This term has many different meanings, depending on whom you ask. First, let’s randomly pick a couple of articles from institutions, and see what they say about it. Bridges Sober Living Apartments defines “California sober” as a trend followed by people anxious to redefine their relationship with alcohol and/or drugs, in hopes of finding a manageable yet bearable way to go on:

[…] a lifestyle choice where individuals abstain from hard drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, while allowing the use of softer substances, particularly marijuana. The focus is on moderation and harm reduction rather than total abstinence…

Overall, the concept is to emphasize the importance of an individualized recovery approach. There is quite a thorough examination of the pros and cons of marijuana as a soft/safe drug.

Billy Idol, Wiz Khalifa, and Demi Lovato are cited as typical followers for whom “this lifestyle is a way to avoid setting unrealistic expectations for themselves.” But Lovato has since undergone a reversal, as the author notes further down the page:

Notable figures like Demi Lovato have experimented with California sobriety but later returned to total abstinence, stating that moderate substance use did not align with their long-term recovery goals.

The author states that the lifestyle is an arbitrary and highly controversial concept without standardized guidelines.

Next, for VeryWellMind.com, author John Loeppky quotes Bill Blaber of Mountainside Treatment Center, who directs the recovery coaching program there and is himself in long-term recovery. He maintains that many people do need to be absolutely abstinent. Blaber says:

And there’s a little bit of envy, there’s a little bit of judgment when they know that someone out there could be [California] sober…. It’s hard for someone who’s trying to get sober to watch somebody else live out their fantasy.

Still, Blaber allows for the possibility that for a sincere person with a solid wellness plan and a realistic sense of the dire possibilities, it could work. The author quotes another therapist who insists that any patient begins with a solid month of absolutely nothing as a baseline. Then, a not totally sober approach might be contemplated if the person feels able to handle it.

A recent Washington Post article by Shane O’Neill startled quite a few readers by discussing the various kinds of sobriety. He mentions country singer Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord), who abstains from cocaine and opiates, but uses marijuana, which he says has kept him away from more dangerous substances.

Another musician, Billy Strings, collaborated with longtime marijuana advocate Willie Nelson (who is 91 and still going strong) to record a song called “California Sober.”

This rollicking number includes such lyrics as,

So I’m California sober as they say

And lately I can’t find no other way

I can’t stay out and party like I did back in the day

So I’m California sober as they say

Then, there are endless variations like “Northern California sober,” which translates to magic mushrooms only, and “nose sober” which means they reject anything that needs to be snorted. O’Neill quotes Meenakshi S. Subbaraman, a researcher for Oakland, California’s Public Health Institute, adding that “Subbaraman herself hasn’t had a drink in five years but uses marijuana”:

It works for some people, it doesn’t work for others, and we’re still trying to figure out what distinguishes those two groups.

Comedian and podcaster Greg Fitzsimmons has been alcohol sober for 95% of his stand-up career, more than 30 years, but recreationally and spiritually finds value in pot and shrooms. On his show, comedian Annie Lederman said she hasn’t had alcohol in ten years or more, but is also “California sober.”

As another example, actor Zahn McClarnon told interviewer Marc Maron that he has been alcohol sober for more than 20 years after using psychedelics, particularly peyote, to kick the habit, and still uses psychedelics recreationally and medicinally.

Here, as in so many areas of life, what works splendidly for one person may for the next person be a total non-starter. Plenty of former alcoholics have found “California sober” to be a useful tool that allows substances to be evaluated individually.

This is particularly important if the person suffers from an intractable condition such as chronic pain from physical injury. They find that a tailored approach to sobriety is more likely to result in long-term success. The goal is to find a balance without needing to deal with complete sobriety (which, if they are totally honest, many people would rather die than live with.)

Written by Pat Hartman. First published December 20, 2024.

Sources:

“What is ‘California Sober’ and does it work?,” SoberApartmentsLA.com, September 25, 2024.

“Redefining Sobriety: The Rise of the California Sober Lifestyle,” VeryWellMind.com, September 9, 2023.

“They smoke pot, drink booze and consider themselves sober,” The Washington Post, November 6, 2024.

“Billy Strings — California Sober (feat. Willie Nelson)”, YouTube, undated.

“Annie Lederman — Episode 913,” GregFitzsimmons.com, June 8, 2021.

“WTF Episode 1373,” WTFPod.com, October 10, 2022.

Image Copyright: Bert Cash/Attribution 2.0 Generic.