In episode 30, I am honored to have as my guest, Joe Schrank, the founder of High Sobriety, a substance and mental health treatment facility located in Los Angeles.
High Sobriety embraces a revolutionary non-abstinence, harm-reduction, model for treatment where cannabis may be used as an exit drug from addiction as well as a treatment for many mental disorders.
February 1st, 2017 marks twenty years of abstinence from all intoxicating substances for Joe. While abstinence has proven to be the right direction for him, he doesn’t believe it’s the right thing for all people.
The High Sobriety Team
Joe’s clinical training and experience have led him to believe that addiction treatment in its current form is inherently flawed and limited. Joe founded High Sobriety Treatment in 2017 as a response to the minimal choices for people who reject the idea that total abstinence in AA is the only valid path to recovery.
Joe has had a long career in helping people find their recovery. As a young man at USC, he treated his own depression with alcohol and avoidance.
Once sober, he returned to academia, studying clinical social work at Iona college and then he entered a masters program at the University of Illinois where his research was focused on college athletes with depression and alcohol abuse.
From there, Joe became a residential therapist at Promises in Malibu, California.
Returning to NYC, Joe founded Brooklyn’s Loft 107 Sober Living.
He also worked with the city and a community organization to establish the first recovery program in a NYC high school where he continues to serve as a board member.
Baffled by the lack of media coverage with an issue as dire as addiction, Joe founded TheFix.com which continues as the premiere source of news and information about addiction and recovery.
In this interview:
Joe shares his own history with addiction and how this led to his founding the Loft in New York.
Joe shares how The Loft was a unique place for people struggling with substance addiction.
Joe shares how he founded High Sobriety and what makes it different than the traditional model for the treatment of substance abuse.
Joe talks about how High Sobriety uses cannabis as an exit drug to treat substance addiction.
Joe shares how High Sobriety measures success and then how successful his program is compared to the traditional 12-step shame model.
Joe talks about how High Sobriety treats individuals with mental health issues.
Joe talks about how the medical community responded to his unique approach to treating addiction.
Joe talks about how the community as a whole has responded to his program.
Joe shares his advice for people who may be in need of his services but are reticent to seek help.
CLICK HERE to go to the High Sobriety Treatment website
This PDF contains an interactive road-map that will lead you through the many decisions that you may face when considering whether medical cannabis is right for you.
…also included is a new patients guide that will ensure that your first experience with cannabis is a good one!
…and of course I’ve included my 10 favorite strains of medical cannabis!
Don’t miss a single episode of the Medical Pot Guide Podcast
Leave a Reply