‘California sober’ people are reaching record highs

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Those who don’t like to drink booze but still need a buzz at the end of a long week are increasingly embracing the “California sober” lifestyle, which shuns alcohol and embraces cannabis as a so-called “healthier” alternative that doesn’t come with hangovers. Sparking up a joint or splitting an edible with a friend doesn’t come with the same risks as alcohol consumption, studies show: Per the CDC, more than 170,000 people die every year from excessive drinking. That includes deaths related to chronic drinking and from consuming too much alcohol on one occasion. According to an NIH study, deaths from marijuana toxicity are “negligible,” though the DEA reports that there has been an increase in emergency room visits due to misuse of edibles. That doesn’t make it harmless, however. Driving under its influence is as dangerous and illegal as getting behind the wheel after too many drinks. The negative health impacts of marijuana are still being explored. Overall rising: A Gallup poll from 2024 reported that 15% of all Americans have smoked marijuana, a small increase over the previous year. Friendly reminder that recreational marijuana usage remains federally illegal in the US… Young people are sold A 2023 survey from the NIH found that as of 2022, 44% of adults between the ages of 19 and 30 said they had used marijuana in the past year, a record high (not an intentional pun). Drink it in: Forget magic brownies and bongs—domestic sales of beverages with THC reached $850 million in 2025. A recent survey from Drug Rehab USA said 1 in 3 Gen Zers and millennials are regularly choosing marijuana drinks over alcoholic ones.