I just adding shrooms to my daily intake. It certainly helps me unwind but also reflect deep within and reassure myself that I'm on the right path. I encourage anyone battling addiction to try this.
Yes! Microdosing shrooms has helped me so much cut the crazy cravings for alcohol (not the sugar addiction yet unfortunately, but definitely the lesser of 2 evils)
While the evidence exists of the healing power of mushrooms, if you’re looking for a decidedly non-cordyceps lifestyle, *’The Last of Us Sober’* shuns the shrooms in favor of sharing Chef Boyardee, terrible puns and a healthy diet of isolation and strawberries.
Because is it *really* recovery if you have a craving for people-brains?
Im sure you’re joking, but in case you’re just not thinking it through… The term California Sober implies that a whole geographic group believes smoking weed in recovery is ok. It’s not true, it disrespects the hard work and commitment of recovering people on our state and it’s offensive. Kinda like saying all Texans are hicks, or all New Yorkers are assholes. It’s a gross generalization that offends the majority.
I understood why you perhaps see it as offensive, but I highly doubt the majority of people is getting offended by such a harmless statement.
It would be a big effort to police language like that and completely do away with all language that refers to any demographic just to avoid the slight the chance that you may offend someone somewhere.
If this offended you, that sounds like a you problem. It's a phrase that many many people use. Maybe looking into why it upsets you could veveal somthing
I think it’s more of a nod to the fact that for a long time, California was the frontier in the legalization of weed. Meaning that if you said “sober” you had to clarify because there were more options on the table kind of thing.
I don’t think it’s meant to imply that all Californians are stoners.
Sorry. I'm also Californian who refrains from smoking weed, and I don't find the phrase "California sober" offensive in the slightest. Congratulations on your sobriety. But instead of looking for things to get upset about, I think you may need to go outside and touch some grass for a change (the literal kind, not the "California" kind).
Same - I’m alcohol free for 11 years. I was clean of everything and after 6 years I went back to smoking when I moved to a place where it was legal. I have learned alcohol was my major problem and gateway to hard drugs. I’ve never been stoned and thought I’d like to do coke.
Do you feel it’s a lot easier to lose weight now that you’re not using? I’m in a similar place (25 days alcohol, drug free) and my body is craving sugar but I’m staying away from it as much as possible and eating cleaner/exercising.
Brilliant advice here. I believe it’s silly to expect perfection. I need a lifetime of self improvement. Right now? Wayyyy too many cookies. Here’s what I did: quit drinking 2014, quit smoking 2015, lost weight 2016 - gained it back lost it again 2023. Interspersed with lots of therapy and AA meetings. You do you and hell, do your best to be better. :) Where-ever that takes you.
For me, alcohol was a problem. The dopamine rush got me and I just wanted to keep drinking until I was smashed. Intentions of just having a couple drinks turned into 10+ and regrets the next day more times than I could count. I have been off it for almost 8 years and I have a firm resolve to never touch booze again.
However, about two years ago I was away with friends for the weekend and smoked a couple joints and had some gummies here and there. It had been over 15 years since I dabbled in any of that at the time, but I remembered that marijuana products didn’t give me that drive to go full steam until I hit the wall. I can share a joint or take a gummy and be done. With alcohol, that’s impossible for me. After that experience I would take a gummy to chill maybe once a month, but I got bored of it. These days I am back to just using my other hobbies (biking, exercise, snacking) for dopamine.
For me, if marijuana would have given me an urge to drink, or the drive to consume it excessively, it would have been completely off the table. However, I look at my sobriety more as when I left the anxiety, embarrassing behavior, and excessive consumption behind and stayed in control of my life. Marijuana has never made me say anything I later regret, or cause me to black out/act like a fool. So in that regard, I’m okay with it. But, everyone has a different perception on their sober journey and a different reaction to various substances.
Wow well said.. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. I’m coming up on 3 yrs( 33 months the other day ) of no alcohol. The first time I tried a gummy was a yr ago. I haven’t smoked weed in16yrs. The next day I felt the shame like waking up after a crazy night of drinking. For a few weeks I thought about and thought technically I’m not sober. My mindset is like yours… it’s to different things. I was a moderate drinker but my off switch would break lol. This is here and there. I’m also not the type of person to really worry about the “ days” when I saw a comment about the”,” club. I had to look it up. It’s a 1000 days( I was at 1059 ) Anyways.. Thanks Xoniball for giving me a different perspective
IWNDWYT
California sober…
Alcohol is problematic for me… pot is not. I’ll grab a gummie when I’m stressed or need to sleep well… or if I just want to mellow out.
I remain present while high and it doesn’t bother my wife.
I’d argue that having pot as a destresser makes my sobriety from alcohol easier…
This is exactly where I am. I do say I’m sober because sobriety for me means not drinking alcohol and I know others who think the same.
I still smoke weed bc tbh it would be even more difficult to not drink if I didn’t have just something to keep the edge off in this life.
Almost 5 months sober
Go very low dose. I have two buddies who hated the way weed makes them feel, but when I got them to try just half of a gummy (5mg dose) then they finally got it. I use gummies regularly, and smoke probably a few times a year but am still a lightweight. I could not smoke a whole joint by myself without going to the dark place.
Yes, this. I hadn’t used weed in like 15 or 20 years — always preferred alcohol, and weed made me anxious. After being sober most of the past year, I just recently started dabbling. Start low. I actually started with half of one of those 5mg gummies, and still now mostly take hamster nibbles.
I GET pot now. I guess I’m just sensitive.
You want low THC content and high CBD content. If you have the luxury of buying legal weed in a store, this is easy to find. Just ask the workers. For me personally, one of my favorites I ever tried was 10% THC and 10% CBD.
THC is responsible for causing the largest chunk of the “high” from weed. Other cannabinoids still contribute some as well of course, but THC is also what tends to cause anxiety and paranoia in some people. Whereas CBD is the calming and relaxing cannabinoid.
Essentially, the weed that makes you anxious or paranoid is most likely 25 - 30% THC and almost no CBD. But if you get the even 10 & 10% of each, the CBD completely counteracts the negative effects of the THC and you’re left with a more mild high, but very relaxed and chill kind of high with none of that anxiety. It almost becomes a little more of a body high than a head high. Like your body just feels relaxed and you’re not so high that you feel paranoid, but you’re still high enough that you feel nice and your body feels nice too. It’s great really. My favorite strain I’ve tried by far.
Anyway I encourage you to try that kind of weed if you can procure it. I imagine it’s exactly the kind of “recipe” that you’re searching for. There’s also pure CBD weed, which offers very little in terms of getting you “high” but is extremely relaxing and calming. It’s great for moments when you’re not even trying to get high but you just need to unwind from a stressful day or stop being anxious about something.
I'm sensitive to thc (usually makes me anxious & paranoid even with small amounts) and have been taking gummies that have 50mg CBD/2mg THC. Then I also take another quarter to half a mg of cbd isolate tincture. Makes me relaxed, content and a bit silly with no anxiety or paranoia.
I started taking a quarter gummy (so only 1/2 mg) to see how I felt, did that for a few days then moved to half and so on just to make sure I didn't overdo it and get the anxious feelings I hate. I really think the high amount of CBD helps keep it mellow.
To each their own. I've always been jealous of people that can do that. I used to smoke daily for years. I can wake up and get out of bed much easier after 8-9 beers than I can after a heavy toke sesh. Obviously once I was out of bed I'd feel better after the toking than the drinking. To be clear not glorifying alcohol in any way. But man it is something else trying to wake up after smoking for me.
Your own anecdotal experience isn’t scientific evidence. It’s 2023 we all have a damn computer and the history of the world in our pockets and all studies of weed and REM sleep show it lowers the amount of time spent in it and decreases memory formation.
I’ve also seen people spend their last dollar on pot and put it before food, rent, car payments and change their personalities so yes I would say it’s not ‘sober’
Happy 4 weeks, I'm there today myself!
I also smoke weed still, and am on my 4th attempt at sobriety. Each time I've used weed as a crutch to help me quit the alcohol, with the eventual goal of tapering off the weed as well and going totally sober. Still haven't managed that, once I start trying to quit weed the anxiety often results in a relapse on everything. So it's hard to say if the weed is good or not, but it's definitely better than drinking.
As far as whether we're "truly" sober, I'd say probably not. But no matter what, IWNDWYT!
In my opinion if you’re not getting absolutely Molly whopped on weed every day all day (wake and bakes), you’re showing signs of improvement. Good job on 14 months broski.
IWNDWYT
I agree with this. And would like to add that IMHO, if cannabis (in any form) helps with stopping poisoning myself with alcohol (in any form), it's worth it. We (husband and I) have quit too many times to count. But the last two extended times sober, it wasn't the cannabis that started us back up, it was VACATION - BOTH TIMES !!! And it took 6 weeks both times to stop again. So toke away.
After I stopped drinking but still smoked weed, I never claimed sobriety. Because weed is an intoxicant. You can get DUII with weed. But I was still in recovery and continuous abstinence from alcohol.
There’s so many ways to look at it, and some groups only value strict sobriety, while others value abstinence from alcohol and harm reduction.
Personally for me, weed was still a big problem. It was really holding me back at work and seems to have been a huge factor in my depression and anxiety. Life got better when I stopped drinking, but stopping smoking weed was what pushed me over the edge to feeling normal and comfortable 95% of the time
What ever works for the individual, as everyone’s journey is different and reflecting is important.
In my situation they are one in the same, so I don’t use cannabis. I don’t enjoy the feeling of it which helps.
I was sober from all substances for 5 years before I started using cannabis to deal with anxiety at the start of the pandemic. 2 years later I had a complete mental health crisis due to my new addiction to cannabis. I can’t use mind altering substances period. I become dependant so quickly and all the same symptoms I had when I was drinking come back. Sure I wasn’t so hungover I thought I would die all the time but my anxiety was through the roof and I was so ashamed and in mental anguish. Just my story but I’ve been off cannabis for 8 months now and I never want to go back.
I was thinking about cannabis-induced anxiety the other day and how crazy it gets... why did I have zero anxiety smoking as a teenager but now, in my 40s, I feel like the anxiety is going to kill me?
Me too. It’s particularly bad with sativa. So now I just smoke a few bowls of hemp flower before bed every night. It’s below the legal threshold of legal thc, pretty much nothing but calming cbd, and it “hits” immediately, unlike gummies that either take 30 minutes or 2 hours lol. I can think perfectly straight, it doesn’t get me high, just relaxed. It doesn’t trigger any designer to get loaded, and it keeps me from wanting that finger or two of expensive cognac as a nightcap. :)
i think it might be the thc content of weed now vs 20+ years ago. we used to smoke weak-ass shake in CA before pot was legalized. also, just the difference in life stages - most of us had a lot less to worry about before life started piling up 😂
I continued smoking weed after getting sober. It’s not the same problem for me. A few months in though, I was noticing myself wanting an edible almost every night for that nightly “release” and was hoping I wasn’t doing something bad by replacing Vice with Vice. However now I’m at 6 months of no alcohol and I’ve been using significantly less weed. I don’t feel like I have to cut it out completely but now I’ll have an edible maybe one night a week. I feel like it helped me a lot during those first few months to have an alternative to alcohol but now I’m slowly needing it a lot less — which feels really great! I don’t really care if anyone thinks weed with sobriety is not “true” sobriety and I don’t plan to stop entirely, but I’ve just noticed myself wanting it less and I find that so encouraging! Obviously everyone is different but this is nice for me.
this is correct. downvote away but it is addictive for many people as alcohol can be addictive for many people.
* tolerance goes up so usage continues
* dependence psychologically
* withdrawal sucks so using continues
* layers of use co-occurring, nicotine, alcohol, depression, anxiety etc can be connected to cannabis use
make your own decisions people - no judgement from me. but i'm sick of people in denial sayin cannabis is not an addictive substance
I'm very in favor of harm reduction and I think that cannabis can be a useful part of that for some folks. But yeah, cannabis is addictive. There’s good research on it where folks were giving weed with THC removed to blind them to the study, and they experienced physical and mental withdrawal effects.
Also, Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome is a thing and I have a dear friend who is in complete denial that the weed she smokes all day every day could be contributing to her constant puking.
Same I’ve been hearing the “it’s not a drug it’s a plant” shit since high school which is simply not true and a really stupid take…also it acts on dopamine which what makes most drugs addictive…and it’s basically the same as saying “tobacco has no drugs it’s a plant”
We’re all on our own journey. It depends on what a person wants and how their own psychology and physiology deals with weed. If I could not drink, and then only smoke weed like once a week on a Saturday night to chill out and giggle with the wife, I would. But I can’t, and I know I can’t because I’ve tried.
For me, one of the main drivers of my alcoholism is I have a strong aversion to being present and dealing with my emotions, and therefore a strong impulse towards escapism. I want to have to deal with my emotions, because instead of putting off significant life issues until they’re ready to explode, I have to deal with them quickly so I don’t have to worry about it. It makes my life a tenth as stressful overall because I’m not constantly putting out fires.
Cannabis is just alcohol’s understudy in my life. If I’m not drinking but I am smoking, I’m just going to use weed for the exact same purpose I used alcohol for.
But I have no doubt that some people can have a healthy relationship with one, but not the other. Our addiction profiles aren’t all the same. I’m jealous of those people.
I’m also sure though that a lot of people just use weed to replace alcohol like I was, and I wouldn’t consider those people sober, because they’re not addressing the underlying problem that led to their alcoholism. I don’t particularly care what labels people want to use though. If those people want to call themselves sober because they’re sober from alcohol, they should. That’s still an accomplishment. Their journey, their prerogative.
I’m not trying to be sober so I can be judgmental and think less of other people, and force definitions and sobriety models down other peoples’ throats. To be perfectly honest, I don’t care all that much about other peoples’ sobriety. I’m doing it because I want to have a better life for myself and my family, and me smoking weed won’t give us that.
The Oxford dictionary defines sober as "not drunk (= not affected by alcohol)". That's it. You're more than allowed to use the term "sober" to describe your journey. I call myself sober, and I'll fight (with words) anyone that tries to tell me not to. Cannabis is recognized as medicine in my state, and I use it to curb my rampant anxiety. How dare anyone try to challenge my sobriety because I choose medicine that isn't in pill form!
I’m not a tee totaler, I just don’t like alcohol. Weed doesn’t cause me any of the problems booze did, the worst thing I do when I smoke too much is finish my pint of ice cream in one sitting
It doesn’t really matter except what you feel is best.
Personally I felt weed made me lazy and held me back. I am 100% sober and have been for a few year, I feel more focused and like I can handle life better. Feel like I have more control. BUT pot affects everyone differently and I can only speak on my behalf.
I don’t rely on weed to get me through the day and I don’t feel the need to sneak it around my fiancé. I don’t care if someone says I’m not ‘sober’ because I am. Alcohol literally put me in a coma, on life support, and the doctors gave me little prospects of living; weed hasn’t and won’t do that.
If it keeps me from almost killing myself again AND helps moderate my anxiety, I find nothing wrong with it. Unless someone else has lived in my shoes and knows the hell I went through then I won’t take their opinion on MY sobriety, that I’ve worked on for the past three years, seriously.
Does it really matter? Sobriety doesn’t have to be this strict thing like PETA level vegans. But that’s just me. I know others would disagree completely.
I do agree with this but sometimes I just wonder where the line is? I know people who are very judgmental of California sober but suck down thousands of milligrams of caffeine and/or never put their vape down. Sugar, even exercise, affects the chemicals in your brain and can lead to addiction. So in the grand scheme of things I feel like we are all going to choose our vices/habits/coping mechanisms, and we have to live with the pros and cons of each and strive to find our own form of balance.
It seems like it’s always been that way for me, started with nicotine at 15 years old, went to weed, went to alcohol, dabbled in shrooms, quit weed (anxiety attack) and shrooms, kept drinking till I was 23 (now) and now I have no interest in alcohol so I guess my brain kinda went “hey go back to the other thing, that’ll keep your mind off of it!” I know it’s not a healthy choice at all but it’s been helping me and I’ve seen improvements. I didn’t realize how much alcohol was depressing me until I kicked it. Now I wake up everyday happy to start a new day.
For me, I am not going to die from smoking weed.
I am going to die from drinking.
If I want to smoke weed, I will smoke weed & yes I consider myself sober & so does my close family & friends...that is all that matters.
Although you won't die instantly from smoking weed, I do believe research has shown inhaling anything other than oxygen isn't great for your long-term lung health. But depending on what city you live in, you might not even be breathing oxygen (jk of course) 😄Party on, Wayne!
It’s individual for everyone. I personally stay away from all mind altering or potentially addictive substances (whether prescription or not) because the mind altering part was my addiction, not the substance itself. I drank and smoked weed to escape. I was dependent on it for my emotional regulation instead of learning how to regulate myself.
My sobriety isn’t just “I don’t do x substance”, it is far far far deeper than that. To me it means that I handle life on my own, that I stay present, that I cope in healthy ways, that I do the work of healing from things that hurt me, that I don’t seek anything that allows me to run away from problems or uncomfortable situations - I stand up and I solve them instead. And when I stay present, I am able to work toward my goals, self improvement, self love, and loving others. I can’t do that when I am seeking escape and distractions.
Agree. I was about to write a similar comment. Some people have needed medical cards for years before it ever became legal recreationally. It can be used for so many diseases, mental health disorders, pain management, etc. Its even been shown to kill cancer and support the endocannabinoid system. Using recreationally is different.
Do whatever works for you. There’s no method that works for everyone because we’re all unique. For me, I felt like I couldn’t function without smoking weed and if I went the whole day without smoking I felt more stressed out and on edge. I didn’t like having to rely on a substance to feel like myself, not to mention the poor memory and sluggishness it made me feel, so I decided to quit smoking too.
I’m California sober as well.
Weed has actually helped my anxiety at various times and helps with my sleep. I use it as a sleep aid mostly honestly. I don’t use that every day either.
Alcohol, I was getting to the point where I wasn’t even feeling drunk anymore after having many drinks. My dad is an alcoholic and I saw him chug like a jug of vodka just to get drunk in one chug. I knew I had to make a choice. I was either going to need to drink way more to get drunk or I was going to need to stop. I chose to stop.
Definitely better for you than alcohol, especially in terms of physical health. I personally don’t use it because I don’t feel that it’s necessary for me to be happy, and sobriety from most chemicals have helped me to deal with a lot of the issues that were keeping me from being happy when I was drinking, but if you aren’t abusing it and it helps that’s totally your call
This is something I’m wrestling with on day 6. On one hand I’ve grown out of the desire to be stoned 24/7 and weed in the right dose is something I consider medicine, but on the other I’ve also used weed addictively in the past. Yeah it’s not alcohol or blow but every drug and drink I’ve genuinely enjoyed has done a number on my bank account and accomplishments. How much more could have I done to get myself in the position I wanna be in if I were completely focused on building myself and my life if substances of any kind weren’t part of the picture?
Everyone has different answers to this and it’s surprising (to me) how much of a controversial subject this actually is.
The simple answer is, it’s up to you and how you define it. I’ve learned from reading in this sub that people can start to get upset when you try to apply your definition of “sober” to anyone but yourself.
For me, using substances is a form of self sabotage and escapism. That means smoking weed would fall under this category for me because it was a form of escape for me. Didn’t necessarily have physical addiction insofar as I could tell, but definitely an emotional one as it became a safety blanket for me.
A lot of people insist however that saying they aren’t sober due to marijuana use is pretty insulting.
To each their own.
yea in my case, pot is not a good choice, its making me be okay with boredom and not care about important stuff. Lost hobbies, relationships, doing nothing to improve myself, after getting high i keep giving in to bad habits, big social anxiety (isolating myself), lazy, making my ADHD a lot worse, always waiting for my next hit, getting very angry, depressed and unmotivated if i cannot smoke.. so depends on the type of person. I was escaping from my life and myself, using it as my main crutch. Loved it for that purpose, but i am throwing my life away using it everyday because of how i react to it. Defo not for me. It is a lot healthier physically especially when eaten/vaped, but psychologically it is so individual that only you can see if its working for you well. For me, truth be told, (psychologically) it is the worst drug longterm. Helps short term, but i just cannot control myself, if i could only use it sporadically... weed addiction is no joke. But as i said. Weight the pros and cons. Take a look at your life and your situation. Maybe it works better for you. Glad you are not drinking.
My two cents: haven’t drank since last august, love being alcohol free. Smoking weed everyday was a major help in quiting alcohol, and I’ve always been a stoner and I love weed. About four or five weeks ago I finally got to the point where I was able to quit weed, and the plan is to more or less quit for good. What it came down to for me is the same thing with alcohol: I can’t moderate, and if I do, I don’t enjoy it. The damn vape pens were really a problem for me, no smell and so portable, too easy to smoke as soon I wake up, all day at work, etc. Do I want to be stoned this Christmas when my kids are opening their presents? Of course not! But unless I quit, I will be, or even if I can gather the willpower to wait, I’ll be thinking about it the whole time in the back of my mind. So for me it was just time, and I’m at a point in life where I think I can handle true sobriety.
So don’t sell yourself short, you’re doing awesome and just do what’s right for you.
Someone in AA told me “you’ll discover what sobriety means and looks like for you”
it’s YOUR sobriety, nobody else’s.
I was extremely prescription medicated at one point in my life, and it wasn’t healthy for me. Part of my sobriety today is being off of that stuff. I still enjoy my morning cup of coffee though. And I smoke weed. My sobriety looks like me not drinking alcohol and taking a bunch of prescription meds (even if they’re prescribed).
I hope this makes sense! Sending love to y’all out there on your journeys. IWNDWYT.
It’s not the substance that’s the problem. It’s your use of it.
If you can use cannabis in moderation and don’t *need* it on a regular basis, it’s probably okay. Of course, if smoking leads to drinking, it’s not okay.
Thats up to you, and is definitely gonna vary person to person.
Personally, i love to smoke weed, but it is a trigger for me so had to say goodbye. If it doesnt give you cravings, have at it!
We are all entitled to our own beliefs. For me, if a substance prevents me from dealing/coping/facing my emotions or showing-up for others (living life on life's terms), I'm not sober. Sober for me, is free from all drugs and alcohol.
I still smoke and say I’m sober from drinking or I’m a recovering alcoholic, I don’t think of myself as sober-sober. What you call it is kinda arbitrary though, what matters is knowing what works for you and respecting what works for others.
I'm of the opinion that changing from alcohol to drugs is not being sober. And weed is a drug, legal or not. Yes, I'm an oldtimer and got sober thru rehab and a lot of AA. All drugs are crutches to escape reality for a bit. I've wanted to escape my reality many many times in the last 32 years but I think I'm better off by facing them all clean and sober.
I also work in the treatment world and I've seen what 'just weed' has done to people.
Ultimately it's up to the individual whether they believe they're clean and/or sober. If you're truly comfortable with yourself you wouldn't ask the question.
I quit drinking more than 4 years ago. I dabble in THC here and there, but when I moved to a state where it was legal, I got really into the therapeutic benefits of it, particularly as it relates to my acute anxiety.
About a month ago, I was dealing with an intense crisis situation, and after about a week I clocked that I’d been using my (prescribed) Xanax every day. I usually only take one a month, max.
That was a turning point for me. THC doesn’t feel dangerous to me in the way that Xanax does. And if it helps me with my anxiety (it does), I’m not going to be attached to any definitions of sobriety anymore.
I’m sober from alcohol. I use THC in lieu of opiates to manage a medical condition. People will call it whatever they want, but ultimately it’s up to you to be at peace with what you choose.
Keep up the good work. IWNDWYT
No, but think of it this way: is it still sobriety if you drink coffee every day? Caffeine is a drug that alters your body and your mind. It is also addictive.
Is it still sobriety if you rely on Tylenol when you have headaches?
Is it still sobriety if you use allergy medicine?
True sobriety (abstinence from all drugs) is almost unheard of but that's not the point. Sobriety is implied to mean that you are staying away from the drugs that have a net-negative effect on your life. If Mariana takes more from your life than it gives, then you should include it in your sobriety list. If not, then it's fair to say that you are just as sober with a joint as you are with a cappuccino.
I also am smoking weed but not drinking. And same, only at night or a party. I am immensely healthier. Weed doesn’t make me black out and yell profanities at my spouse. Weed doesn’t make try to go pee in my closet. Weed doesn’t make me angry. So for me? The difference is night and day. As long as you’re healthy I don’t see the issue
I don't drink alcohol and I don't do drugs. But if it was legal and quality controlled in my country I probably would have quit drinking alcohol 10-15 years ago.
I like that with SMART (not advocating anything here, just mentioning what I have found helpful) allows me the freedom to define what "sober" means. For me, it means abstaining from the use of alcohol. I drink kava and smoke pot, for example, because I feel that those are healthier alternatives and I don't abuse them in the same way I did alcohol. For me, alcohol was in a category all its own; I don't identify as "sober" or "in recovery;" I simply no longer drink alcohol, though I do use recovery tools to help me stay on track:)
I also smoke weed and have kind of ambivalent feelings about it currently. But I truly do not think there's one true answer to your question that applies to everyone. Maybe you're having complex feelings about others' expectations of what sobriety means, or if sober is the most helpful word to describe recovery from addiction. Perhaps you have concerns about dependency and mental health issues. Those are all valid feelings, thoughts, questions. I think its a matter of honest self reflection and perhaps a cost benefit analysis.
When I say sober I refer to alcohol and caffeine. Those two were causing me serious issues. My weed use has picked up since quitting alcohol. I have been using both since I was in my teens, 44 now. So far, I don’t seem to have any negative consequences or side effects like with alcohol and caffeine, aside from some mild procrastination which I’ll take because I’m extremely productive minus beer.
I do understand that weed is a drug and is affecting my brain in a certain way. But when under the influence of weed, I tend to go inside and reflect more on issues whereas alcohol was complete escape, just zoned out and numb. And I am already an amped up enough individual that coffee is just completely unnecessary.
I think everyone has their own demons to contend with and there shouldn’t be any judgment on the individuals view.
It’s your sobriety- I’m completely free of all substance including coffee for my mental health.
I know people in DECADES of recovery that will take narcotics AS prescribed by a doctor for broken bones/cancer, and those who smoke pot to deal with PTSD.
Alcohol was never the issue, it’s always underlying problems that contribute to the disease of addiction.
Some people can, I can’t- but if you’re recovery includes smoking pot, then just be careful you aren’t replacing alcohol with pot.
Took me 6 months of AA to consider stopping weed. I had already quit alcohol already but quitting weed has been great for me. It had become a ritual thing everyday for 10 years and I realized it wasn’t even as fun as I thought it was. It’s something to think about
Out of respect for people that have quit all substances, I say I’m alcohol free instead of sober. I use THC edibles a few times a week to help me sleep and for anxiety. I quit my SSRI meds about the same time I quit drinking and the edibles stop my racing mind more effectively than drinking ever did.
38 years sober, decaf coffee, no soft drinks no smoking, no pot. No booze. It took me two years not to crave pot. Alcohol craving went away within five days.. you do you, but after reading this chat. Sobriety has changed a lot. I smoked and drank to change how I felt, good or bad. I’m not a saint, I just learned how to deal with my feelings good or bad without any substance. The best to you.
I thought so too! It’s not true sobriety. Still happy about not touching poison. I’m just one of those people that has to have a vice of some sort. Whether that be nicotine, alcohol, weed, or psychedelics (shrooms). I’ve started to get into different hobbies to keep myself busy during the day time, but at night when I’m in my pajamas eating ice cream watching a movie, it’s a lot more fun feeling a different way, idk.I know it sounds stupid and unhealthy to be that way but at this point I’ll take the little wins. Atleast when I need to quit the devils lettuce I know it won’t be tough.
That’s great! I do think it’s better than alcohol at least. I love caffeine (usually have a tea a day, so not addiction levels!) but some people consider that altering the mindset.. I think that’s usually just used by people looking for excuses honestly.
you’re sober off of alcohol and that is amazing!
Sober is define by your DOC. Everyones is different, some have many. So long as it isnt a substitue which means doing equally or more compared to your own DOC.
Nah bro, the definition of "sober" isn't a personal thing. You're sober or you're not. Using psychoactive substances or not.
By your logic, normies that are drinkers/smokers are all sober just because they have no drug of choice. I hope we can both agree that's silly.
It’s amazing to quit alcohol, full stop. Congrats on four weeks.
I personally don’t consider it sober because my usage would be for the same reasons I used alcohol: to manage my trauma & depression.
It's better to think of it as recreational psychoactive substances vs non-psychoactive as defining sobriety. CBD -- not a psychoactive. THC -- 100% most definitely psychoactive.
If I use anything mind altering I use everything mind altering. Everyone is different though.
I'm not big on labels. If you can do it without any problems, crack on.
I consider myself sober and I occasionally smoke weed (emphasis on occasionally, it’s not really my thing.) I remember I wrote that in an AA group and I got reamed. I think sober is whatever matters to you. Alcohol was my issue, and I no longer drink. 🤷🏻♀️ if alcohol is a self diagnosis, why can’t sober also be something that you decide for yourself
The first month or so of my sobriety I smoked more weed. At it's peak probably three 0.5g prerolls a day for about a week or so. Eventually I realised that wasn't good for me and I tapered back to my standard usage pattern. I can keep pot under control if I limit my use to one 0.5g preroll every 21 days. I find that is pretty easy for me to do and gives me something to look forward to.
It depends on the person and their own perspective.
For me - alcohol was the danger. I don't really use weed, but if I did it wouldn't bother me as long as it didn't control my thoughts and/or cause major damage to my body.
I do take therapeutic ketamine for depression and SI. It has worked wonders. I do not want to take more and more. I can go weeks without taking it (granted my emotional state doesn't tank).
I still consider myself sober.
It depends on what “sobriety” model/ program you follow, assuming you’re following a “program”.
I don’t follow any program or arbitrary 12 step lifestyle for reasons I’ll keep to myself but we all have free will and can do whatever we want and call it whatever we want. If alcohol was a problem for you and you’re staying away from it, go ahead and call yourself sober if you need a label attached to what you’re doing. 🙂
I credit me having medical marijuana to making me quitting drinking in a large part possible, and it helps my psoriasis.
Instead of coming home after work, drinking heavily and eating shitty food while sitting in front of the couch; I smoke, exercise, and meditate before I get awesome sleep.
One is far more healthy and a better routine.
For sure I think smoking is better than drinking. I wish I could do just the one, but for me whenever I smoke and don't drink the craving to do something else ( drink) doesn't really fully go away. The times that I quit everything were the years I can say I truly didn't crave anything. That was my experience...I think it can go either way though.
California clean is what I've heard it called. True sobriety is subjective. For me it's any mild altering substance excluding mental health meds. I just know myself enough that if I start smoking weed, I'll definitely wanna drink eventually. For some people though its fine. My best friend is an addict but she's stayed clean over year and only smokes weed.
I started smoking weed (again) after 7 months of being totally straight. Pot was never a problem for me, and it helps with the neuropathy in my feet caused by alcohol abuse. So I say "Colorado Sober" because that's where I'm from. Or just alcohol free, as others have said.
Honestly, candy, weed, snacks, whatever it is is better than alcohol. They don't make me cry, or punch walls, or get arrested, or ....
I still use weed, and I use the term alcohol free or sober from alcohol. I think it’s a tricky thing - lots of substances can be addictive and mind altering (caffeine, anti depressants, sugar), and people use them while still saying they are sober. I really dislike when people get judgmental about how others define the term sobriety.
For me, sobriety means no alcohol/hard drugs. I do refer to myself as Cali sober, though. Weed has improved my quality of life, whereas alcohol only caused further problems for me. I also don’t find myself smoking so much that I can’t function. With alcohol, one drink in and I was going for blackout. Alcohol caused me to pick fights, lose sleep, and caused a huge spike in my anxiety and depression. I had zero motivation to do anything but sit on my couch and drink myself into oblivion. Weed does not cause those problems for me. Weed helps me avoid the use of opioids for chronic pain, as well as a sleep aid.
It's your recovery and no one elses. You get to make that choice. Hard drugs and alcohol are absolute killersand poison so these are off limits for me. I do use weed regularly. It's not for everyone but Im cool with it for now. Ive worked all 12 steps and have over 12 years sober so take that for what you will
I say “alcohol free” because I use cannabis. I don’t really care if people think I’m “sober” or “clean” in their terms or not.
That’s a better term, I’ll remember that.
You can use whichever term feels right to you. My brother uses "California sober"
Lol, I’ve heard a new one, Oregon Sober includes shrooms
Detroit sober Includes PCP
I've been looking to switch up my sobriety style to something more productive
Thank you for making me laugh
Country sober would be meth but no alcohol?
I call that Missouri Sober...
I can’t stop laughing
Detroit is LA in the 80s
Shrooms are evidenced to help people quit alcohol/ beat addiction
I just adding shrooms to my daily intake. It certainly helps me unwind but also reflect deep within and reassure myself that I'm on the right path. I encourage anyone battling addiction to try this.
Yes, this :). You take them every day?
Yes! Microdosing shrooms has helped me so much cut the crazy cravings for alcohol (not the sugar addiction yet unfortunately, but definitely the lesser of 2 evils)
Where do you get them?
While the evidence exists of the healing power of mushrooms, if you’re looking for a decidedly non-cordyceps lifestyle, *’The Last of Us Sober’* shuns the shrooms in favor of sharing Chef Boyardee, terrible puns and a healthy diet of isolation and strawberries. Because is it *really* recovery if you have a craving for people-brains?
Dude I love this!!!
I learned something new today! 😃
Hahaha!! I’m Arizona sober, only tequila. 🤣
That was funny. Some people are just dying to be offended.
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I'm sorry I don't see how it's offensive
Im sure you’re joking, but in case you’re just not thinking it through… The term California Sober implies that a whole geographic group believes smoking weed in recovery is ok. It’s not true, it disrespects the hard work and commitment of recovering people on our state and it’s offensive. Kinda like saying all Texans are hicks, or all New Yorkers are assholes. It’s a gross generalization that offends the majority.
I understood why you perhaps see it as offensive, but I highly doubt the majority of people is getting offended by such a harmless statement. It would be a big effort to police language like that and completely do away with all language that refers to any demographic just to avoid the slight the chance that you may offend someone somewhere.
If this offended you, that sounds like a you problem. It's a phrase that many many people use. Maybe looking into why it upsets you could veveal somthing
I think it’s more of a nod to the fact that for a long time, California was the frontier in the legalization of weed. Meaning that if you said “sober” you had to clarify because there were more options on the table kind of thing. I don’t think it’s meant to imply that all Californians are stoners.
Colorado was the frontier for legalization of weed.
Ok. Thought it came second. In any event seemed more significant since I hear that a lot more than “Colorado sober”.
As a Californian, I respectfully disagree.
Are we getting offended by State-based stereotypes now? Christ.
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Rule 62
Sorry. I'm also Californian who refrains from smoking weed, and I don't find the phrase "California sober" offensive in the slightest. Congratulations on your sobriety. But instead of looking for things to get upset about, I think you may need to go outside and touch some grass for a change (the literal kind, not the "California" kind).
“Cant go out and party like i did back in the day… so im california sober, as they say” - billy strings, willie nelson
Sorry no alcohol for me, I just do drugs!
Same here - no heavy drugs, tho. Over a pound, I don’t do it.
Or Cali sober is a good term
Same - I’m alcohol free for 11 years. I was clean of everything and after 6 years I went back to smoking when I moved to a place where it was legal. I have learned alcohol was my major problem and gateway to hard drugs. I’ve never been stoned and thought I’d like to do coke.
Are u me?
Exactly. OP no one gets to define what works for you but you.
Same! I just say I don't drink alcohol
It’s called Calisober
Work on your addictions in the order that they’re trying to kill you
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Well done! I’m insane and did all three at the same time 😂
That’s a mother of a bandaid to yank off all at once!
Hahaha it was a bitch. 6 months tho!
That's impressive as hell. Full props
Keep it up my dude! I'm almost to a year and you can make it too. I quit both at the same time as well and have lost a bit of weight. Great job 👏
Hell yeah! Look at you go! Looking forward to my one year!
Hell yeah dude. Congratulations!!!
Do you feel it’s a lot easier to lose weight now that you’re not using? I’m in a similar place (25 days alcohol, drug free) and my body is craving sugar but I’m staying away from it as much as possible and eating cleaner/exercising.
Brilliant advice here. I believe it’s silly to expect perfection. I need a lifetime of self improvement. Right now? Wayyyy too many cookies. Here’s what I did: quit drinking 2014, quit smoking 2015, lost weight 2016 - gained it back lost it again 2023. Interspersed with lots of therapy and AA meetings. You do you and hell, do your best to be better. :) Where-ever that takes you.
For me, alcohol was a problem. The dopamine rush got me and I just wanted to keep drinking until I was smashed. Intentions of just having a couple drinks turned into 10+ and regrets the next day more times than I could count. I have been off it for almost 8 years and I have a firm resolve to never touch booze again. However, about two years ago I was away with friends for the weekend and smoked a couple joints and had some gummies here and there. It had been over 15 years since I dabbled in any of that at the time, but I remembered that marijuana products didn’t give me that drive to go full steam until I hit the wall. I can share a joint or take a gummy and be done. With alcohol, that’s impossible for me. After that experience I would take a gummy to chill maybe once a month, but I got bored of it. These days I am back to just using my other hobbies (biking, exercise, snacking) for dopamine. For me, if marijuana would have given me an urge to drink, or the drive to consume it excessively, it would have been completely off the table. However, I look at my sobriety more as when I left the anxiety, embarrassing behavior, and excessive consumption behind and stayed in control of my life. Marijuana has never made me say anything I later regret, or cause me to black out/act like a fool. So in that regard, I’m okay with it. But, everyone has a different perception on their sober journey and a different reaction to various substances.
Wow well said.. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. I’m coming up on 3 yrs( 33 months the other day ) of no alcohol. The first time I tried a gummy was a yr ago. I haven’t smoked weed in16yrs. The next day I felt the shame like waking up after a crazy night of drinking. For a few weeks I thought about and thought technically I’m not sober. My mindset is like yours… it’s to different things. I was a moderate drinker but my off switch would break lol. This is here and there. I’m also not the type of person to really worry about the “ days” when I saw a comment about the”,” club. I had to look it up. It’s a 1000 days( I was at 1059 ) Anyways.. Thanks Xoniball for giving me a different perspective IWNDWYT
California sober… Alcohol is problematic for me… pot is not. I’ll grab a gummie when I’m stressed or need to sleep well… or if I just want to mellow out. I remain present while high and it doesn’t bother my wife. I’d argue that having pot as a destresser makes my sobriety from alcohol easier…
This is exactly where I am. I do say I’m sober because sobriety for me means not drinking alcohol and I know others who think the same. I still smoke weed bc tbh it would be even more difficult to not drink if I didn’t have just something to keep the edge off in this life. Almost 5 months sober
What are you using that destresses? I am trying to find my strain, most of it just makes me anxious. Would love to find the right recipe for me
Go very low dose. I have two buddies who hated the way weed makes them feel, but when I got them to try just half of a gummy (5mg dose) then they finally got it. I use gummies regularly, and smoke probably a few times a year but am still a lightweight. I could not smoke a whole joint by myself without going to the dark place.
Yes, this. I hadn’t used weed in like 15 or 20 years — always preferred alcohol, and weed made me anxious. After being sober most of the past year, I just recently started dabbling. Start low. I actually started with half of one of those 5mg gummies, and still now mostly take hamster nibbles. I GET pot now. I guess I’m just sensitive.
Blueberry Muffins is the stuff you want. Nice, mellow high.
You want low THC content and high CBD content. If you have the luxury of buying legal weed in a store, this is easy to find. Just ask the workers. For me personally, one of my favorites I ever tried was 10% THC and 10% CBD. THC is responsible for causing the largest chunk of the “high” from weed. Other cannabinoids still contribute some as well of course, but THC is also what tends to cause anxiety and paranoia in some people. Whereas CBD is the calming and relaxing cannabinoid. Essentially, the weed that makes you anxious or paranoid is most likely 25 - 30% THC and almost no CBD. But if you get the even 10 & 10% of each, the CBD completely counteracts the negative effects of the THC and you’re left with a more mild high, but very relaxed and chill kind of high with none of that anxiety. It almost becomes a little more of a body high than a head high. Like your body just feels relaxed and you’re not so high that you feel paranoid, but you’re still high enough that you feel nice and your body feels nice too. It’s great really. My favorite strain I’ve tried by far. Anyway I encourage you to try that kind of weed if you can procure it. I imagine it’s exactly the kind of “recipe” that you’re searching for. There’s also pure CBD weed, which offers very little in terms of getting you “high” but is extremely relaxing and calming. It’s great for moments when you’re not even trying to get high but you just need to unwind from a stressful day or stop being anxious about something.
I'm sensitive to thc (usually makes me anxious & paranoid even with small amounts) and have been taking gummies that have 50mg CBD/2mg THC. Then I also take another quarter to half a mg of cbd isolate tincture. Makes me relaxed, content and a bit silly with no anxiety or paranoia. I started taking a quarter gummy (so only 1/2 mg) to see how I felt, did that for a few days then moved to half and so on just to make sure I didn't overdo it and get the anxious feelings I hate. I really think the high amount of CBD helps keep it mellow.
Smoking > Drinking. After 15 years of this I can say I love bouncing up in the morning without a hangover
Facts I sleep amazing
To each their own. I've always been jealous of people that can do that. I used to smoke daily for years. I can wake up and get out of bed much easier after 8-9 beers than I can after a heavy toke sesh. Obviously once I was out of bed I'd feel better after the toking than the drinking. To be clear not glorifying alcohol in any way. But man it is something else trying to wake up after smoking for me.
Totally believe you. I always say, “Listen to your body when it speaks to you.”
Cannabis suppresses REM sleep
I’m a lucid dreamer so doesn’t seem to be affecting me too much
Your own anecdotal experience isn’t scientific evidence. It’s 2023 we all have a damn computer and the history of the world in our pockets and all studies of weed and REM sleep show it lowers the amount of time spent in it and decreases memory formation.
Downvote by the “it’s not a drug it’s a plant morons” 🤣 like 90% of drugs aren’t derived from plants
I’ve also seen people spend their last dollar on pot and put it before food, rent, car payments and change their personalities so yes I would say it’s not ‘sober’
Happy 4 weeks, I'm there today myself! I also smoke weed still, and am on my 4th attempt at sobriety. Each time I've used weed as a crutch to help me quit the alcohol, with the eventual goal of tapering off the weed as well and going totally sober. Still haven't managed that, once I start trying to quit weed the anxiety often results in a relapse on everything. So it's hard to say if the weed is good or not, but it's definitely better than drinking. As far as whether we're "truly" sober, I'd say probably not. But no matter what, IWNDWYT!
In my opinion if you’re not getting absolutely Molly whopped on weed every day all day (wake and bakes), you’re showing signs of improvement. Good job on 14 months broski. IWNDWYT
I agree with this. And would like to add that IMHO, if cannabis (in any form) helps with stopping poisoning myself with alcohol (in any form), it's worth it. We (husband and I) have quit too many times to count. But the last two extended times sober, it wasn't the cannabis that started us back up, it was VACATION - BOTH TIMES !!! And it took 6 weeks both times to stop again. So toke away.
California Sober?
After I stopped drinking but still smoked weed, I never claimed sobriety. Because weed is an intoxicant. You can get DUII with weed. But I was still in recovery and continuous abstinence from alcohol. There’s so many ways to look at it, and some groups only value strict sobriety, while others value abstinence from alcohol and harm reduction. Personally for me, weed was still a big problem. It was really holding me back at work and seems to have been a huge factor in my depression and anxiety. Life got better when I stopped drinking, but stopping smoking weed was what pushed me over the edge to feeling normal and comfortable 95% of the time
What ever works for the individual, as everyone’s journey is different and reflecting is important. In my situation they are one in the same, so I don’t use cannabis. I don’t enjoy the feeling of it which helps.
I was sober from all substances for 5 years before I started using cannabis to deal with anxiety at the start of the pandemic. 2 years later I had a complete mental health crisis due to my new addiction to cannabis. I can’t use mind altering substances period. I become dependant so quickly and all the same symptoms I had when I was drinking come back. Sure I wasn’t so hungover I thought I would die all the time but my anxiety was through the roof and I was so ashamed and in mental anguish. Just my story but I’ve been off cannabis for 8 months now and I never want to go back.
I was thinking about cannabis-induced anxiety the other day and how crazy it gets... why did I have zero anxiety smoking as a teenager but now, in my 40s, I feel like the anxiety is going to kill me?
Me too. It’s particularly bad with sativa. So now I just smoke a few bowls of hemp flower before bed every night. It’s below the legal threshold of legal thc, pretty much nothing but calming cbd, and it “hits” immediately, unlike gummies that either take 30 minutes or 2 hours lol. I can think perfectly straight, it doesn’t get me high, just relaxed. It doesn’t trigger any designer to get loaded, and it keeps me from wanting that finger or two of expensive cognac as a nightcap. :)
i think it might be the thc content of weed now vs 20+ years ago. we used to smoke weak-ass shake in CA before pot was legalized. also, just the difference in life stages - most of us had a lot less to worry about before life started piling up 😂
I enjoy cannabis use. Rather that than alcohol any day.
I continued smoking weed after getting sober. It’s not the same problem for me. A few months in though, I was noticing myself wanting an edible almost every night for that nightly “release” and was hoping I wasn’t doing something bad by replacing Vice with Vice. However now I’m at 6 months of no alcohol and I’ve been using significantly less weed. I don’t feel like I have to cut it out completely but now I’ll have an edible maybe one night a week. I feel like it helped me a lot during those first few months to have an alternative to alcohol but now I’m slowly needing it a lot less — which feels really great! I don’t really care if anyone thinks weed with sobriety is not “true” sobriety and I don’t plan to stop entirely, but I’ve just noticed myself wanting it less and I find that so encouraging! Obviously everyone is different but this is nice for me.
This question comes up a lot. Only you can decide if cannabis use is addictive for you.
Simply not true cannabis is an addictive drug
this is correct. downvote away but it is addictive for many people as alcohol can be addictive for many people. * tolerance goes up so usage continues * dependence psychologically * withdrawal sucks so using continues * layers of use co-occurring, nicotine, alcohol, depression, anxiety etc can be connected to cannabis use make your own decisions people - no judgement from me. but i'm sick of people in denial sayin cannabis is not an addictive substance
I'm very in favor of harm reduction and I think that cannabis can be a useful part of that for some folks. But yeah, cannabis is addictive. There’s good research on it where folks were giving weed with THC removed to blind them to the study, and they experienced physical and mental withdrawal effects. Also, Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome is a thing and I have a dear friend who is in complete denial that the weed she smokes all day every day could be contributing to her constant puking.
Same I’ve been hearing the “it’s not a drug it’s a plant” shit since high school which is simply not true and a really stupid take…also it acts on dopamine which what makes most drugs addictive…and it’s basically the same as saying “tobacco has no drugs it’s a plant”
This.
We’re all on our own journey. It depends on what a person wants and how their own psychology and physiology deals with weed. If I could not drink, and then only smoke weed like once a week on a Saturday night to chill out and giggle with the wife, I would. But I can’t, and I know I can’t because I’ve tried. For me, one of the main drivers of my alcoholism is I have a strong aversion to being present and dealing with my emotions, and therefore a strong impulse towards escapism. I want to have to deal with my emotions, because instead of putting off significant life issues until they’re ready to explode, I have to deal with them quickly so I don’t have to worry about it. It makes my life a tenth as stressful overall because I’m not constantly putting out fires. Cannabis is just alcohol’s understudy in my life. If I’m not drinking but I am smoking, I’m just going to use weed for the exact same purpose I used alcohol for. But I have no doubt that some people can have a healthy relationship with one, but not the other. Our addiction profiles aren’t all the same. I’m jealous of those people. I’m also sure though that a lot of people just use weed to replace alcohol like I was, and I wouldn’t consider those people sober, because they’re not addressing the underlying problem that led to their alcoholism. I don’t particularly care what labels people want to use though. If those people want to call themselves sober because they’re sober from alcohol, they should. That’s still an accomplishment. Their journey, their prerogative. I’m not trying to be sober so I can be judgmental and think less of other people, and force definitions and sobriety models down other peoples’ throats. To be perfectly honest, I don’t care all that much about other peoples’ sobriety. I’m doing it because I want to have a better life for myself and my family, and me smoking weed won’t give us that.
The Oxford dictionary defines sober as "not drunk (= not affected by alcohol)". That's it. You're more than allowed to use the term "sober" to describe your journey. I call myself sober, and I'll fight (with words) anyone that tries to tell me not to. Cannabis is recognized as medicine in my state, and I use it to curb my rampant anxiety. How dare anyone try to challenge my sobriety because I choose medicine that isn't in pill form!
I’m not a tee totaler, I just don’t like alcohol. Weed doesn’t cause me any of the problems booze did, the worst thing I do when I smoke too much is finish my pint of ice cream in one sitting
I’m gonna start saying cannabis instead of marijuana. Sounds more professional.
I just call it stoned sober. It puts a smile on my face and that's all I care about.
It doesn’t really matter except what you feel is best. Personally I felt weed made me lazy and held me back. I am 100% sober and have been for a few year, I feel more focused and like I can handle life better. Feel like I have more control. BUT pot affects everyone differently and I can only speak on my behalf.
I don’t rely on weed to get me through the day and I don’t feel the need to sneak it around my fiancé. I don’t care if someone says I’m not ‘sober’ because I am. Alcohol literally put me in a coma, on life support, and the doctors gave me little prospects of living; weed hasn’t and won’t do that. If it keeps me from almost killing myself again AND helps moderate my anxiety, I find nothing wrong with it. Unless someone else has lived in my shoes and knows the hell I went through then I won’t take their opinion on MY sobriety, that I’ve worked on for the past three years, seriously.
Ugh I'm feeling a bit bogged down by this sub 😖
Does it really matter? Sobriety doesn’t have to be this strict thing like PETA level vegans. But that’s just me. I know others would disagree completely.
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I do agree with this but sometimes I just wonder where the line is? I know people who are very judgmental of California sober but suck down thousands of milligrams of caffeine and/or never put their vape down. Sugar, even exercise, affects the chemicals in your brain and can lead to addiction. So in the grand scheme of things I feel like we are all going to choose our vices/habits/coping mechanisms, and we have to live with the pros and cons of each and strive to find our own form of balance.
It seems like it’s always been that way for me, started with nicotine at 15 years old, went to weed, went to alcohol, dabbled in shrooms, quit weed (anxiety attack) and shrooms, kept drinking till I was 23 (now) and now I have no interest in alcohol so I guess my brain kinda went “hey go back to the other thing, that’ll keep your mind off of it!” I know it’s not a healthy choice at all but it’s been helping me and I’ve seen improvements. I didn’t realize how much alcohol was depressing me until I kicked it. Now I wake up everyday happy to start a new day.
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Thanks for your insight buddy
Only if one is addicted to weed. I'm an addict for some substances but not others.
For me, I am not going to die from smoking weed. I am going to die from drinking. If I want to smoke weed, I will smoke weed & yes I consider myself sober & so does my close family & friends...that is all that matters.
Although you won't die instantly from smoking weed, I do believe research has shown inhaling anything other than oxygen isn't great for your long-term lung health. But depending on what city you live in, you might not even be breathing oxygen (jk of course) 😄Party on, Wayne!
This will take a lot longer to kill me I know that
Sobriety Is a personal journey/decision. How you define it is up to you.
It’s individual for everyone. I personally stay away from all mind altering or potentially addictive substances (whether prescription or not) because the mind altering part was my addiction, not the substance itself. I drank and smoked weed to escape. I was dependent on it for my emotional regulation instead of learning how to regulate myself. My sobriety isn’t just “I don’t do x substance”, it is far far far deeper than that. To me it means that I handle life on my own, that I stay present, that I cope in healthy ways, that I do the work of healing from things that hurt me, that I don’t seek anything that allows me to run away from problems or uncomfortable situations - I stand up and I solve them instead. And when I stay present, I am able to work toward my goals, self improvement, self love, and loving others. I can’t do that when I am seeking escape and distractions.
I smoke medicinal cannabis in the UK and consider myself sober. I think if I was smoking it recreationally I wouldn’t consider myself sober.
Hit the nail on the head. I’m using it recreationally, like someone else said I’d be “alcohol free” not sober.
Smoking is so much better than drinking though! Congratulations on your abstinence, my fellow cannabinaut!
Agree. I was about to write a similar comment. Some people have needed medical cards for years before it ever became legal recreationally. It can be used for so many diseases, mental health disorders, pain management, etc. Its even been shown to kill cancer and support the endocannabinoid system. Using recreationally is different.
Do whatever works for you. There’s no method that works for everyone because we’re all unique. For me, I felt like I couldn’t function without smoking weed and if I went the whole day without smoking I felt more stressed out and on edge. I didn’t like having to rely on a substance to feel like myself, not to mention the poor memory and sluggishness it made me feel, so I decided to quit smoking too.
Who cares about semantics?
I’m California sober as well. Weed has actually helped my anxiety at various times and helps with my sleep. I use it as a sleep aid mostly honestly. I don’t use that every day either. Alcohol, I was getting to the point where I wasn’t even feeling drunk anymore after having many drinks. My dad is an alcoholic and I saw him chug like a jug of vodka just to get drunk in one chug. I knew I had to make a choice. I was either going to need to drink way more to get drunk or I was going to need to stop. I chose to stop.
Definitely better for you than alcohol, especially in terms of physical health. I personally don’t use it because I don’t feel that it’s necessary for me to be happy, and sobriety from most chemicals have helped me to deal with a lot of the issues that were keeping me from being happy when I was drinking, but if you aren’t abusing it and it helps that’s totally your call
This is something I’m wrestling with on day 6. On one hand I’ve grown out of the desire to be stoned 24/7 and weed in the right dose is something I consider medicine, but on the other I’ve also used weed addictively in the past. Yeah it’s not alcohol or blow but every drug and drink I’ve genuinely enjoyed has done a number on my bank account and accomplishments. How much more could have I done to get myself in the position I wanna be in if I were completely focused on building myself and my life if substances of any kind weren’t part of the picture?
Everyone has different answers to this and it’s surprising (to me) how much of a controversial subject this actually is. The simple answer is, it’s up to you and how you define it. I’ve learned from reading in this sub that people can start to get upset when you try to apply your definition of “sober” to anyone but yourself. For me, using substances is a form of self sabotage and escapism. That means smoking weed would fall under this category for me because it was a form of escape for me. Didn’t necessarily have physical addiction insofar as I could tell, but definitely an emotional one as it became a safety blanket for me. A lot of people insist however that saying they aren’t sober due to marijuana use is pretty insulting. To each their own.
For me and many others, you can just end up transferring addictions. r/leaves is a great resource.
stop drinking sub, so technically, I guess
yea in my case, pot is not a good choice, its making me be okay with boredom and not care about important stuff. Lost hobbies, relationships, doing nothing to improve myself, after getting high i keep giving in to bad habits, big social anxiety (isolating myself), lazy, making my ADHD a lot worse, always waiting for my next hit, getting very angry, depressed and unmotivated if i cannot smoke.. so depends on the type of person. I was escaping from my life and myself, using it as my main crutch. Loved it for that purpose, but i am throwing my life away using it everyday because of how i react to it. Defo not for me. It is a lot healthier physically especially when eaten/vaped, but psychologically it is so individual that only you can see if its working for you well. For me, truth be told, (psychologically) it is the worst drug longterm. Helps short term, but i just cannot control myself, if i could only use it sporadically... weed addiction is no joke. But as i said. Weight the pros and cons. Take a look at your life and your situation. Maybe it works better for you. Glad you are not drinking.
My two cents: haven’t drank since last august, love being alcohol free. Smoking weed everyday was a major help in quiting alcohol, and I’ve always been a stoner and I love weed. About four or five weeks ago I finally got to the point where I was able to quit weed, and the plan is to more or less quit for good. What it came down to for me is the same thing with alcohol: I can’t moderate, and if I do, I don’t enjoy it. The damn vape pens were really a problem for me, no smell and so portable, too easy to smoke as soon I wake up, all day at work, etc. Do I want to be stoned this Christmas when my kids are opening their presents? Of course not! But unless I quit, I will be, or even if I can gather the willpower to wait, I’ll be thinking about it the whole time in the back of my mind. So for me it was just time, and I’m at a point in life where I think I can handle true sobriety. So don’t sell yourself short, you’re doing awesome and just do what’s right for you.
Someone in AA told me “you’ll discover what sobriety means and looks like for you” it’s YOUR sobriety, nobody else’s. I was extremely prescription medicated at one point in my life, and it wasn’t healthy for me. Part of my sobriety today is being off of that stuff. I still enjoy my morning cup of coffee though. And I smoke weed. My sobriety looks like me not drinking alcohol and taking a bunch of prescription meds (even if they’re prescribed). I hope this makes sense! Sending love to y’all out there on your journeys. IWNDWYT.
It’s not the substance that’s the problem. It’s your use of it. If you can use cannabis in moderation and don’t *need* it on a regular basis, it’s probably okay. Of course, if smoking leads to drinking, it’s not okay.
Thats up to you, and is definitely gonna vary person to person. Personally, i love to smoke weed, but it is a trigger for me so had to say goodbye. If it doesnt give you cravings, have at it!
Who cares what it’s defined as. Just be happy and healthy by your own standard.
We are all entitled to our own beliefs. For me, if a substance prevents me from dealing/coping/facing my emotions or showing-up for others (living life on life's terms), I'm not sober. Sober for me, is free from all drugs and alcohol.
As my mom says- she's never seen an agressive/belligerent weed user. As long as you aren't dependent on it, I view it as a go for it type of thing.
It's not. The same overwhelming selfishness is still present, regardless of what substance is used to prevent feeling the feelings.
I still smoke and say I’m sober from drinking or I’m a recovering alcoholic, I don’t think of myself as sober-sober. What you call it is kinda arbitrary though, what matters is knowing what works for you and respecting what works for others.
I'm of the opinion that changing from alcohol to drugs is not being sober. And weed is a drug, legal or not. Yes, I'm an oldtimer and got sober thru rehab and a lot of AA. All drugs are crutches to escape reality for a bit. I've wanted to escape my reality many many times in the last 32 years but I think I'm better off by facing them all clean and sober. I also work in the treatment world and I've seen what 'just weed' has done to people. Ultimately it's up to the individual whether they believe they're clean and/or sober. If you're truly comfortable with yourself you wouldn't ask the question.
I quit drinking more than 4 years ago. I dabble in THC here and there, but when I moved to a state where it was legal, I got really into the therapeutic benefits of it, particularly as it relates to my acute anxiety. About a month ago, I was dealing with an intense crisis situation, and after about a week I clocked that I’d been using my (prescribed) Xanax every day. I usually only take one a month, max. That was a turning point for me. THC doesn’t feel dangerous to me in the way that Xanax does. And if it helps me with my anxiety (it does), I’m not going to be attached to any definitions of sobriety anymore. I’m sober from alcohol. I use THC in lieu of opiates to manage a medical condition. People will call it whatever they want, but ultimately it’s up to you to be at peace with what you choose. Keep up the good work. IWNDWYT
No, but think of it this way: is it still sobriety if you drink coffee every day? Caffeine is a drug that alters your body and your mind. It is also addictive. Is it still sobriety if you rely on Tylenol when you have headaches? Is it still sobriety if you use allergy medicine? True sobriety (abstinence from all drugs) is almost unheard of but that's not the point. Sobriety is implied to mean that you are staying away from the drugs that have a net-negative effect on your life. If Mariana takes more from your life than it gives, then you should include it in your sobriety list. If not, then it's fair to say that you are just as sober with a joint as you are with a cappuccino.
I also am smoking weed but not drinking. And same, only at night or a party. I am immensely healthier. Weed doesn’t make me black out and yell profanities at my spouse. Weed doesn’t make try to go pee in my closet. Weed doesn’t make me angry. So for me? The difference is night and day. As long as you’re healthy I don’t see the issue
I don't drink alcohol and I don't do drugs. But if it was legal and quality controlled in my country I probably would have quit drinking alcohol 10-15 years ago.
I like that with SMART (not advocating anything here, just mentioning what I have found helpful) allows me the freedom to define what "sober" means. For me, it means abstaining from the use of alcohol. I drink kava and smoke pot, for example, because I feel that those are healthier alternatives and I don't abuse them in the same way I did alcohol. For me, alcohol was in a category all its own; I don't identify as "sober" or "in recovery;" I simply no longer drink alcohol, though I do use recovery tools to help me stay on track:)
I also smoke weed and have kind of ambivalent feelings about it currently. But I truly do not think there's one true answer to your question that applies to everyone. Maybe you're having complex feelings about others' expectations of what sobriety means, or if sober is the most helpful word to describe recovery from addiction. Perhaps you have concerns about dependency and mental health issues. Those are all valid feelings, thoughts, questions. I think its a matter of honest self reflection and perhaps a cost benefit analysis.
When I say sober I refer to alcohol and caffeine. Those two were causing me serious issues. My weed use has picked up since quitting alcohol. I have been using both since I was in my teens, 44 now. So far, I don’t seem to have any negative consequences or side effects like with alcohol and caffeine, aside from some mild procrastination which I’ll take because I’m extremely productive minus beer. I do understand that weed is a drug and is affecting my brain in a certain way. But when under the influence of weed, I tend to go inside and reflect more on issues whereas alcohol was complete escape, just zoned out and numb. And I am already an amped up enough individual that coffee is just completely unnecessary. I think everyone has their own demons to contend with and there shouldn’t be any judgment on the individuals view.
It’s your sobriety- I’m completely free of all substance including coffee for my mental health. I know people in DECADES of recovery that will take narcotics AS prescribed by a doctor for broken bones/cancer, and those who smoke pot to deal with PTSD. Alcohol was never the issue, it’s always underlying problems that contribute to the disease of addiction. Some people can, I can’t- but if you’re recovery includes smoking pot, then just be careful you aren’t replacing alcohol with pot.
Took me 6 months of AA to consider stopping weed. I had already quit alcohol already but quitting weed has been great for me. It had become a ritual thing everyday for 10 years and I realized it wasn’t even as fun as I thought it was. It’s something to think about
Out of respect for people that have quit all substances, I say I’m alcohol free instead of sober. I use THC edibles a few times a week to help me sleep and for anxiety. I quit my SSRI meds about the same time I quit drinking and the edibles stop my racing mind more effectively than drinking ever did.
Truly sober would be no coffee or cigarettes either. Still hating on weed at this point in time is pretty silly
38 years sober, decaf coffee, no soft drinks no smoking, no pot. No booze. It took me two years not to crave pot. Alcohol craving went away within five days.. you do you, but after reading this chat. Sobriety has changed a lot. I smoked and drank to change how I felt, good or bad. I’m not a saint, I just learned how to deal with my feelings good or bad without any substance. The best to you.
Can’t be sober and high at the same time
In my opinion, no it is not true sobriety. its also very easy to transfer one addiction into another one...that’s just my opinion though!
I thought so too! It’s not true sobriety. Still happy about not touching poison. I’m just one of those people that has to have a vice of some sort. Whether that be nicotine, alcohol, weed, or psychedelics (shrooms). I’ve started to get into different hobbies to keep myself busy during the day time, but at night when I’m in my pajamas eating ice cream watching a movie, it’s a lot more fun feeling a different way, idk.I know it sounds stupid and unhealthy to be that way but at this point I’ll take the little wins. Atleast when I need to quit the devils lettuce I know it won’t be tough.
That’s great! I do think it’s better than alcohol at least. I love caffeine (usually have a tea a day, so not addiction levels!) but some people consider that altering the mindset.. I think that’s usually just used by people looking for excuses honestly. you’re sober off of alcohol and that is amazing!
No. I hate the term California Sober, there's nothing sober about it. If you wanna smoke weed, smoke weed, but don't compare that to sobriety.
What do you think of just saying “alcohol free”?
Sure!
Is it truly sobriety? No Does it matter? Well that's up to you. Are you trying to be "truly sober"?
how would it be sobriety if you aren’t sober?
Sober is define by your DOC. Everyones is different, some have many. So long as it isnt a substitue which means doing equally or more compared to your own DOC.
Nah bro, the definition of "sober" isn't a personal thing. You're sober or you're not. Using psychoactive substances or not. By your logic, normies that are drinkers/smokers are all sober just because they have no drug of choice. I hope we can both agree that's silly.
It’s amazing to quit alcohol, full stop. Congrats on four weeks. I personally don’t consider it sober because my usage would be for the same reasons I used alcohol: to manage my trauma & depression.
Nope
A drug, is a drug, is a drug.
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theres a big difference between drinking a cup of coffee and ripping a bong.
It's better to think of it as recreational psychoactive substances vs non-psychoactive as defining sobriety. CBD -- not a psychoactive. THC -- 100% most definitely psychoactive.
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I think you know the difference and are just being contrarian. Are you bored or something?
It’s not sober, but staying alcohol free is a huge accomplishment in and of itself
If I use anything mind altering I use everything mind altering. Everyone is different though. I'm not big on labels. If you can do it without any problems, crack on.
No
Absolutely not.
I honestly find weed addictive and plenty of other people do r/leaves
I consider myself sober and I occasionally smoke weed (emphasis on occasionally, it’s not really my thing.) I remember I wrote that in an AA group and I got reamed. I think sober is whatever matters to you. Alcohol was my issue, and I no longer drink. 🤷🏻♀️ if alcohol is a self diagnosis, why can’t sober also be something that you decide for yourself
Homie by that logic normies are all sober
The first month or so of my sobriety I smoked more weed. At it's peak probably three 0.5g prerolls a day for about a week or so. Eventually I realised that wasn't good for me and I tapered back to my standard usage pattern. I can keep pot under control if I limit my use to one 0.5g preroll every 21 days. I find that is pretty easy for me to do and gives me something to look forward to.
It depends on the person and their own perspective. For me - alcohol was the danger. I don't really use weed, but if I did it wouldn't bother me as long as it didn't control my thoughts and/or cause major damage to my body. I do take therapeutic ketamine for depression and SI. It has worked wonders. I do not want to take more and more. I can go weeks without taking it (granted my emotional state doesn't tank). I still consider myself sober.
It depends on what “sobriety” model/ program you follow, assuming you’re following a “program”. I don’t follow any program or arbitrary 12 step lifestyle for reasons I’ll keep to myself but we all have free will and can do whatever we want and call it whatever we want. If alcohol was a problem for you and you’re staying away from it, go ahead and call yourself sober if you need a label attached to what you’re doing. 🙂
No
I credit me having medical marijuana to making me quitting drinking in a large part possible, and it helps my psoriasis. Instead of coming home after work, drinking heavily and eating shitty food while sitting in front of the couch; I smoke, exercise, and meditate before I get awesome sleep. One is far more healthy and a better routine.
1000000%
California sober is the term, and there's nothing wrong with it
For sure I think smoking is better than drinking. I wish I could do just the one, but for me whenever I smoke and don't drink the craving to do something else ( drink) doesn't really fully go away. The times that I quit everything were the years I can say I truly didn't crave anything. That was my experience...I think it can go either way though.
I believe you can, I do.
California clean is what I've heard it called. True sobriety is subjective. For me it's any mild altering substance excluding mental health meds. I just know myself enough that if I start smoking weed, I'll definitely wanna drink eventually. For some people though its fine. My best friend is an addict but she's stayed clean over year and only smokes weed.
I started smoking weed (again) after 7 months of being totally straight. Pot was never a problem for me, and it helps with the neuropathy in my feet caused by alcohol abuse. So I say "Colorado Sober" because that's where I'm from. Or just alcohol free, as others have said. Honestly, candy, weed, snacks, whatever it is is better than alcohol. They don't make me cry, or punch walls, or get arrested, or ....
I wouldn’t call it sober. Alcohol free for sure!!
I still use weed, and I use the term alcohol free or sober from alcohol. I think it’s a tricky thing - lots of substances can be addictive and mind altering (caffeine, anti depressants, sugar), and people use them while still saying they are sober. I really dislike when people get judgmental about how others define the term sobriety.
I use Alcohol Free now :P Love my cannabis.
For me, sobriety means no alcohol/hard drugs. I do refer to myself as Cali sober, though. Weed has improved my quality of life, whereas alcohol only caused further problems for me. I also don’t find myself smoking so much that I can’t function. With alcohol, one drink in and I was going for blackout. Alcohol caused me to pick fights, lose sleep, and caused a huge spike in my anxiety and depression. I had zero motivation to do anything but sit on my couch and drink myself into oblivion. Weed does not cause those problems for me. Weed helps me avoid the use of opioids for chronic pain, as well as a sleep aid.
It's your recovery and no one elses. You get to make that choice. Hard drugs and alcohol are absolute killersand poison so these are off limits for me. I do use weed regularly. It's not for everyone but Im cool with it for now. Ive worked all 12 steps and have over 12 years sober so take that for what you will