Quite a number of responsible adults — not all of them California residents — embrace a concept that many others dismiss as ridiculous or self-deceptive, if not downright heretical. The “California sober” philosophy recognizes that a person who has experienced a dangerous and potentially fatal relationship with a drug, or some drugs, may still be eminently capable of deriving genuine benefit from other substances.

In most cases, California sober implies a useful and even therapeutic relationship with the gentler stuff, like cannabis and “magic” mushrooms. The experiences offered by sacred plants confer spiritual benefit, rather than damage or destruction to either the user or any other people involved.

Individuals who embrace ayahuasca, for example, treat it with the same reverence that devout Christians pay to Holy Communion. Similar to mescaline, psilocybin, and LSD, ayahuasca helps its users open doors of the mind and soul. A person who has had an appalling experience with alcohol, for instance, might derive monumental benefit from a psychedelic drug, and there is no reason for that person to be treated like a duplicitous cheater.

The Cleveland Clinic website offers an overview of ayahuasca from David Streem, M.D., a practicing addiction psychiatrist who is quoted as saying, “DMT has a structure that looks similar to serotonin, which is a very important brain chemical.”

This particular medicine is most usefully administered by experienced experts, and does have some unpleasant physical side effects at times, for some users. Remember what Dr. Timothy Leary used to say? “Set and setting.” That maxim is true as ever, according to this present-day expert:

Interestingly, the why of Ayahuasca use seemed to play a role in the kind and severity of mental health side effects: People whose cultural or spiritual practices involved ayahuasca use had notably fewer negative experiences than people who used it in an uncontrolled or recreational context.

Seekers who occasionally take guided trips on this stuff derive extreme psychological benefits that are satisfactory enough to keep them uninterested in other drugs, and very much in love with life. This is one way to be California sober.

Then, there are reports from slightly more rowdy individuals with different perspectives. Not long ago, journalist Shane O’Neill described some of the lifestyle variants he has run across in researching the subject.

For instance, he reports that there is a condition called “Florida sober” which translates as “meth only.” A strait-laced person who feels that any amount of methamphetamine is too freakin’ much methamphetamine will feel just as intolerant of this “Florida sober” notion as others feel about the “California sober” concept.

Even more specifically, some folks self-describe as “Northern California sober” which means magic mushrooms only, and even “nose sober,” which means they don’t do any drug that needs to be snorted.

The author quotes the executive director of Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Alliance, Bill Stauffer, who explained,

We have evolved in our vision of what healing from an addiction or a substance use disorder is… There’s a spectrum of substance use disorders. There’s a spectrum of healing. We don’t understand either of them totally yet.

One interesting aspect of hearing so many different perspectives is learning odd facts — like, some people who stay sober with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous apparently look down on those who remain sober without going to 12-step meetings. Some AA participants are also said to be snobs of a different sort, lacking in “cultural and social competence.”

O’Neill also quotes an expert who says that “harm reduction strategies that are non-abstinence based have become an important part of the discussion,” and another expert who says the California sober model works for some folks but not for others, and “we’re still trying to figure out what distinguishes those two groups.” The author also reminds readers that “The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, known as Bill W., was himself interested in LSD as a potential treatment for alcoholism.”

Obviously, matters in the recovery world are far from settled, and it will be interesting to see where these developments lead.

Written by Pat Hartman. First published April 30, 2026.

Sources:

“Ayahuasca: What You Need To Know,” ClevelandClinic.org, April 4, 2024.

“They smoke pot, drink booze and consider themselves sober,” WashingtonPost.com, November 6, 2024.

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