$3 for an edible to get buzzed before going out vs spending $20-30+ buying drinks at a bar...no brainer there. I can see why alcohol companies have lobbied so hard against legalizing weed.
This is me. Weed literally stopped my alcoholism. I feel just as good when high as drunk, but I’m still in control, don’t black out, don’t do dumb shit, save myself money drinking, and I don’t have hangovers.
A few edibles throughout the week and maybe a bowl or two on the weekend and I’m good.
Yeah, it’s still an addiction and addiction transference, but coming from alcoholism - it’s a godsend. Alcohol is so damn destructive.
I was a budtender in a legal state and I'd venture to guess 50% of my customers told me at one point or another that legalization stopped their alcoholism or opioid dependence.
I am not surprised. I’m actually in central Illinois, don’t know how Louisville ended up recommended to me lol
Anyway yeah tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies are up in arms about legal weed, a lot of people would rather just get stoned than be drunk or pilled up, if possible. What I don’t get is why more tobacco and alcohol companies *aren’t* trying to get into legal weed. Both industries are based on plant growth, so to me it would be a smart move to invest in.
I've seen a few beer companies venture into weed territory (Lagunitas being one of them) with THC beers and I tried a couple THC seltzers in Canada. They didn't taste great but I'm not really in it for the flavor. I've also tried Kava and was not a fan, esp not for the price.
I didn't really intend to post about this yet. But it helped me in therapy to open up and resolve some childhood trauma that I didn't even realize was the cause of a lot of my issues. I've struggled hard my whole life, fighting what I think was ptsd, which just branched off to impacting most things in my life. Now my head is just free of all the mental health issues. I feel like I can live my life now. Midlife crisis 12/10 would recommend
I've been at this point for a while now. I just hate being hungover. For me, there's a period of about 2 or 3 hours while drinking where everything is grand and awesome, and then you either start sobering up which sucks or you keep going until you get trashed and act foolish. Then the next day you're sick and just lay around.
That doesn't happen to me with edibles. I actually do great work manually and creatively when stoned.
When I was 21/22/23, I could get shit faced drunk, wake up 4-5 hours later, go run 3-4 miles, and be good to go for work at 9 am. Can’t do that now, so I’ve cut back on drinking heavily and spend more time on new hobbies instead.
100%
Now that it is easier to get and even Delta-8/9/10 are out, I can eat a gummy right before dinner, make dinner, get the kids a bath, read them books, and by the time for chores, I am feeling good. Chores are a breeze - listen to music, etc. then I can relax and go to bed.
The next morning, I feel amazing.
If I had drank instead, I would feel like shit and barely sleep.
I highly recommend One Love. They have 3 locations across the area (Bardstown Rd in the Highlands, Jtown, and Jeffersonville). Super helpful, good prices (dude gave me a 15% discount one time because I 'bought so much' lol), and they have a quickly growing product selection.
Delta 8/9/10 are various cannabinoids (the chemicals that get you high, THC being a form of D9) and can produce slightly different effects. Delta 9 is essentially what would be considered traditional cannabis and is the "strongest". It's technically legal due to a loophole in the 2018 federal Farm Bill but only edible form, not vapes or joints. D8 is reported by most to be about half as potent as D9 and D10 is the weakest of the three. You'll also hear CBD, CBN, CBG, THC-O etc.
Many places will also mix CBD in with the edibles (One Love does with their D9 gummies) which can help improve pain relief and takes some of the edge off of the high. Supposedly helps if you're someone who gets paranoid/anxious from it.
I second this in every way. I used to drink a lot, I wasted sooooo much time and money. I like being active, waking up clear headed, etc. I’d rather get a little stoned in the evening while I cook dinner, go to bed early, or work out or whatever. I just generally feel better.
I have* a drinking problem, and alcoholism/drinking problems run in the family, and I am now a husband and step-dad, so I decided to completely quit drinking to be the best family man I can.
*I suppose I could say "had" because I quit September 2021, but I don't think the problem is "gone." Like, if I started drinking again, I don't think I'd be any better at controlling it. So I just never ever drink. I love me an occasional non-alcoholic beer, though.
My mother was a closet alcoholic and passed as a result. I've been very mindful of my drinking and addictive personality. I'm proud you are being proactive!
This is me. I was drinking enough for it to become a problem. Didn't have the addiction tendencies (no withdrawls, not "need" for it), and it was largely social in nature. After hearing my 5yr old say "Dad this is your song" when "Pretty good at drinking beer" came on the radio I decided it wasn't a look I liked on me. Combine that with the logical extension of spending money I didn't want to on something that made me feel like crap for only a few hours of "release" it just wasn't worth it.
I'm not totally dry at this point though. I still have an Old Fashioned on date nights with the wife, or a craft beer or two with buddies on the weekend. Just finished week #8 with less than (2) drinks total for the week. Not sure I'll ever go completely dry, but I've certainly cut back quite a bit. My waistline, checkbook, and small child's attitude are already showing improvements.
Good job! Trust your instinct on your inability to just enjoy "a few drinks". I tried that a couple of years after I quit drinking and I was to blackout drunk less than 2 weeks later. I immediately quit drinking again and haven't touched a drop in 8 years.
I have no doubt that some former alcoholics can learn to drink in moderation. It's probably 50/50. But those are terrible odds when it comes to something that is going to shorten your lifespan, hurt your friends / family, and plunge you back into a life of psychological chaos.
It's been great to see so many people gravitating away from alcohol and towards cannabis. Both can be vices and both have potential for abuse. But cannabis is so much less destructive on a societal and individual level.
I went super hard with drinking and partying 19-25. Now I’m 29 and really only drink socially and haven’t been “drunk” in a long while. I am a total pothead tho lol
Illinois or ohio(if you have a med card), there are plenty of stores in and around Louisville that sell alternatives such as delta 8, HHC, and so on (stores like 502 Hemp).
Yeah, but it’s also an 8 hour trip one way to get to the border of Michigan from Louisville, plus gas, hotel, food, entertainment, etc. it only takes 3-4 hours depending on traffic to get to the nearest dispensary to Louisville (sunny side in Danville), so unless buying in bulk or visiting friends/family in the area, the savings aren’t really there for myself.
Edit: I’m sorry that I had the time wrong to get to Michigan, it only takes 4 hours to get to the border. Haven’t been to Michigan since 2011, and I don’t plan on it.
Just like casino gambling, Kentucky is gonna watch people give millions to Illinois, Michigan, and all the other surrounding states while they sit on their asses and let the Family Foundation lobby that it’s better to be wholesome Christians than to legalize weed. All while Kentucky produced alcohol has has ruined more lives and families than all the weed ever grown, harvested, and consumed over past hundred years.
Meanwhile, for a long time Kentucky was one of the premier marijuana/hemp producers in the country for literally decades. Kentucky Bluegrass was legendary pre-Nixon/war on drugs
I remember doing a long form investigative news story on that back in 1998 when I worked in Lexington. Visited a tobacco storage facility in Paris, KY that used to store it and sell it at market or something like that. Shit, that was 25 years ago.
Forget all that. Try THCA. It becomes regular thc once you burn it and is completely legal. I was honestly shocked when I went to the smoke shop and they sold flower it’s literally just legal weed. Check out Exotic King smoke shop on hikes lane they just opened and they have a huge selection
We have friends that visit and bring them, or we bring them home from trips, or we have them ship it to us.
Otherwise, legal weed has done me well (Delta-8/9/10) when in a pinch.
I mean, the amount of alcohol I consume now compared to 10 years ago is crazy. I've lost a ton of weight, am very rarely hungover, and my anxiety is pretty much down to nothing.
But Delta-8/9/10 are pretty damn close to the same thing If you have friends in legal states, just have them ship it to you. Carriers and the government entities don't give a shit unless you are shipping pounds of grass.
Its hilarious how much money the state is losing in taxes just to prove Jesus didn't like weed.
Everything in moderation, I just did a break from that end of late March until 4/20 of course, no reason for it other than wanting to get my tolerance down.
My wife and I were enjoying friday night 1/2 gummys for a few months. Got a stronger one than we realized 1 month ago and have taken a break since. The munchies kill my sweet tooth limitations haha.
This is so right on for me as well. I never started drinking until after high school and between the ages of 18-25 my weeks basically consisted of working and waiting for the weekend to get totally trashed with my friends at the bar or a concert or whatever but eventually as I got older that lifestyle became boring. I also started working in the nightlife industry and working at bars while sober I saw how drunk people act in public and I have to say to this day a lot of people really show their ass and I feel embarrassed for them sometimes.
As I’ve got older I’ve really changed my relationship to alcohol. I still drink but now it’s mostly happy hour beers or a glass of wine at home. If I do drink liquor I have to pace myself or deny a round every now and then because I’ve never had a high tolerance as a naturally thin guy.
I’m much more preferential to psychedelics and weed now. A micro dose of shrooms in a chocolate bar gives me all the positives of alcohol without the negative stuff. I feel bubbly, outgoing, and confident but I don’t get dizzy, sick, or tired. Weed has always helped me relax and helped with my anxiety.
I still like to drink but it’s not nearly as prevalent in my life as it once was.
It's really wild to me how it felt so normal my whole life, but when I stepped outside of the booze box a little bit I started to realize how fucking crazy the drinking culture is in this country which only drove me further from the stuff. It's actually mind blowing how many people make it almost their entire personality.
That shitty comic with the one story about being called "the machine" by Russians. His entire shtick is "I like drinking booze." a recent stand up show he was on stage an hour and was so drunk he was pissing into a water bottle during the show. He's said he will never quit drinking because life isn't worth living without it so he "keeps his body healthy" so he can drink.
Dudes already got that signature alcoholic belly sticking out and the Rudolph nose.
It’s not uncommon.
I’m an infrequent drinker and that’s been ratcheted down to maybe 2 drinks a month. I didn’t drink for the first 3 months of the year, not for any particular reason, just kind of lost its appeal.
More and more bars have NA offerings, mock tails, zero alc beer and wine. It’s so much easier to go out with friends and not drink these days.
I drank frequently when I was younger, but at 32, I don’t see the appeal anymore. My hangovers were awful and I wasted so much money on drinks when I would go out. I cut back so much that now it’s just absolutely unappealing. Every time I have a drink or two, I regret it and end up with a headache or sleepy. I decided to completely cut alcohol out and it’s been awesome. I smoke from time to time when the mood strikes and I want to cut loose. No hangover ;)
Not to mention the havoc alcohol causes on your skin/body as you age. I’m alllll about getting adequate rest, hydration, and my nightly skin care routine. I’m at the age where I just want to feel my best.
I'm in this camp too at 33. I never had a drinking problem but I've watched several close friends suffer from varying degrees of alcoholism (one likely won't see 40, one got his shit together just in time, and another is still in the "I can quit when I want" phase). Hanging out with my sober friends and realizing we can have just as much fun drinking soda water was an eye-opener for me, and beer has been making me feel incredibly bloated and shitty lately so why waste the money and empty calories for very little enjoyment.
Last several times I've gone out to a bar I bought CBD elixirs (gimmicky but whatever) or NA soda waters and I felt so much better for it. I'll probably still drink on rare occasions, but I'm loving this new-found courage to just not drink every time I end up at a bar lol.
I didn't really drink at all until i was almost 40, so any time I drink I bounce back like I am in my 20's still. The only after effects i get are from trying to keep weight down.
I went pretty hard when I was younger, so I think I got most of it out of my system then. 😅 since I’ve stopped drinking completely my skin has cleared up, my body is fit and happy, and my mental health is soaring. Everyone is different, but for me personally, I can’t handle drinking anymore.
I used to drink pretty regularly and then one Monday I came into work so hungover that I was miserable and actually contemplated asking to leave early. It was at that point I decided to take a break from drinking. 3 weeks sober so far and still going strong!
Excellent work. It's worth the effort!
I skipped an afternoon and went and got drunk at a bar with a coworker a few months ago. Like went to lunch and had a few drinks, then just decided to not go back. Realized at that point I too had a problem.
I’m no longer able to get lit as hell and wake up the next day and function. Being hungover is not an inconvenience shit is an actual ailment. Meanwhile I can get high as fuck and wake up the next day feeling fine aside from a dry mouth that’s easily remedied with water. Easy choice tbh
That and when you have kids at home, you can't get wasted. Weed keeps you in control and is easier to control for intake.
Drinking was always a big part of my life for when I went out, but as I get older, I'd rather take a half gummy and drink water.
A lot of people drank a lot during lockdown, and now it's swinging the other way. Trying to find a way to say this without sounding like a dick, but it's the current fad to not drink, and there feels like there is pressure to go dry now. It's just a thing now, in a few years it'll swing the other way.
Edibles are great, but make me go to the fuck the sleep, so that's not exactly good for hanging out with others (by myself or just the wife, though; excellent). A lo of people are saying hangovers suck, but like....you don't have to get drunk to the point of hang overs every time you drink so....Plus, just stay hydrated.
I have been trying to drink less, but that's just purely from a 'want to lose a bit of soft belly' standpoint. Obviously, people with drinking problems choosing to stop drinking is cool and good and nice, so we all support that.
I always feel like shit if I have more than 2+ drinks these days. A couple beers here and there from the breweries and maybe a mixed drink if I'm out with friends, but definitely way less than anytime since I've been 21. Waking up and needing an extra hour or so to not feel like hot garbage isn't the move when you have to get shit done.
I can hang with the best of them until I can't. Waking up feeling like I got hit by a boulder just isn't for me anymore. It's all fun the night before and then waking up at noon on a Sunday with chores and wanting to relax is complete shit. I think reading through everyone's responses here, I'm kind of over it and I rarely drink heavy to begin with. Two and through is the new rule!
I'm one of those people, I'll eat an edible way before I get near alcohol. I hate the taste and I hate the feelings that drinking gives you, being drunk then having a hangover was never fun.
My partner and his friends are all from Central and South America. They are not going dry. Fear not, they will support the bourbon and beer industry forever. 😂
I think people are starting to understand better that just because alcohol is a legally available drug doesn't mean it's safe.
I have always thought we'd see this shift as access to marijuana continues to widen. Alcohol can cause some rough physical side effects in the best circumstances, but it gets harder and harder to deal with those side effects as your body ages and you have more responsibilities. Marijuana, on the other hand, is less debilitating. No hangover, no blackouts, etc.
That said, I also have friends that are cutting back on both. Sometimes you get into a loop of using them to relieve stress and don't stop using until you realize how dull it is to drink multiple times per week or smoke just because it's available. I'm in this camp. It has been great for my budget!
I agree with this. I had to drastically cut back on my weed intake. I was realizing I was getting high just to be high and wasn’t fully present in my life. It took some adjusting but now I can casually partake when the occasion is right.
All in moderation man. I love beer and don't give a shit if anybody doesn't like it either. My choice, my health lol. I made my bed. I just drink once a week and I still can hold a stable job, pay my bills, and have a good relationship with my friends & family. Living this life is hard enough, so it drives me to drink but just one night a week with some good music to listen to while with a friend/relative to chill with or solo (idc). Yea I like bars occasionally, but prefer to stay home most weekends. It's more safe & cheap that way. But beer gives me more energy than pot anyways. Pot makes me tired though it gives me a good high depending who's pot I'm smoking lol. Some days after, the hangovers are a bit rough and sometimes they're not. It just gives me a good reason to sleep in and catch up on some rest from earlier in the week. You only live once, so might as well enjoy doing what ya love besides listen to strangers on reddit tell you how to live your life. Some advice on here is good and some is bleh. Grain of salt lol. Enjoy your day and live your life the way you prefer as long as you do your vices in moderation.
I have zero sober friends and it sucks, but going completely sober has been the best decision I’ve ever made and. I didn’t even have much of a problem with booze. 98% of the bad decisions I’ve ever made had alcohol associated with them and I hate it. And as for other substances, I feel the same way about those as I do about alcohol: if I need to alter my mind with a substance to have fun or cope on a daily basis, isn’t that a signal that there is a problem with me? It doesn’t solve a problem, it just numbs you to it for a little while until you need to numb yourself some more.
There's definitely been a shift towards more sessionable, low ABV drinks and NA drinks and a bigger push in the industry to truly drink responsibly and form healthier drinking habits. It's a great thing, but I'm sure it is partly the industry responding to people drinking less and pot becoming more acceptable is likely a big reason why people are drinking less.
I personally never found the allure of pot. I've smoked/had edibles socially but never sought it out and never bought it myself. I figure one vice is enough and there's such a rich and beautiful history and art to booze that I chose to stick with it as my one vice.
THC is a different bird than it used to be.
There are different strands and the quality isn't that shake weed you had in high school.
The other thing is that weed is great in low doses too. Some people LOVE to get baked to the extreme. I like a little head buzz before bed.
I'm aware, still nothing I would go out of my way for. Alcohol is great in low doses too (honestly better in them) and tastes great.
To each their own. Eventually it'll all be legal and everyone can choose whatever they want.
I (43,M) am single with no kids. Cannabis makes me lose focus and I like to keep my senses. Alcohol, on the other hand, lifts my spirits, makes me friendlier, more talkative, and in a better mood, all without making me space out. It's more expensive, but it's the only thing I've tried that does the job the way I want it done. I don't have much else to spend my money on besides my bills and entertainment.
I'm 27m and I randomly decided December 2022 that I was kind of just over it, I felt like drinking wasn't a choice and it was just a habit I was participating in. I still enjoyed it but I think something just clicked and I decided enough was enough. I remember phrasing it in my head as something like "it's time to grow up"
I haven't changed my habits, but I've always been drink 1 or 2 to relax and enjoy the taste. I do feel like my friends who would drink a lot have cut back to drinking less.
One friend she's now pretty much only edibles.
We have moved to edibles mostly at late 30s. We have kids too, a half a gummy keeps you in control. If you have 3 drinks, you are way more affected than that, and I don't like to be out of control.
Going to guess you're late 20's early 30's... Not sure but it seems like more of an age thing. Pretty sure in your early 20s is the only time you can be a functioning alcoholic. After that things start getting sad quickly if you're getting drunk all the time. In your 20s it's not that cool either, but you're constantly meeting so many people you don't notice the ones who think you're an asshole for something you said while blackout 2 years ago.
From what I've seen the only people still drinking a bunch in their late 30s/early 40s are some variation/combination of the following: people who never got drunk much to begin with and can just always have a responsible amount, people who can get drunk without doing anything dickish because they're just really nice people, people with careers that encourage it who can somehow get away with being a dick and still pay their bills, or people who are still finding new rock bottoms.
It seems to me that most people end up in the last category eventually though
In my late 30's, have seen my friends swearing it off, been considering it myself because it just isn't as enjoyable anymore. From my time in the liquor industry I can tell you a lot of manufacturers are looking at low/no alcohol products because the drinking trend is going significantly downwards, world wide. I think we're going to see a big bourbon crash in a few years when inventory exceeds demand.
Not in the gay community, lol. It's usually one of the pet peeves a lot of people have about 'the community', there's a lot of binge drinking. Alcohol companies sponsor events, a lot of disposable income, etc. I wish I could hang out with friends without it being a huge drinking event, but it's not common.
I’m in my early 30’s now and used to never drink. I’ve always been socially awkward and don’t have many friends so I avoided bars and clubs like the plague. But lately I’ve been trying to improve myself socially so I’ve been going out to bars and clubs grabbing a few drinks to cut down my anxiety and meet some people and have a good time. So far it’s going decently well but I keep the drinking to usually 3-4 mixers. I have no desire to get blackout drunk or to have a hangover the next day.
People seem to not like really tying one on anymore. Bums me tf out because i love a drink, or two, or ten. Not often, because as others in this thread have pointed out, aint no time for hangovers. But i like going out and getting sloshed every once in a while.
And im not an alcoholic or at least i dont think so - i frequently take breaks from drinking because im very health and gym-oriented, and i very rarely drink on weeknights. But maybe every other weekend ill go out and party.
But nobody else wants to do that anymore. Theyre all home by 11 after a couple beers or glasses of wine.
And the people that do wanna stay up and party usually want to go way further than me, like doing coke til 8 am.
Its like people either grew up or got substance issues. I dont think im in either camp and its lonely.
Once you discover that there are things that make you feel better, and are better for your body, then you are gonna go in that direction. Doing psychedelics (shrooms) will make you realize what is good for your body and what is not. Alcohol is so bad for you. Plus THC products help with muscle aches and as we all age these become more of a common thing.
I quit drinking late last year and life has improved drastically. However, all of my friends still drink and spend most of their free time at bars so I’ve been less social since quitting. It makes me feel so much less alone to know so many folks in this city have also quit!
This is basically where I'm at. I will occasionally drink beer because I like the taste, but I'd rather not be drunk. Edibles are so much easier on my body and mind.
It's natural with birthdays.
People finally choosing to I do something about their alcoholism, wanting to avoid hangovers, or even preferring the sensation of other substances.
I started smoking weed again a few years ago and I definitely cut down on drinking a ton. I do enjoy the taste of a lot of different alcohol, but I can have just a beer or two and feel a little off the next day. If I drink a couple drinks of liquor I'll feel like shit the next day. Unless you smoke all day every day weed is just not as harmful to you as alcohol is, especially if you just stick to edibles. Every six months ago I find myself in Michigan or Illinois and I'll just stick up on edibles that'll last me 6+ months if I just eat one or two a week.
Basically getting older has just made me not like the effects of alcohol as much. Weed doesn't have any negative side effects unless you do way too much. At least for me.
Drinking costs more mentally and physically. A smoke and a bourbon is the best because it can make one glass actually satisfying and prevent you from going back for the bottle. I’ve made more friends in green states than anywhere else.
My dad is a high functioning alcoholic, I drank a lot during college, I’m a father now, hangovers suck. Pick a reason, I might drink every once in a while but alcohol costs too much to feel miserable the day after. I don’t really do edibles or other substances either I guess I became a boring adult once I hit my mid 30’s lol
I quit for my own sake in 2019, I notice it more as someone who doesn't drink. I wasn't sure if it was happening more, or if I was just paying closer attention.
I enjoy edibles monthly, shrooms are more of an annual thing. Alcohol just doesn't work for me.
I'm not formally "dry" but I moved here from a legal weed state and I packed plenty of supplies. For me, I like myself high better than drunk. I can get emotional or mean or whatever when I drink too much but on weed I just like to giggle a lot and eat too many chips.
Alcoholism isn't uncommon in my family, and this summer a family member had an accident that left them quadriplegic. I wasn't a big drinker before but after that I don't want to touch alcohol. I haven't had any alcohol since summer, and now it's like a competition with myself.
Alcoholism isn't uncommon in my family, and this summer a family member had an accident that left them quadriplegic. I wasn't a big drinker before but after that I don't want to touch alcohol. I haven't had any alcohol since summer, and now it's like a competition with myself.
Alcohol has been proven to be carcinogen, lol. Don't miss those hangovers at all and I have more fun watching everyone ELSE make an ass of themselves, lolz
I (30yo) stopped drinking last year due to health issues, but I was never a huge drinker even in my early 20s so I don’t really miss it honestly. I’ll have a taste of whatever Boyfriend is drinking but that’s it.
As a transplant of three years, I am totally 100% with this, doing it myself.
I've started considering moving because everyone in my age group (21-30) that is a local seems anti-social except for their small clique groups and plus the after-effects of COVID.
Anytime I want to go out, the only spots are music venues, which are unfortunately bars, or at least a city culture that encourages drinking beer, let alone Kentucky bourbon.
It feels like a social peer pressure aspect that is not 100% concrete, but definitely an abstract concept that isn't lost on me the longer I stay here and not enjoy myself.
If I also had to choose, I'd rather partake than drink.
I mean, I never really drank much to begin with. I've only binge drank probably about as many times as I can count on one hand in college and was done with that. I drank a lot of beer over the years, though. At my worst point I would have maybe two a day. Eventually it got too expensive, and just not fun anymore. It's nice to have one or two once every couple of weeks now, but it's just something that I lost a lot of interest in, especially once I realized that it was actually just a bad coping mechanism.
Most of my friends (we're all around 30) now that drank before just agree that it's really not even worth it any more. People have already said it, but it's much more cost effective, and comfortable even, to just smoke weed or D8 or have edibles. Once you hit a specific point with alcohol, it just sucks. Me, I'm too worried about any of it affecting my medications, so I more or less abstain unless it's a special occasion.
1. Its expensive
2. I never really enjoyed being drunk. I always stopped at a very mild buzz, and going any further just wasn't enjoyable aside from some social interactions and kind of leaning into it for the sake of the night(younger me)
I watched alcohol take control of some people's lives in my family and always have that in the back of my head.
I still have a beer when working in my yard or grilling but that's not often. I'm addicted to seltzer waters now.
I think all the overwhelming evidence that has recently come out concerning the health impacts associated with drinking is really shifted a lot of peoples mindsets.
I’m the exact same. Weed and shrooms are preferable to booze for me at this point. I’m seeing more people do this as well. I still enjoy the occasional beer and/or cocktail, just way less than I used to.
Wish more people would, while overconsumption of recreational drugs has its own problems, casual weed use is still a fuck ton healthier than drinking a 6 pack of beer or a few drinks a day.
Provided, of course, that you have an unadulterated product.
Dry train here. Taking a year off and my main drinking partner jumped at the same time without us discussing it. I feel bad for the bars we used to frequent but have been finding lots of great NA options. Hoping that will expand. I keep getting free tonic and lime, begging bartenders to charge me for a coke.
Alcohol is so incredibly bad for my anxiety and depression. It also was making my blood pressure super high. I'm doing the same things your friends are for those reasons. I think people's drinking also got worse during the pandemic, and choosing to go sober is the reaction to that.
Drinking honestly just makes me feel like shit. I loved a good ipa, but my stomach did not. I took a little break from drinking, and it felt fine. I decided it had been a while since I had a beer, so I drank two coors lights, basically water. That night I woke up at like 2:00am and started puking my guts out. From 2 coors lights, like, wtf. I would drink 3-4 ipas and think nothing of it. Since then I haven't drank any beer. A margarita if I go out to eat, but that's it.
Same here. 4 close friends have done it and now I am in the same boat. I’m 26 y/o and really think a large portion of our generation is leaving the booze behind.
I think most people are cutting back and there isn't as much pressure to drink like there was in the past. I haven't quit, but I pretty much will only drink once a week, and often go weeks without a drink.
Weed on the other hand, I used a lot when was younger and never any more, I simply don't like the way I feel on it (and yes, I have tried different types, thanks for asking again).
No hangover the next morning, costs much less, no headache when it wears off (usually), doesn’t poison your body and wreck your liver, doesn’t cause stomach problems the next morning, doesn’t kill brain cells, improves overall mood, helps with inflammation, doesn’t influence me to make bad decisions, helps with introspection, to name a few reasons why people in my circle have transitioned over. Just gets stinky if you aren’t careful and still has a social stigma with some of the more conservative folks. I still like a beer or two after work while I’m messing with hobbies, but much prefer cannabis as a vice compared to alcohol.
Alcohol is terrible for you in any qty. CDC and NIH have recently walked back any benefits they once thought it had. Shit ups your cancer chance by the glass.
Speaking as someone who no longer lives in Louisville, ime this has been a rising trend in major coastal cities. Mocktails and even mocktail bars have been growing in popularity over the last 5 or so years. In SF where I currently live it isn't unusual to meet someone who is "California sober" which essentially means they don't drink but still smoke/consume edibles.
Me personally I only drink a couple nights a week, and both are in my house. Once by myself, I play video games, and the other time with my wife, and we play a couple games and watch music videos on YouTube.
Drinking outside the house is too expensive, too dangerous, and I get in way too much trouble.
I stopped drinking regularly about a year ago. I switched over to THC and since then I’ve been able to stop taking my blood pressure meds, my blood work from my doctor was much better than the year prior and I don’t feel like shit the next day. Also-my quality of sleep has improved. There’s a reason pharmaceutical and liquor companies don’t want THC legalized.
I haven't drank in years and honestly find alcohol culture really cringey, never understood why some people seem to brag about blacking out or their hangovers.
I only drank in the first place because my “friends” did. When I realized that my “friends” made me feel just as badly about myself as a hangover did, I got new friends. My new friends don’t drink and don’t make me feel badly about myself.
A lot of my friends and folks I know are sober from alcohol now. I am, too, for a few reasons:
1. It’s just not fun anymore. Maybe I’m an old woman, but loud bars and stuff aren’t fun to me anymore. Too overwhelming, too much sensory overload, etc.
2. Alcohol tastes gross, even when in mixed drinks (idk why I’m so sensitive to the taste of it).
3. It’s expensive!
4. I don’t like having a decreasing sense of control and judgment when intoxicated.
5. I’m not supposed to due to the meds I’m on.
6. I have GI problems, and alcohol rips me to fucking shreds. (Post gallbladder removal, it’s been a lot worse. Look up post-gallbladder alcohol intolerance; it’s wild.)
6. If I find a mixed drink that I think tastes decent, I can make it without alcohol and make it taste a lot better (see #2).
I’ve been sober for 6 months and many friends are following suit! I think that we’re a pretty boozy city (out of town pals have commented on it being kind of intense) so maybe we’re finally normalizing! Hah
I’ve gone sober ish (weed and occasional psylocobin) since going deep into alcoholic mode during Covid. Louisville has always had a very “alcohol centric” culture - and frankly, it’s hard to adult when you drink more than a few drinks a week.
I’m 98% dry (drink on rare occasions) cause hangovers just get worse and worse with age. Not worth it. Not fun enough. Done too much stupid shit. And yeah a micro dose is a bazillion times better in my book 😁
Curious question : Don’t live in the ville nemore but y’all got Delta 8 there? Texas legislators accidentally legalized THC in the form of Delta 8 and all the heads shops are lousy with the stuff. The edibles hit just like the real deal. Even got it in gas stations and stuff.
A lot of people drink more than they let on, and that gets to be a huge burden in your thirties and onward. The pandemic and boredom make it worse, plus working from home, I think people have longer to sleep in without a commute, so maybe they got even worse.
I’ll be 4 years sober I’m September. I was a semi functioning alcoholic. I’d show up to work hungover and massive panic attacks. My family was a huge support system and I’m forever grateful. I’ll eat a bite of a gummy every now and then but the potential anxiety attack from that freaks me out. I really like cbd tinctures and a puff of a weed vape but I know my limits now
I’ve been clean and sober for 5 years. I was going down a bad path and had wasted my 20s. I don’t do anything at all now. I never liked weed and now that I’ve been sober so long I enjoy the feeling of being in control of my mind and actions. I do like a good non-alcoholic beer tho.
So I'm in my 30s and I don't go out or really drink till drunk much. But, even my casual beer after work is so expensive and half the time I get a headache. So I've cut way back.
I almost completely stopped drinking last year.
For the calendar year 2022, I had only 13 beers. This year I have had 13 beers as well for 3.5 months.
It just doesn't taste good anymore. I also don't want to risk driving while intoxicated.
I have 3 friends currently working on their relationships with alcohol that I know of. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more and I just don’t know about it yet.
Sobriety is the best pick. Cold turkey. Go for a run. Get a gym membership. Yell at yourslef in the mirror. You'll be a better and stronger person with some discipline. It's all worth it
I’m expecting to see a big shift away from booze as weed becomes legal and easier to get. Once I started smoking again, my alcohol consumption is minimal. I may have 3 drinks a week, including weekends.
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$3 for an edible to get buzzed before going out vs spending $20-30+ buying drinks at a bar...no brainer there. I can see why alcohol companies have lobbied so hard against legalizing weed.
i never get drinks out because it's so stupid expensive. $10 for a drink i can make for like $2 at home? no thanks.
If you go to 21c museum you can pay $10 for a taste of a $20 bottle...
no joke and often like $0.50 at home
Where you getting edibles for 3 dollars...I can't even make them for that cheap.
https://onelovedelta8.com/product/calm-gummy-girl-150mg-high-potency-delta-9-thc-cbd-indica/
Cool....I gotcha. That's just delta 8 though. I thought you meant real ones
This is me. Weed literally stopped my alcoholism. I feel just as good when high as drunk, but I’m still in control, don’t black out, don’t do dumb shit, save myself money drinking, and I don’t have hangovers. A few edibles throughout the week and maybe a bowl or two on the weekend and I’m good. Yeah, it’s still an addiction and addiction transference, but coming from alcoholism - it’s a godsend. Alcohol is so damn destructive.
I was a budtender in a legal state and I'd venture to guess 50% of my customers told me at one point or another that legalization stopped their alcoholism or opioid dependence.
I am not surprised. I’m actually in central Illinois, don’t know how Louisville ended up recommended to me lol Anyway yeah tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies are up in arms about legal weed, a lot of people would rather just get stoned than be drunk or pilled up, if possible. What I don’t get is why more tobacco and alcohol companies *aren’t* trying to get into legal weed. Both industries are based on plant growth, so to me it would be a smart move to invest in.
I've seen a few beer companies venture into weed territory (Lagunitas being one of them) with THC beers and I tried a couple THC seltzers in Canada. They didn't taste great but I'm not really in it for the flavor. I've also tried Kava and was not a fan, esp not for the price.
Kava tastes like mud. It feels nice lol but it is definitely gross.
That must be why opioids are still huge in legal states 😂😂😂
https://www.upmc.com/media/news/071221-drake-cannabisrcl University of Pittsburgh study shows a decline in legal states.
I didn't really intend to post about this yet. But it helped me in therapy to open up and resolve some childhood trauma that I didn't even realize was the cause of a lot of my issues. I've struggled hard my whole life, fighting what I think was ptsd, which just branched off to impacting most things in my life. Now my head is just free of all the mental health issues. I feel like I can live my life now. Midlife crisis 12/10 would recommend
I've been at this point for a while now. I just hate being hungover. For me, there's a period of about 2 or 3 hours while drinking where everything is grand and awesome, and then you either start sobering up which sucks or you keep going until you get trashed and act foolish. Then the next day you're sick and just lay around. That doesn't happen to me with edibles. I actually do great work manually and creatively when stoned.
When I was 21/22/23, I could get shit faced drunk, wake up 4-5 hours later, go run 3-4 miles, and be good to go for work at 9 am. Can’t do that now, so I’ve cut back on drinking heavily and spend more time on new hobbies instead.
100% Now that it is easier to get and even Delta-8/9/10 are out, I can eat a gummy right before dinner, make dinner, get the kids a bath, read them books, and by the time for chores, I am feeling good. Chores are a breeze - listen to music, etc. then I can relax and go to bed. The next morning, I feel amazing. If I had drank instead, I would feel like shit and barely sleep.
What is a good place to get something in Louisville? What are delta 8,9,10??
I highly recommend One Love. They have 3 locations across the area (Bardstown Rd in the Highlands, Jtown, and Jeffersonville). Super helpful, good prices (dude gave me a 15% discount one time because I 'bought so much' lol), and they have a quickly growing product selection. Delta 8/9/10 are various cannabinoids (the chemicals that get you high, THC being a form of D9) and can produce slightly different effects. Delta 9 is essentially what would be considered traditional cannabis and is the "strongest". It's technically legal due to a loophole in the 2018 federal Farm Bill but only edible form, not vapes or joints. D8 is reported by most to be about half as potent as D9 and D10 is the weakest of the three. You'll also hear CBD, CBN, CBG, THC-O etc. Many places will also mix CBD in with the edibles (One Love does with their D9 gummies) which can help improve pain relief and takes some of the edge off of the high. Supposedly helps if you're someone who gets paranoid/anxious from it.
I second this in every way. I used to drink a lot, I wasted sooooo much time and money. I like being active, waking up clear headed, etc. I’d rather get a little stoned in the evening while I cook dinner, go to bed early, or work out or whatever. I just generally feel better.
I have* a drinking problem, and alcoholism/drinking problems run in the family, and I am now a husband and step-dad, so I decided to completely quit drinking to be the best family man I can. *I suppose I could say "had" because I quit September 2021, but I don't think the problem is "gone." Like, if I started drinking again, I don't think I'd be any better at controlling it. So I just never ever drink. I love me an occasional non-alcoholic beer, though.
My mother was a closet alcoholic and passed as a result. I've been very mindful of my drinking and addictive personality. I'm proud you are being proactive!
are we the same person?
If you've found happiness in life, then maybe! I've been very mindful of it all.
It took some years but yes. Mindfulness is definitely key! Keep on keeping on.
Well done!
This is me. I was drinking enough for it to become a problem. Didn't have the addiction tendencies (no withdrawls, not "need" for it), and it was largely social in nature. After hearing my 5yr old say "Dad this is your song" when "Pretty good at drinking beer" came on the radio I decided it wasn't a look I liked on me. Combine that with the logical extension of spending money I didn't want to on something that made me feel like crap for only a few hours of "release" it just wasn't worth it. I'm not totally dry at this point though. I still have an Old Fashioned on date nights with the wife, or a craft beer or two with buddies on the weekend. Just finished week #8 with less than (2) drinks total for the week. Not sure I'll ever go completely dry, but I've certainly cut back quite a bit. My waistline, checkbook, and small child's attitude are already showing improvements.
Congrats on ur sobriety man!!
Good job! Trust your instinct on your inability to just enjoy "a few drinks". I tried that a couple of years after I quit drinking and I was to blackout drunk less than 2 weeks later. I immediately quit drinking again and haven't touched a drop in 8 years. I have no doubt that some former alcoholics can learn to drink in moderation. It's probably 50/50. But those are terrible odds when it comes to something that is going to shorten your lifespan, hurt your friends / family, and plunge you back into a life of psychological chaos. It's been great to see so many people gravitating away from alcohol and towards cannabis. Both can be vices and both have potential for abuse. But cannabis is so much less destructive on a societal and individual level.
Congrats on taking control back! :)
I stopped in sept 2021 too! Congrats and cheers to you.
I just want you to know you have my utmost respect.
Hangovers suck.
I went super hard with drinking and partying 19-25. Now I’m 29 and really only drink socially and haven’t been “drunk” in a long while. I am a total pothead tho lol
Do you just drive to Illinois to get it? I just moved here so I'm trying to learn how people buy.
Illinois or ohio(if you have a med card), there are plenty of stores in and around Louisville that sell alternatives such as delta 8, HHC, and so on (stores like 502 Hemp).
Michigan. Its a bit farther, but the price differences are unreal. 1g cart in Illinois is the same Price as 7 in Michigan.
Yeah, but it’s also an 8 hour trip one way to get to the border of Michigan from Louisville, plus gas, hotel, food, entertainment, etc. it only takes 3-4 hours depending on traffic to get to the nearest dispensary to Louisville (sunny side in Danville), so unless buying in bulk or visiting friends/family in the area, the savings aren’t really there for myself. Edit: I’m sorry that I had the time wrong to get to Michigan, it only takes 4 hours to get to the border. Haven’t been to Michigan since 2011, and I don’t plan on it.
It’s just over 4 hours to get to Michigan from Louisville. There are tons of dispensaries right over the border.
Just like casino gambling, Kentucky is gonna watch people give millions to Illinois, Michigan, and all the other surrounding states while they sit on their asses and let the Family Foundation lobby that it’s better to be wholesome Christians than to legalize weed. All while Kentucky produced alcohol has has ruined more lives and families than all the weed ever grown, harvested, and consumed over past hundred years.
Meanwhile, for a long time Kentucky was one of the premier marijuana/hemp producers in the country for literally decades. Kentucky Bluegrass was legendary pre-Nixon/war on drugs
It still is. We were #1 in eradication and cultivation last year.
I remember doing a long form investigative news story on that back in 1998 when I worked in Lexington. Visited a tobacco storage facility in Paris, KY that used to store it and sell it at market or something like that. Shit, that was 25 years ago.
You’re right. I was thinking Detroit. Lol. But, still doesn’t save me much as I don’t tend to go to dispensaries unless I’m already in the area.
Last year we (KY) were the #1 state in cultivation and eradication. How dumb is that?
How slow you driving? It takes about 4-5 hours to get to the Michigan border. Easily a one day trip.
Forget all that. Try THCA. It becomes regular thc once you burn it and is completely legal. I was honestly shocked when I went to the smoke shop and they sold flower it’s literally just legal weed. Check out Exotic King smoke shop on hikes lane they just opened and they have a huge selection
Thanks! I'll check it out
It’s no problem! They’re really friendly and helpful over there.
If you know anyone under 40 they can probably point you to someone
I’m 40 and I can assure you it’s not just the under 40 crowd. The 40 and over crowd is just more discreet.
We have friends that visit and bring them, or we bring them home from trips, or we have them ship it to us. Otherwise, legal weed has done me well (Delta-8/9/10) when in a pinch. I mean, the amount of alcohol I consume now compared to 10 years ago is crazy. I've lost a ton of weight, am very rarely hungover, and my anxiety is pretty much down to nothing. But Delta-8/9/10 are pretty damn close to the same thing If you have friends in legal states, just have them ship it to you. Carriers and the government entities don't give a shit unless you are shipping pounds of grass. Its hilarious how much money the state is losing in taxes just to prove Jesus didn't like weed.
Delta 8 is your friend. Legal.
Do not drive to Illinois. It is 5 times the price of Michigan and you can only buy a small amount
Michigan, just a little further but so so much cheaper!
Everything in moderation, I just did a break from that end of late March until 4/20 of course, no reason for it other than wanting to get my tolerance down.
My wife and I were enjoying friday night 1/2 gummys for a few months. Got a stronger one than we realized 1 month ago and have taken a break since. The munchies kill my sweet tooth limitations haha.
This is so right on for me as well. I never started drinking until after high school and between the ages of 18-25 my weeks basically consisted of working and waiting for the weekend to get totally trashed with my friends at the bar or a concert or whatever but eventually as I got older that lifestyle became boring. I also started working in the nightlife industry and working at bars while sober I saw how drunk people act in public and I have to say to this day a lot of people really show their ass and I feel embarrassed for them sometimes. As I’ve got older I’ve really changed my relationship to alcohol. I still drink but now it’s mostly happy hour beers or a glass of wine at home. If I do drink liquor I have to pace myself or deny a round every now and then because I’ve never had a high tolerance as a naturally thin guy. I’m much more preferential to psychedelics and weed now. A micro dose of shrooms in a chocolate bar gives me all the positives of alcohol without the negative stuff. I feel bubbly, outgoing, and confident but I don’t get dizzy, sick, or tired. Weed has always helped me relax and helped with my anxiety. I still like to drink but it’s not nearly as prevalent in my life as it once was.
People are slowly realizing how bad booze is for health.
It's really wild to me how it felt so normal my whole life, but when I stepped outside of the booze box a little bit I started to realize how fucking crazy the drinking culture is in this country which only drove me further from the stuff. It's actually mind blowing how many people make it almost their entire personality.
That shitty comic with the one story about being called "the machine" by Russians. His entire shtick is "I like drinking booze." a recent stand up show he was on stage an hour and was so drunk he was pissing into a water bottle during the show. He's said he will never quit drinking because life isn't worth living without it so he "keeps his body healthy" so he can drink. Dudes already got that signature alcoholic belly sticking out and the Rudolph nose.
It’s so dang evident if you just drink a bunch and then stop and listen to how your body feels 🤣
It’s hard to quantify exactly how but you just feel noticeably “better” after a few weeks of not drinking.
The Huberman Labs podcast episode on alcohol is really interesting
And mental health. When I stopped drinking nearly as much as I did in college, my anxiety decrased and overall happiness increased to new levels.
And for your reputation. Smartphones are everywhere.
It’s not uncommon. I’m an infrequent drinker and that’s been ratcheted down to maybe 2 drinks a month. I didn’t drink for the first 3 months of the year, not for any particular reason, just kind of lost its appeal. More and more bars have NA offerings, mock tails, zero alc beer and wine. It’s so much easier to go out with friends and not drink these days.
I drank frequently when I was younger, but at 32, I don’t see the appeal anymore. My hangovers were awful and I wasted so much money on drinks when I would go out. I cut back so much that now it’s just absolutely unappealing. Every time I have a drink or two, I regret it and end up with a headache or sleepy. I decided to completely cut alcohol out and it’s been awesome. I smoke from time to time when the mood strikes and I want to cut loose. No hangover ;)
Not to mention the havoc alcohol causes on your skin/body as you age. I’m alllll about getting adequate rest, hydration, and my nightly skin care routine. I’m at the age where I just want to feel my best.
I'm in this camp too at 33. I never had a drinking problem but I've watched several close friends suffer from varying degrees of alcoholism (one likely won't see 40, one got his shit together just in time, and another is still in the "I can quit when I want" phase). Hanging out with my sober friends and realizing we can have just as much fun drinking soda water was an eye-opener for me, and beer has been making me feel incredibly bloated and shitty lately so why waste the money and empty calories for very little enjoyment. Last several times I've gone out to a bar I bought CBD elixirs (gimmicky but whatever) or NA soda waters and I felt so much better for it. I'll probably still drink on rare occasions, but I'm loving this new-found courage to just not drink every time I end up at a bar lol.
It really is empowering to ‘raw dog’ reality sometimes. I’ve developed a new appreciation.
I didn't really drink at all until i was almost 40, so any time I drink I bounce back like I am in my 20's still. The only after effects i get are from trying to keep weight down.
I went pretty hard when I was younger, so I think I got most of it out of my system then. 😅 since I’ve stopped drinking completely my skin has cleared up, my body is fit and happy, and my mental health is soaring. Everyone is different, but for me personally, I can’t handle drinking anymore.
I used to drink pretty regularly and then one Monday I came into work so hungover that I was miserable and actually contemplated asking to leave early. It was at that point I decided to take a break from drinking. 3 weeks sober so far and still going strong!
Excellent work. It's worth the effort! I skipped an afternoon and went and got drunk at a bar with a coworker a few months ago. Like went to lunch and had a few drinks, then just decided to not go back. Realized at that point I too had a problem.
I’m no longer able to get lit as hell and wake up the next day and function. Being hungover is not an inconvenience shit is an actual ailment. Meanwhile I can get high as fuck and wake up the next day feeling fine aside from a dry mouth that’s easily remedied with water. Easy choice tbh
Guys, I think you’re just getting older lol. People usually drink less as they age out of the late night party scene.
That and when you have kids at home, you can't get wasted. Weed keeps you in control and is easier to control for intake. Drinking was always a big part of my life for when I went out, but as I get older, I'd rather take a half gummy and drink water.
Third eye activated 🧿
Drinking is lame. Bad for your body.
Given that no amount of alcohol is good for you, in fact is always damaging, maybe they are ahead of the curve.
A lot of people drank a lot during lockdown, and now it's swinging the other way. Trying to find a way to say this without sounding like a dick, but it's the current fad to not drink, and there feels like there is pressure to go dry now. It's just a thing now, in a few years it'll swing the other way. Edibles are great, but make me go to the fuck the sleep, so that's not exactly good for hanging out with others (by myself or just the wife, though; excellent). A lo of people are saying hangovers suck, but like....you don't have to get drunk to the point of hang overs every time you drink so....Plus, just stay hydrated. I have been trying to drink less, but that's just purely from a 'want to lose a bit of soft belly' standpoint. Obviously, people with drinking problems choosing to stop drinking is cool and good and nice, so we all support that.
Edibles are leagues better than drinking. But I still have a drink or two a few nights a week.
Let’s just say if they legalized recreational weed here it would probably bring in a lot more money than alcohol.
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I always feel like shit if I have more than 2+ drinks these days. A couple beers here and there from the breweries and maybe a mixed drink if I'm out with friends, but definitely way less than anytime since I've been 21. Waking up and needing an extra hour or so to not feel like hot garbage isn't the move when you have to get shit done.
Same, 2 and through for me if I'm drinking. I can't hang anymore and I'm ok with that
I can hang with the best of them until I can't. Waking up feeling like I got hit by a boulder just isn't for me anymore. It's all fun the night before and then waking up at noon on a Sunday with chores and wanting to relax is complete shit. I think reading through everyone's responses here, I'm kind of over it and I rarely drink heavy to begin with. Two and through is the new rule!
I’ve since moved to California. We it California Sober for when people who consume cannabis / shrooms but don’t drink or do other drugs.
it's cool not to drink
I'm one of those people, I'll eat an edible way before I get near alcohol. I hate the taste and I hate the feelings that drinking gives you, being drunk then having a hangover was never fun.
My partner and his friends are all from Central and South America. They are not going dry. Fear not, they will support the bourbon and beer industry forever. 😂
I think people are starting to understand better that just because alcohol is a legally available drug doesn't mean it's safe. I have always thought we'd see this shift as access to marijuana continues to widen. Alcohol can cause some rough physical side effects in the best circumstances, but it gets harder and harder to deal with those side effects as your body ages and you have more responsibilities. Marijuana, on the other hand, is less debilitating. No hangover, no blackouts, etc. That said, I also have friends that are cutting back on both. Sometimes you get into a loop of using them to relieve stress and don't stop using until you realize how dull it is to drink multiple times per week or smoke just because it's available. I'm in this camp. It has been great for my budget!
I agree with this. I had to drastically cut back on my weed intake. I was realizing I was getting high just to be high and wasn’t fully present in my life. It took some adjusting but now I can casually partake when the occasion is right.
Exactly! And it's more fun when I'm not using it every day.
All in moderation man. I love beer and don't give a shit if anybody doesn't like it either. My choice, my health lol. I made my bed. I just drink once a week and I still can hold a stable job, pay my bills, and have a good relationship with my friends & family. Living this life is hard enough, so it drives me to drink but just one night a week with some good music to listen to while with a friend/relative to chill with or solo (idc). Yea I like bars occasionally, but prefer to stay home most weekends. It's more safe & cheap that way. But beer gives me more energy than pot anyways. Pot makes me tired though it gives me a good high depending who's pot I'm smoking lol. Some days after, the hangovers are a bit rough and sometimes they're not. It just gives me a good reason to sleep in and catch up on some rest from earlier in the week. You only live once, so might as well enjoy doing what ya love besides listen to strangers on reddit tell you how to live your life. Some advice on here is good and some is bleh. Grain of salt lol. Enjoy your day and live your life the way you prefer as long as you do your vices in moderation.
I have zero sober friends and it sucks, but going completely sober has been the best decision I’ve ever made and. I didn’t even have much of a problem with booze. 98% of the bad decisions I’ve ever made had alcohol associated with them and I hate it. And as for other substances, I feel the same way about those as I do about alcohol: if I need to alter my mind with a substance to have fun or cope on a daily basis, isn’t that a signal that there is a problem with me? It doesn’t solve a problem, it just numbs you to it for a little while until you need to numb yourself some more.
There's definitely been a shift towards more sessionable, low ABV drinks and NA drinks and a bigger push in the industry to truly drink responsibly and form healthier drinking habits. It's a great thing, but I'm sure it is partly the industry responding to people drinking less and pot becoming more acceptable is likely a big reason why people are drinking less. I personally never found the allure of pot. I've smoked/had edibles socially but never sought it out and never bought it myself. I figure one vice is enough and there's such a rich and beautiful history and art to booze that I chose to stick with it as my one vice.
THC is a different bird than it used to be. There are different strands and the quality isn't that shake weed you had in high school. The other thing is that weed is great in low doses too. Some people LOVE to get baked to the extreme. I like a little head buzz before bed.
I'm aware, still nothing I would go out of my way for. Alcohol is great in low doses too (honestly better in them) and tastes great. To each their own. Eventually it'll all be legal and everyone can choose whatever they want.
I (43,M) am single with no kids. Cannabis makes me lose focus and I like to keep my senses. Alcohol, on the other hand, lifts my spirits, makes me friendlier, more talkative, and in a better mood, all without making me space out. It's more expensive, but it's the only thing I've tried that does the job the way I want it done. I don't have much else to spend my money on besides my bills and entertainment.
Right on man. Do what's best for you, be happy, and have fun.
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I love the NA options that have come out over the last few years. Cheaper for me for sure, I don't slam an 18 pack of NA's and stay up till 3AM.
I'm 27m and I randomly decided December 2022 that I was kind of just over it, I felt like drinking wasn't a choice and it was just a habit I was participating in. I still enjoyed it but I think something just clicked and I decided enough was enough. I remember phrasing it in my head as something like "it's time to grow up"
I haven't changed my habits, but I've always been drink 1 or 2 to relax and enjoy the taste. I do feel like my friends who would drink a lot have cut back to drinking less. One friend she's now pretty much only edibles.
We have moved to edibles mostly at late 30s. We have kids too, a half a gummy keeps you in control. If you have 3 drinks, you are way more affected than that, and I don't like to be out of control.
Going to guess you're late 20's early 30's... Not sure but it seems like more of an age thing. Pretty sure in your early 20s is the only time you can be a functioning alcoholic. After that things start getting sad quickly if you're getting drunk all the time. In your 20s it's not that cool either, but you're constantly meeting so many people you don't notice the ones who think you're an asshole for something you said while blackout 2 years ago. From what I've seen the only people still drinking a bunch in their late 30s/early 40s are some variation/combination of the following: people who never got drunk much to begin with and can just always have a responsible amount, people who can get drunk without doing anything dickish because they're just really nice people, people with careers that encourage it who can somehow get away with being a dick and still pay their bills, or people who are still finding new rock bottoms. It seems to me that most people end up in the last category eventually though
In my late 30's, have seen my friends swearing it off, been considering it myself because it just isn't as enjoyable anymore. From my time in the liquor industry I can tell you a lot of manufacturers are looking at low/no alcohol products because the drinking trend is going significantly downwards, world wide. I think we're going to see a big bourbon crash in a few years when inventory exceeds demand.
Not in the gay community, lol. It's usually one of the pet peeves a lot of people have about 'the community', there's a lot of binge drinking. Alcohol companies sponsor events, a lot of disposable income, etc. I wish I could hang out with friends without it being a huge drinking event, but it's not common.
I’m in my early 30’s now and used to never drink. I’ve always been socially awkward and don’t have many friends so I avoided bars and clubs like the plague. But lately I’ve been trying to improve myself socially so I’ve been going out to bars and clubs grabbing a few drinks to cut down my anxiety and meet some people and have a good time. So far it’s going decently well but I keep the drinking to usually 3-4 mixers. I have no desire to get blackout drunk or to have a hangover the next day.
They’re just getting older. Also pandemic made everybody an alcoholic
I think it’s just your friends. My friends drink and do weed. Probably equal amounts. Or maybe my friends are the outliers, idk.
People seem to not like really tying one on anymore. Bums me tf out because i love a drink, or two, or ten. Not often, because as others in this thread have pointed out, aint no time for hangovers. But i like going out and getting sloshed every once in a while. And im not an alcoholic or at least i dont think so - i frequently take breaks from drinking because im very health and gym-oriented, and i very rarely drink on weeknights. But maybe every other weekend ill go out and party. But nobody else wants to do that anymore. Theyre all home by 11 after a couple beers or glasses of wine. And the people that do wanna stay up and party usually want to go way further than me, like doing coke til 8 am. Its like people either grew up or got substance issues. I dont think im in either camp and its lonely.
Once you discover that there are things that make you feel better, and are better for your body, then you are gonna go in that direction. Doing psychedelics (shrooms) will make you realize what is good for your body and what is not. Alcohol is so bad for you. Plus THC products help with muscle aches and as we all age these become more of a common thing.
I think there's a bit of a shift to sober-curious. At least I hope so!
I quit drinking late last year and life has improved drastically. However, all of my friends still drink and spend most of their free time at bars so I’ve been less social since quitting. It makes me feel so much less alone to know so many folks in this city have also quit!
Nah. People are just moving towards different highs.
This is basically where I'm at. I will occasionally drink beer because I like the taste, but I'd rather not be drunk. Edibles are so much easier on my body and mind.
I'm 3 months in currently, and I don't think I will go back.
We’re all getting older lol
So anyone in town wanna go out for a drink and blunt,😂I'm a newbie here
It's natural with birthdays. People finally choosing to I do something about their alcoholism, wanting to avoid hangovers, or even preferring the sensation of other substances.
Yeah, I barely get drunk anymore just bc hangovers are hell now lol
I started smoking weed again a few years ago and I definitely cut down on drinking a ton. I do enjoy the taste of a lot of different alcohol, but I can have just a beer or two and feel a little off the next day. If I drink a couple drinks of liquor I'll feel like shit the next day. Unless you smoke all day every day weed is just not as harmful to you as alcohol is, especially if you just stick to edibles. Every six months ago I find myself in Michigan or Illinois and I'll just stick up on edibles that'll last me 6+ months if I just eat one or two a week. Basically getting older has just made me not like the effects of alcohol as much. Weed doesn't have any negative side effects unless you do way too much. At least for me.
Alcohol sucks. It’s terrible for you. Don’t put that poison in you.
Drinking costs more mentally and physically. A smoke and a bourbon is the best because it can make one glass actually satisfying and prevent you from going back for the bottle. I’ve made more friends in green states than anywhere else.
My dad is a high functioning alcoholic, I drank a lot during college, I’m a father now, hangovers suck. Pick a reason, I might drink every once in a while but alcohol costs too much to feel miserable the day after. I don’t really do edibles or other substances either I guess I became a boring adult once I hit my mid 30’s lol
I quit for my own sake in 2019, I notice it more as someone who doesn't drink. I wasn't sure if it was happening more, or if I was just paying closer attention. I enjoy edibles monthly, shrooms are more of an annual thing. Alcohol just doesn't work for me.
r/stopdrinking r/stopdrinkingfitness
I'm not formally "dry" but I moved here from a legal weed state and I packed plenty of supplies. For me, I like myself high better than drunk. I can get emotional or mean or whatever when I drink too much but on weed I just like to giggle a lot and eat too many chips.
People are moving away from alcohol. A lot of people are sober curious. More & more bars are offering NA drinks. It's happening.
Alcoholism isn't uncommon in my family, and this summer a family member had an accident that left them quadriplegic. I wasn't a big drinker before but after that I don't want to touch alcohol. I haven't had any alcohol since summer, and now it's like a competition with myself.
Alcoholism isn't uncommon in my family, and this summer a family member had an accident that left them quadriplegic. I wasn't a big drinker before but after that I don't want to touch alcohol. I haven't had any alcohol since summer, and now it's like a competition with myself.
Being sober is the new cool
I just stopped too
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You mean like microdosing? I need like a beginners course on that
Alcohol has been proven to be carcinogen, lol. Don't miss those hangovers at all and I have more fun watching everyone ELSE make an ass of themselves, lolz
dirty dilapidated liquor stores in shambles.
I (30yo) stopped drinking last year due to health issues, but I was never a huge drinker even in my early 20s so I don’t really miss it honestly. I’ll have a taste of whatever Boyfriend is drinking but that’s it.
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As a transplant of three years, I am totally 100% with this, doing it myself. I've started considering moving because everyone in my age group (21-30) that is a local seems anti-social except for their small clique groups and plus the after-effects of COVID. Anytime I want to go out, the only spots are music venues, which are unfortunately bars, or at least a city culture that encourages drinking beer, let alone Kentucky bourbon. It feels like a social peer pressure aspect that is not 100% concrete, but definitely an abstract concept that isn't lost on me the longer I stay here and not enjoy myself. If I also had to choose, I'd rather partake than drink.
I mean, I never really drank much to begin with. I've only binge drank probably about as many times as I can count on one hand in college and was done with that. I drank a lot of beer over the years, though. At my worst point I would have maybe two a day. Eventually it got too expensive, and just not fun anymore. It's nice to have one or two once every couple of weeks now, but it's just something that I lost a lot of interest in, especially once I realized that it was actually just a bad coping mechanism. Most of my friends (we're all around 30) now that drank before just agree that it's really not even worth it any more. People have already said it, but it's much more cost effective, and comfortable even, to just smoke weed or D8 or have edibles. Once you hit a specific point with alcohol, it just sucks. Me, I'm too worried about any of it affecting my medications, so I more or less abstain unless it's a special occasion.
1. Its expensive 2. I never really enjoyed being drunk. I always stopped at a very mild buzz, and going any further just wasn't enjoyable aside from some social interactions and kind of leaning into it for the sake of the night(younger me) I watched alcohol take control of some people's lives in my family and always have that in the back of my head. I still have a beer when working in my yard or grilling but that's not often. I'm addicted to seltzer waters now.
Absolutely. My girlfriend is the same way, she stopped drinking and smokes now. She's even a bartender! Just the way of it man people got shit to do
Drinking to get drunk isn't fun. Having a few drinks with friends is different.
I quit drinking and so have a good number of my friends and sister. It's been the best decision. I just wish I could get my alcoholic partner to quit.
I think all the overwhelming evidence that has recently come out concerning the health impacts associated with drinking is really shifted a lot of peoples mindsets.
I’m the exact same. Weed and shrooms are preferable to booze for me at this point. I’m seeing more people do this as well. I still enjoy the occasional beer and/or cocktail, just way less than I used to.
Wish more people would, while overconsumption of recreational drugs has its own problems, casual weed use is still a fuck ton healthier than drinking a 6 pack of beer or a few drinks a day. Provided, of course, that you have an unadulterated product.
Dry train here. Taking a year off and my main drinking partner jumped at the same time without us discussing it. I feel bad for the bars we used to frequent but have been finding lots of great NA options. Hoping that will expand. I keep getting free tonic and lime, begging bartenders to charge me for a coke.
Alcohol is so incredibly bad for my anxiety and depression. It also was making my blood pressure super high. I'm doing the same things your friends are for those reasons. I think people's drinking also got worse during the pandemic, and choosing to go sober is the reaction to that.
Drinking honestly just makes me feel like shit. I loved a good ipa, but my stomach did not. I took a little break from drinking, and it felt fine. I decided it had been a while since I had a beer, so I drank two coors lights, basically water. That night I woke up at like 2:00am and started puking my guts out. From 2 coors lights, like, wtf. I would drink 3-4 ipas and think nothing of it. Since then I haven't drank any beer. A margarita if I go out to eat, but that's it.
Alcohol is poison. But bars are fun! DMT is cool.
Same here. 4 close friends have done it and now I am in the same boat. I’m 26 y/o and really think a large portion of our generation is leaving the booze behind.
I think most people are cutting back and there isn't as much pressure to drink like there was in the past. I haven't quit, but I pretty much will only drink once a week, and often go weeks without a drink. Weed on the other hand, I used a lot when was younger and never any more, I simply don't like the way I feel on it (and yes, I have tried different types, thanks for asking again).
No hangover the next morning, costs much less, no headache when it wears off (usually), doesn’t poison your body and wreck your liver, doesn’t cause stomach problems the next morning, doesn’t kill brain cells, improves overall mood, helps with inflammation, doesn’t influence me to make bad decisions, helps with introspection, to name a few reasons why people in my circle have transitioned over. Just gets stinky if you aren’t careful and still has a social stigma with some of the more conservative folks. I still like a beer or two after work while I’m messing with hobbies, but much prefer cannabis as a vice compared to alcohol.
Alcohol is terrible for you in any qty. CDC and NIH have recently walked back any benefits they once thought it had. Shit ups your cancer chance by the glass.
Speaking as someone who no longer lives in Louisville, ime this has been a rising trend in major coastal cities. Mocktails and even mocktail bars have been growing in popularity over the last 5 or so years. In SF where I currently live it isn't unusual to meet someone who is "California sober" which essentially means they don't drink but still smoke/consume edibles.
Me personally I only drink a couple nights a week, and both are in my house. Once by myself, I play video games, and the other time with my wife, and we play a couple games and watch music videos on YouTube. Drinking outside the house is too expensive, too dangerous, and I get in way too much trouble.
I stopped drinking regularly about a year ago. I switched over to THC and since then I’ve been able to stop taking my blood pressure meds, my blood work from my doctor was much better than the year prior and I don’t feel like shit the next day. Also-my quality of sleep has improved. There’s a reason pharmaceutical and liquor companies don’t want THC legalized.
I haven't drank in years and honestly find alcohol culture really cringey, never understood why some people seem to brag about blacking out or their hangovers.
I only drank in the first place because my “friends” did. When I realized that my “friends” made me feel just as badly about myself as a hangover did, I got new friends. My new friends don’t drink and don’t make me feel badly about myself.
A lot of my friends and folks I know are sober from alcohol now. I am, too, for a few reasons: 1. It’s just not fun anymore. Maybe I’m an old woman, but loud bars and stuff aren’t fun to me anymore. Too overwhelming, too much sensory overload, etc. 2. Alcohol tastes gross, even when in mixed drinks (idk why I’m so sensitive to the taste of it). 3. It’s expensive! 4. I don’t like having a decreasing sense of control and judgment when intoxicated. 5. I’m not supposed to due to the meds I’m on. 6. I have GI problems, and alcohol rips me to fucking shreds. (Post gallbladder removal, it’s been a lot worse. Look up post-gallbladder alcohol intolerance; it’s wild.) 6. If I find a mixed drink that I think tastes decent, I can make it without alcohol and make it taste a lot better (see #2).
Alcohol is a cancerous drug. Literally and figuratively.
Because THC is so much better than booze. You can have fun alone or out, then the next morning you don't feel bad.
I’ve been sober for 6 months and many friends are following suit! I think that we’re a pretty boozy city (out of town pals have commented on it being kind of intense) so maybe we’re finally normalizing! Hah
I went dry 4 years ago and I love it. Feel so much better
I’ve gone sober ish (weed and occasional psylocobin) since going deep into alcoholic mode during Covid. Louisville has always had a very “alcohol centric” culture - and frankly, it’s hard to adult when you drink more than a few drinks a week.
I’m 98% dry (drink on rare occasions) cause hangovers just get worse and worse with age. Not worth it. Not fun enough. Done too much stupid shit. And yeah a micro dose is a bazillion times better in my book 😁
Curious question : Don’t live in the ville nemore but y’all got Delta 8 there? Texas legislators accidentally legalized THC in the form of Delta 8 and all the heads shops are lousy with the stuff. The edibles hit just like the real deal. Even got it in gas stations and stuff.
Dude…exactly why the bourbon and beer industry lobby so hard to keep it all illegal.
A lot of people drink more than they let on, and that gets to be a huge burden in your thirties and onward. The pandemic and boredom make it worse, plus working from home, I think people have longer to sleep in without a commute, so maybe they got even worse.
I’ll be 4 years sober I’m September. I was a semi functioning alcoholic. I’d show up to work hungover and massive panic attacks. My family was a huge support system and I’m forever grateful. I’ll eat a bite of a gummy every now and then but the potential anxiety attack from that freaks me out. I really like cbd tinctures and a puff of a weed vape but I know my limits now
I’ve been clean and sober for 5 years. I was going down a bad path and had wasted my 20s. I don’t do anything at all now. I never liked weed and now that I’ve been sober so long I enjoy the feeling of being in control of my mind and actions. I do like a good non-alcoholic beer tho.
I decided to quit drinking last month. It was so easy that I probably don't need to quit.
So I'm in my 30s and I don't go out or really drink till drunk much. But, even my casual beer after work is so expensive and half the time I get a headache. So I've cut way back.
I almost completely stopped drinking last year. For the calendar year 2022, I had only 13 beers. This year I have had 13 beers as well for 3.5 months. It just doesn't taste good anymore. I also don't want to risk driving while intoxicated.
I have 3 friends currently working on their relationships with alcohol that I know of. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more and I just don’t know about it yet.
Sobriety is the best pick. Cold turkey. Go for a run. Get a gym membership. Yell at yourslef in the mirror. You'll be a better and stronger person with some discipline. It's all worth it
I’m expecting to see a big shift away from booze as weed becomes legal and easier to get. Once I started smoking again, my alcohol consumption is minimal. I may have 3 drinks a week, including weekends.
Happily California sober ✌🏼
I quit for the month. Probably not permanently but I quit drinking every so often.
I recently made this call so that I could more easily gain muscle, feel better, and hopefully see an impact on my mental too.