{"id":10872,"date":"2025-10-15T12:42:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=7207503"},"modified":"2025-10-15T12:42:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:42:30","slug":"colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Colorado sober\u2019 movement ditches alcohol for cannabis, psychedelics. Is it for real?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>Everything in moderation. Including moderation.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the idea behind the Colorado sober movement, an unofficial yet growing trend away from alcohol, and toward plant-based and psychedelic drugs.<\/p>\n<p>But how can one be considered sober while, for example, smoking pot and taking LSD?<\/p>\n<p>Because \u201cColorado sober\u201d \u2014 a spin-off of the similar term \u201cCalifornia sober\u201d \u2014 isn\u2019t about abstaining from all substances, but rather the ones that are known to have lasting effects on your body and brain, advocates say. That includes drugs such as cocaine and opioids, but also alcohol, which has waned in recent years as the standard <a href=\"https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/why-gen-z-is-drinking-less\">social lubricant for young people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7211195\" class=\"wp-caption alignright size-article_inline_half\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real.jpg\" alt=\"Ricardo Baca, former editor of The Cannabist\" width=\"1000\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"7211195\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-OP16BACAmug_116939307.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ricardo Baca, former editor of The Cannabist and owner of Grasslands. (Cyrus McCrimmon, Denver Post file)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWeed and mushrooms have a lot less next-day negative effects than alcohol,\u201d said Marissa Poppens, a Denver resident who considers herself Colorado sober. \u201cI\u2019m new to the term but I think people are starting to realize what it means on their own. It\u2019s a version of \u2018natural high.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Poppens regularly uses cannabis and microdoses psilocybin \u2014 the active psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms \u2014 not only for recreation, but also to help treat chronic pain and symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).<\/p>\n<p>As executive director of the 9-year-old nonprofit MSterios Miracles, Poppens wants to help advocate for and provide resources to people living with MS. She said a flare-up two years ago led to one of her medical professionals suggesting psilocybin. The drug has proven itself as an effective alternative to psychiatric medication, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/03\/05\/colorado-psilocybin-therapy-healing-centers-denver-lakewood-arvada\/\">according to licensed psychedelic therapists and researchers<\/a>, with studies bearing out its transformative effects on depression, PTSD and addiction.<\/p>\n<p>As of 2025, the state\u2019s Natural Medicine Division has begun licensing psilocybin healing centers, which follows Colorado\u2019s recreational legalization of cannabis for people 21 and over in 2014. The combination of those actions \u2014 magic mushrooms have been decriminalized since 2022 so it\u2019s not a crime to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/03\/05\/colorado-psilocybin-therapy-healing-centers-denver-lakewood-arvada\/\">grow or ingest them<\/a>, though retail sales are not yet here (as they are for cannabis) \u2014 and cultural acceptance has helped Poppens feel better about abandoning alcohol, she said, and find allies in her quest for nontraditional relief.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was able to get off my prescribed depression medication, which I hated taking, after I started microdosing,\u201d she said, adding that her regimen is based around wellness, not recreational highs.<\/p>\n<p>In that way, it\u2019s not just a cheeky term for non-drinkers, said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rawkandroll\/\">Josh Kesselman<\/a>, owner of the cannabis magazine High Times. It\u2019s an evolving descriptor for people who want to explore, not pummel, their minds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/why-gen-z-is-drinking-less\">Research compiled by the Cleveland Clinic<\/a> has shown that the movement away from alcohol is rooted as much in alcohol\u2019s deleterious effects as increased emphasis on education, mental wellness and healthier lifestyles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlcohol is a depressant and never the answer to a bad day,\u201d said addiction psychiatrist Dr. Akhil Anand in the Cleveland Clinic report. \u201cGen Z seems to understand that concept, and they\u2019ve moved in a different direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related right\"> <\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a great place for many of us to dwell,\u201d Kesselman said. \u201cCannabis expands the brain, the neural network fires, and synapses connect. We have an endocannabinoid system for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gen Z\u2019s alcohol consumption is dropping rapidly, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapediatrics\/fullarticle\/2771635\">Journal of American Medicine report<\/a> showing that the <a href=\"https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/why-gen-z-is-drinking-less\">percentage of college students abstaining from alcohol<\/a> was 28% in 2022, as compared with 20% in 2018. Sales of beer have dropped year-over-year, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2024\/01\/03\/10-facts-about-americans-and-alcohol-as-dry-january-begins\/\">Pew Research<\/a> and other reports have shown that the youth movement away from alcohol has rippled out to all age groups.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI broke up with wine!\u201d reads a testimonial for Feals cannabis gummies, which is categorized under Health\/Beauty on Facebook. The image on its social media campaign shows a spilled glass of red wine next to an orange packet of THC and CBD gummies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTen years ago, I would go visit friends in New York, and I could never handle two nights in a row of drinking, because by the third night I\u2019d be useless,\u201d Kesselman said. \u201cAlcohol is something that takes your life force and gives you nothing in return. Plus, when people drink they do terrible things. Nobody\u2019s like, \u2018Let\u2019s get stoned and rob people.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kesselman, who also founded the Raw Rolling Papers company, has a strong business reason for encouraging others to drop alcohol for cannabis. But it\u2019s no smokescreen, he said: There\u2019s not an objectively right or wrong way to be sober, and that can easily include abstaining from substances altogether.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7209839\" class=\"wp-caption alignright size-article_inline_half\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real-1.jpg\" alt=\"High Times magazine owner and Raw Rolling Papers founder Josh Kesselman said the Colorado sober movement is about wellness, not partying. (Provided by Grasslands PR)\" width=\"1330\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real-1.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"7209839\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real-1.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-Z-Colorado-sober-03.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">High Times magazine owner and Raw Rolling Papers founder Josh Kesselman said the Colorado sober movement is about wellness, not partying. (Provided by Grasslands PR)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That would not, however, be considered Colorado sober, or even sober-curious. Rather, Colorado sober describes intentional consumption based around wellness, said Ricardo Baca, who was appointed to the state\u2019s first Natural Medicine Advisory Board last year by Gov. Jared Polis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe California sober movement was really born out of recreational cannabis, but also the medical movement before it,\u201d Baca said of that state\u2019s pioneering cannabis laws. \u201cSo I was glad when I first heard of the Colorado sober movement, because there was space being carved out for our home state to stake this claim around intentional consumption.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not about restriction or prohibition or a purity test, because we\u2019ve seen how that goes,\u201d he added, \u201cbut about redefining sobriety and aligning with plants and mushrooms and chemical-based alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That covers purely synthetic substances that have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-53363-y\">shown positive, peer-reviewed results<\/a> as medical treatments \u2014 but that can also have their own party-ready uses as recreational drugs. Think ketamine, MDMA (a.k.a. ecstasy or molly), kratom and DMT.<\/p>\n<p>Baca has long studied the subject, both as the former editor of The Denver Post\u2019s groundbreaking Cannabist journalism site, as well as founder and owner of Denver\u2019s Grasslands PR and marketing agency. His clients include cannabis, psilocybin, kratom and other companies \u2014 including High Times\u2019 Kesselman. He\u2019s delivered TEDx Talks and keynotes at South by Southwest and other conferences detailing how cannabis works in pain management and the effects of its legalization.<\/p>\n<p>He acknowledged his company benefits by boosting the Colorado sober trend, but said that it\u2019s more about harm reduction than profit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the California sober movement co-opted by brands and businesses, and we will absolutely see the Colorado sober movement co-opted by similar brands,\u201d Baca said. \u201cI don\u2019t see anything wrong with it, that myself and other marketers and businesses will take advantage of this to help tell their own stories. It\u2019s still an organic trend that came from the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the idea of being Colorado sober soft-pedals the potentially addictive effects of cannabis and psychedelics, said Alton P. Dillard II, a media consultant for the <a href=\"https:\/\/onechancetogrowup.org\/\">One Chance to Grow Up nonprofit<\/a>. The Colorado organization includes a number of top medical and academic advisors advocating against drug use for young people.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7209840\" class=\"wp-caption alignright size-article_inline_half\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real-2.jpg\" alt=\"Denver resident Marissa Poppens said cannabis and psilocybin microdosing has allowed her to ditch alcohol entirely while helping treat her multiple sclerosis. (Provided by Marissa Poppens)\" width=\"1080\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real-2.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"7209840\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/colorado-sober-movement-ditches-alcohol-for-cannabis-psychedelics-is-it-for-real-2.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-Z-Colorado-sober-01.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Denver resident Marissa Poppens said cannabis and psilocybin microdosing has allowed her to ditch alcohol entirely while helping treat her multiple sclerosis. (Provided by Marissa Poppens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe recognize the intense toll of alcohol addiction and understand that adults make choices that they think best support their health,\u201d he said. \u201cThe problem for youth is that they are already getting confusing messages that marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms are healthy, natural medicines.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn fact, they both present significant risks to young brains, which are growing until age 25,\u201d he continued. \u201cWhen weed and mushrooms are presented as part of a \u2018sober\u2019 lifestyle, teens may get the impression that they\u2019re harmless. They\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>High Times\u2019 Kesselman said the Colorado sober movement is not about pushing anyone toward drugs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust like with anything else, people have to consume within their own limits, and we at High Times do not recommend any kind of overconsumption,\u201d he said. \u201cBut what that means to one person might be different than someone else, and you have to find that balance in your own life. This is a way to change your thinking, not just your chemistry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.denverpost.com\/dp\/preference\">Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Originally Published: October 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM MDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>Self-described Colorado sober people see it as healthier alternative to drinking, praise wellness benefits. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7038,6880,45,52,330,6811,1344,7143,1345,6892,7938,4995,77,9,386,8146,5019,8147,8148,1,3,18,7072,6923,61,1736],"tags":[7039,6881,2628,2632,2908,6816,3914,7144,3915,6893,7939,4996,2655,2964,8151,5022,8152,8153,2622,7073,6924],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10872"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10872\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}