Sarah Young and Meghan Rodgers dive into the “sober curious” trend sweeping social media, questioning when not drinking became an entire lifestyle brand requiring Instagram documentation. The hosts draw a clear distinction between genuine alcoholism recovery, which they deeply respect, and the trendy sober curious movement, complete with mocktails, “dry January” announcements, and California sober lifestyles. They explore the uncomfortable social pressure to explain why you’re not drinking: from invasive “are you pregnant?” questions to the universal lie of “I’m on antibiotics,” and wonder why “I just don’t feel like it” isn’t acceptable anymore.

The episode features a mocktail taste test of three different brands. Sarah and Meghan tackle the economics of the trend: why spend $12 on a mocktail when you could get the real thing? They discuss whether these fancy alternatives actually help people drink less or just create an expensive new habit, and examine how the wellness culture has wrapped green juice, Pilates, and sobriety into one Instagram-worthy aesthetic.

The conversation shifts to the legal landscape surrounding CBD, THC products, and nootropics in North Carolina. Sarah breaks down upcoming federal changes that will ban products with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC by November 2026, North Carolina’s proposed legislation requiring retailer licenses and putting enforcement under the Alcohol Law Enforcement division, and the confusing reality that you can currently buy intoxicating hemp products at gas stations while marijuana possession remains a felony. The hosts also tackle the mushroom mystery—psilocybin mushrooms are illegal, but spores are legal until they germinate—and the unregulated world of nootropics marketed as brain enhancers. Bottom line from both hosts: the sober curious trend feels like a privileged luxury that overshadows people genuinely struggling with addiction, and as Meghan bluntly puts it, “It’s stupid.”

Listeners can send questions and stories to info@motiontospill.com, but remember: this is entertainment only, not legal advice.
Recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios in Winston-Salem. Produced by Tim Beeman.

The post Motion to Spill – Episode 007: Sober Curious Culture first appeared on Motion To Spill.