comment: >
  
  Do you draw the line at some drugs and not others? Is someone who drinks coffee sober?
context: /u/Clovis_Winslow (OP) has awarded 1 delta(s) in this post.
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  Your view is primarily one about defining the word sober. These people choose to define it in terms of their prior alcohol use. I would argue it's perfectly acceptable to consider yourself sober if you're consciously abstaining from the substances that cause problems/hardship in your life, even if you enjoy others that don't have the same consequences. 
  The easiest way to counter your point is to look at the dictionary definition. Per Merriam Webster, there are several accepted definitions of sober, including this one: "abstaining from drinking alcohol or taking intoxicating drugs : refraining from the use of addictive substances." Note the "or", implying that it doesn't need to be abstinence from both alcohol and drugs. >
  
  Δ
  This is the best response I have seen.  I guess if we choose to focus on the semantics of the word, than you are getting somewhere.  I am assuming the word "sober" fits my definition, but the real definition makes allowances for multiple scenarios.  
  So what you're saying is that someone can use this word to define an abstinence from (only) alcohol and they'd be correct, based on the "or" and I can't think of a way around that.
  Thank you! >
  
  Confirmed: 1 delta awarded to /u/Professor-Schneebly (1∆).
  ^Delta System Explained ^| ^Deltaboards >
  
  Meh its just a pointless CMV. Obviously they know what they mean, and you know what they mean. >
  
  Yeah this is an argument over definitions, no one is going to change his mind because he looks at the word "sober" to have a different meaning I think.  Where as alcoholics are like, if I'm not drunk, it's an excellent day. >
  
  Do you draw the line at some drugs and not others? Is someone who drinks coffee sober? >
  
  I would draw the line at intoxicants which impair your ability to do something such as driving.  Pure oxygen is a drug as well. >
  
  Interesting distinction. Alcohol kills many on the road. However alcohol sobriety is something needing to be achieved. One drink leads to another when you have an issue.
  When cannabis leaves your system it typically does not leave you dependant. You sober up after use. Alcoholism is a "status" to sober up from. Cannabis gives you a temporary state of non sobriety, but there's no cannabis-ism (in the vast majority) which needs to be recovered from. >
  
  I disagree.  I know lots of cannabis addicts and they'd be the first to tell you they're not sober.  THC doesn't cause physical withdrawal, true!  That's a good thing. >
  
  That's their relationship with the drug. But your issue isn't people telling you they aren't sober, it's ones telling you they are.
  Addiction is about your relationship with the drug. You can have one drink a year and still be an addict. You can drink every night and not be. >
  
  I think your view and anything trying to change your view is purely semantics. 
  If you are taking about alcohol, sober means your not currently intoxicated. And sometimes that's a longer implication of you haven't been getting intoxicated recently.
  If your talking about drugs, it means you're not impaired. 
  For example if I'm taking an antidepressant (a medically prescribed drug), I'm definitely still going to drive a car as I am not impaired at the moment and consider myself to be sober. But I can guarantee you that drug is still heavily affecting my mental state. >
  
  A very good point about SSRI's, etc.   And you're right that maybe this is pure semantics. >
  
  It is. You personally take drugs, just like my mother, and most people in the West at least; and likewise have chosen to take a position that a/ what you take isn't an issue, and b/ almost certainly skirts close to legal v illegal interpretation, which bears little correlation to medical and sociological implications. >
  
  There's a fine line between a poison and a medicine. Getting baked every day to replace the alcohol might not be a great idea, especially it's being smoked/combusted. In moderation however, it's mostly harmless. In fact, there's more and more research that suggests that cannabis has beneficial, medicinal effects. I suspect one such benefit would be getting off alcohol and reducing withdrawals. 
  Alcohol on the other hand, is pretty bad for your health except in the strictest moderation. That said, it can also be a great social lubricant and when used sensibly, it can contribute to your health. Not so much in a physical way, but in a more holistic way in the sense that it may enhance one's social life (my point being that your biology is not the only determinant of health). 
  In a way, the drug of choice is irrelevant. What's more important is the user's relationship to it. Moreover, on balance, I would argue cannabis is by far the least harmful drug of the two. >
  
  I agree that cannabis is the lesser of the two drugs when it comes to toxicity and the effects on people's lives.  And I agree that the drug of choice is also irrelevant.  
  It gets stickier if we start talking about caffeine or tobacco, obviously. >
  
  Sure, but your argument was about cannabis specifically. I think we can all agree that tobacco is disastrous for health. The jury is probably out on caffeine, but I'd bet my right leg that even the most avid coffee drinker is doing less harm to their body than an alcoholic, except maybe in very specific circumstances. 
  Also, unfortunately it seems that the legality of a drug is determined by politics rather than potential harm (alcohol and tobacco legal; cannabis, magic mushrooms, etc., illegal). Anyway, I digress! Seems like we're on the same page, mostly :) >
  
  The person you are speaking on had an alcohol problem. Alcohol certifiably inhibits your behavior and ability to function. It does this to every person and is a measurable deterrent in functionality. 
  There is no test you will do that can change alcohols effect on a human. 
  NBA players smoke Marijuana and perform in a sport that requires every bit and more of anything you are required to do in life. 
  When this person is speaking to you they are trusting your ability to understand life and them. They trusted you with information about how they kicked a habit that made them certifiably nonfunctioning. 
  I don't believe people who accuse other people of not being sober but haven't pointed out one thing they haven't been able to functionally do. 
  "Above the influence" campaign just pushed ignorance and arrogance to keep people uninformed and to criminialize undesirables. CMV too >
  
  It kind of depends on what your definition is.  Some definitions specifically use intoxicated and alcohol.  Others consider it free from the use of addictive substances or use of substances that you are addicted to.  At that point, you could probably argue that caffeine use could mean you are not sober if you are addicted to it.  If you are not addicted to THC, maybe an occasional user, then you could argue that you are sober. >
  
  Maybe I am misunderstanding something, but if you are high on cannabis, I don't think you're sober, addicted or not. >
  
  There are multiple definitions to what "sober" is.  I don't know which one you are using.  Some require you to be addicted, some say free of addictive substances all together, etc.  What happens if they are an occasional user - maybe two or three times a month to get some sleep?  They may not even be using it to get high, or even experience the high.  They are not addicted at that point. >
  
  I agree, but I'd still argue that person isn't "sober."  Occasional use is obviously something to aspire to.  You are right that this word has multiple definitions and that might be the root of my issue with it. >
  
  I mean, would you say that a non-alcoholic who’s currently three sheets to the wind at a holiday party is “sober”? Would you say something different if they were at work the next week with no drugs, not even caffeine, in their body? >
  
  since you already stated words have definitions... here you go
  so·ber
  /ˈsōbər/
  Learn to pronounce
  adjective
  not affected by alcohol; not drunk.
  ​
  easiest delta ever. >
  
  Oxford dictionary definition only relates to alcohol >
  
  by that logic people aren't sober if they continue drinking coffee or smoking nicotine because theyre both drugs >
  
  thc can and is peoples medicine >
  
  This is not helpful, I'm sorry. >
  
  you dont have to apologize to me you can apologize to all the people with cancer and seizures though who rely on thc that youre using debunked 12 step nonsense to shame them for >
  
  Came here to say this^ >
  
  I would recommend watching Psyched Substance on YouTube. The creator of the channel takes substances such as THC and other similar drugs, and dives deep into the short term effects of these types of drugs. As well as how these types of drugs have affected his personal life long term. >
  
  for me its the opposite. i am a huge stoner and a very occasional drinker. stopped smoking a few weeks ago, but still drink on occasion
  considering ive been able to kick the habit of my drug of choice, id consider myself sober even though i drink every so often. Being sober is more about getting control of your life rather than simply not taking a drug imo >
  
  So when they take THC, is this something they do occassioanlly or is it something that is affecting their lives in a negative way?
  Both scenarios are very different >
  
  Generally people that choose total sobriety (from alcohol) are people that recognize their entire life is being destroyed by alcohol. It almost invariably destroys your body, your relationships, and your career when done to great excess.
  You can smoke a lot of weed and have a healthy body, positive relationships, and a stable career. And it does not categorically impair your driving like alcohol does.
  When people say they're sober, it's synonymous with saying they're getting their life back on track. You can have an on track life while smoking a lot of weed, so in that context it doesn't apply. >
  
  You can have an on-track life while drinking like a fish too.  See: most of Europe >
  
  "Most" of Europe doesn't binge drink as a lifestyle. Where did you get that from? There is a culture of drinking VERY low% beer throughout the day, like 2-3%, and having small amounts of wine often. This is not binge drinking. If you don't want to be serious, and you just want to make juvenile retorts, you don't want your view changed, and you're just wasting everyone's time. 
  Binge drinking as a lifestyle destroys your mind and body, unquestionably. There are medical tests to show how much it ravages your internal organs, bloats you, causes you to make increasingly catastrophic decisions, and destroys your brain. But most people don't need to look at the studies to how bad the health is of an alcoholic. You just look at them.  Do you really not know how bad binge drinking is for people?
  I don't want to get into a pedantic discussion here, if you really want the answer to your question, please take a year and smoke weed every day, then follow that by a year of getting wasted every day, and report back to us the differences you felt in your life. >
  
  Have definitely done those things :)
  I didn't mean for it to sound flippant. You can certainly smoke lots of weed and have a successful life, I agree.  But it's also not a complete apples-to-oranges scenario either.  Cannabis can fuck up your life quite well.
  I think your original point is that the word "sobriety" here implies a person who has had problems with a specific substance, and the use of the term almost always refers to that individual's experience with the problematic drug.  I get that.  You're not wrong at all. >
  
  Haha I have done those things too. That's why I know first hand as well, that there is really no comparison.
  Binge drinking for a few years made me bloated, sick, disgusting, brain dead, depressed, anxious, and a shell of a person.
  Weed helped me kick that, get into yoga, meditation, exercise, and the pursuit of music as a serious profession. I'm now a healthy 5'9 150 lbs, I read books, I'm mentally sharper, and have a better disposition toward the world.  I'm not saying my anecdotal experience is proof of anything, but my experience is only one of many in which transitioning to cannabis from alcohol effectively "sobered up" my mind and my life.
  If it's really just a semantic issue you have with the word sobriety, I get that, but keep in mind that the English language doesn't have words to describe everything. Unfortunately there are not separate terms to describe the abstinence from weed vs the abstinence of alcohol, and sobriety is most commonly associated with cesssation of alcohol. So when one wants to talk about quitting drinking, they use the word "sober" because that's the only word they have to describe their situation of discontinuing alcohol.
  I have heard teetotaler used for someone who does not engage in any vices, but according to Google is also used to specifically describe abstinence from alcohol. 
  So possibly you could say someone who gave up booze but still smokes weed is a teetotaler, not sober. But that word is a bit antiquated and simply not part of most people's vocabulary anymore.
  I think the main thing is that people want a way to tell you that they quit drinking. And that's great. Maybe it's time for a new word in the dictionary for non drinking weed smokers. But until we have one, calling oneself sober seems the only way to get the message across. 
  Oh I just remembered, there is sort of a word lol. I've heard it called "California Sober". But I don't think that's officially part of the dictionary yet lol >
  
  What does "take" THC mean? 
  Theft of THC? 
  :O >
  
  They are sober from alcohol. What if you quit weed and continued taking Xanax for panic attacks? Or got in a car accident and took opiates for pain management? Your definition of sober isn’t their definition of sober. It is subjective. So they aren’t sober by your standards but they are by their own. Why not just be happy for the accomplishment instead of mincing words with loved ones? >
  
  /u/Clovis_Winslow (OP) has awarded 1 delta(s) in this post.
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  Please note that a change of view doesn't necessarily mean a reversal, or that the conversation has ended.
  ^Delta System Explained ^| ^Deltaboards >
  
  Your view is primarily one about defining the word sober. These people choose to define it in terms of their prior alcohol use. I would argue it's perfectly acceptable to consider yourself sober if you're consciously abstaining from the substances that cause problems/hardship in your life, even if you enjoy others that don't have the same consequences. 
  The easiest way to counter your point is to look at the dictionary definition. Per Merriam Webster, there are several accepted definitions of sober, including this one: "abstaining from drinking alcohol or taking intoxicating drugs : refraining from the use of addictive substances." Note the "or", implying that it doesn't need to be abstinence from both alcohol and drugs. >
  
  Δ
  This is the best response I have seen.  I guess if we choose to focus on the semantics of the word, than you are getting somewhere.  I am assuming the word "sober" fits my definition, but the real definition makes allowances for multiple scenarios.  
  So what you're saying is that someone can use this word to define an abstinence from (only) alcohol and they'd be correct, based on the "or" and I can't think of a way around that.
  Thank you! >
  
  Confirmed: 1 delta awarded to /u/Professor-Schneebly (1∆).
  ^Delta System Explained ^| ^Deltaboards >
  
  Meh its just a pointless CMV. Obviously they know what they mean, and you know what they mean. >
  
  Yeah this is an argument over definitions, no one is going to change his mind because he looks at the word "sober" to have a different meaning I think.  Where as alcoholics are like, if I'm not drunk, it's an excellent day.