Demi Lovato & California Sober

Why she decided “sober sober” was a better option

After a near-fatal opioid overdose in 2018, Demi Lovato’s battle with addiction was the talk of Hollywood and tabloids everywhere.

The following year, in an interview with CBS regarding her health status, Lovato said, “I think the term that I best identify with is ‘California sober.’ I really don’t feel comfortable explaining the parameters of my recovery to people, because I don’t want anyone to look at my parameters of safety and think that’s what works for them, because it might not.”

After the interview, the term “Cali Sober” began to spread on social media and in pop culture, referring to people who abstained from alcohol but who still used marijuana or psilocybin — or both.

This has caused some debate as to whether a person who uses any kind of mind-altering drug can still be considered “sober.”

In Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, it would be strictly forbidden for someone to admit they were using marijuana and mushrooms and still pick up chips to celebrate various lengths of sobriety.

This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t occur — but it’s usually kept hush-hush.