California sober, cali sober – for anyone not soaking up the sun on the pacific coast – what exactly does it mean?
"California sober" is a slang term used to describe someone who mainly has decided to stop using drugs and alcohol, but on occasion may bend the rules. This approach isn't a one size fits all and is entirely down to the individual, what they feel comfortable with, and what they still enjoy doing.
Tell us more, who are these Californian Sober people? Do I have to live in California to be California Sober? Could I be Scotland Sober? Staffordshire Sober? Saffron Walden Sober?
This could look like someone who doesn't drink anymore, but still enjoys smoking weed. It could look like someone who is totally against booze, and drugs now – but has started to dabble in microdosing psilocybyn (or "magic" mushrooms).
The phrase gained mainsteam popularity after writer Michelle Lhooq published an article on Vice.com in 2019 about her substance use and ways to improve her health. Lhooq claimed to have quit all drugs except marijuana and some psychedelics when she moved from New York to California (one of the states that had legalised marijuana use at the time, hence the name “California sober”). The term “Cali sober,” Lhooq wrote, is also commonly used by people who abstain from all substances except marijuana.
