New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 15, 2025) - Josh Kesselman, founder of HBI Innovations, recently weighed in on the growing "Colorado sober" movement during an in-depth conversation with The Denver Post. The trend, a regional evolution of the well-known "California sober" mindset, is gaining momentum as more Coloradans move away from alcohol and toward intentional, plant-based alternatives such as cannabis and psilocybin.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7768/278068_1ce562c774769825_001full.jpg

High Times magazine owner and RAW® founder Josh D Kesselman said the Colorado sober movement is about wellness, not partying. (Provided by Grasslands PR)

Unlike traditional definitions of sobriety, the Colorado sober approach doesn't center on abstaining from all substances. Instead, it prioritizes wellness-driven consumption and rejects substances that have well-documented long-term negative impacts on the body and brain. For advocates, the shift isn't about indulgence; it's about reconnection, clarity, and using natural tools to support mental and physical well-being.

Joshua Kesselman, long recognized as one of the cannabis industry's most outspoken advocates, emphasized that the Colorado sober concept represents far more than a trendy rebrand of abstinence. "It's a great place for many of us to dwell," he told The Denver Post. "Cannabis expands the brain, the neural network fires, and synapses connect. We have an endocannabinoid system for a reason."

Colorado's regulatory landscape has also accelerated the movement. With adult-use cannabis legalized since 2014 and psilocybin healing centers beginning licensure under the state's Natural Medicine Division in 2025, residents have increasing access to alternatives they view as gentler and more purposeful. The decriminalization of magic mushrooms in 2022 further normalized practices like microdosing.

As younger generations increasingly reject alcohol, with Gen Z showing steep declines in drinking compared to prior years, the cultural shift is becoming measurable. Beer sales continue to fall, and research from institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic links declining alcohol use to rising priorities around mental health, education, and long-term wellness.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7768/278068_1ce562c774769825_002full.jpg

Joshua D Kesselman, founder of HBI Innovations, recently weighed in on the growing "Colorado sober" movement during an in-depth conversation with The Denver Post.

Joshua Kesselman, who owns High Times magazine as well as the popular RAW® brand of rolling papers, acknowledged the business implications of this shift, but he stressed that the movement is fundamentally about empowerment, not consumption. "Alcohol is something that takes your life force and gives you nothing in return," he said. "When people drink, they do terrible things. Nobody's like, 'Let's get stoned and rob people.'"

Josh Kesselman understands the controversy and agrees that consumption should always be deliberate and responsible. "People have to consume within their own limits," he said. "What that means to one person might be different than someone else, and you have to find that balance in your own life. This is a way to change your thinking, not just your chemistry."

As the Colorado sober movement continues to expand, its influence is shaping conversations around wellness, personal agency, and the evolving relationship between society and substances. Through voices like Josh Kesselman's, the movement is gaining definition, not as a rejection of enjoyment, but as a reimagining of what healthy, intentional living can look like.

Source: Grasslands

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278068