is so great.

When Did This Become A Thing?

There's no real timeline that we’re able to attribute this term and lifestyle to, but let's be real, many people (including a good chunk of the people reading this) most likely live or have lived the California lifestyle at someone point without even trying to or calling it that. Some of our grandparents were and still are California sober and they’re definitely nowhere near California.

Why Are People Becoming California Sober?

The personal relationship with alcohol and hard drugs is the reason why people decide to switch over to sobriety in general, but it's the cannabis that allows people to live a non-traditional sober life that they find works for them. Cannabis and psychedelics have found their way into the hands of people abandoning a lifestyle that included alcohol and drugs, why? The effects of cannabis and psychedelics are clearly different. Whether it be the hangovers, the late nights, or other social and professional consequences, addictive substances come with their own set of issues that some people eventually find to be unmanageable. Your approach to recovery from alcohol, or any kind of addiction issues, depending on their lifestyle and personal choices.

Is California Sober Right For you?

In case you haven't figured it out, we're a weed company. We sell and write about this stuff. We're pretty biased. We're definitely not doctors, and we're not the people you should talk to if you happen to have an actual issue with your approach to substance use. Please don't go using this article as the sole rationale behind changing your life.

But, if being California sober sounds like a life you'd like to live, you should probably ask yourself some real deep questions. In our personal opinion and experience, it's important to be self-aware of your relationship with substances of all kinds and asking the hard questions is how you get to that awareness.

Basically, in situations like these we'd eat a shit ton of edibles, get a little anxious and work through that stuff before making any drastic decisions (are we the only ones who do that?).

How Do Doctors Feel About This Lifestyle Choice?

Addiction specialists and the medical community have been pretty strongly against the idea of California sober being a safer alternative to alcohol consumption.

Many of them take the stance that any other than complete abstinence is a slippery slope into substance use disorder and other mental health issues, and that replacing alcohol with cannabis isn't safer due to the potential negative effects.

But hey, we think that short-term memory loss isn't a bad trade-off from being hungover or dealing with opioid addiction and maybe other, harder drugs. Whatever else you've got going on, its hard to see a downside in trying to live a healthier lifestyle by examining and redefining your relationship with alcohol.

And since that's still kind of a bummer way to end this article, have some tunes.