DRYxHIGH

They are creative and self-motivated. They support and balance each other. They choose to be dry but still love to get high—responsibly! Heather Carr and Kayte Demont are the creators of a new platform, DRYxHIGH. With this platform, they are trying to destigmatize being sober while still being able to use cannabis in a responsible and healthy way. DRYxHIGH started organically through a casual conversation on a couch in Carr’s old apartment.

Their relationship also started organically.

“Can I tell the story?” Demont asked Carr, both giggling at the memory of how they met. “We met at [Denver’s] First Friday at Tracks a couple of years ago. ‘Pony’ by Ginuwine came, on and she grabbed a bar stool. I slid to my knees to meet her; we had a dance battle, and the rest is pretty much history,” Demont said, smiling back at Carr.

A few years later, this duo came up with a platform to support others being sober, using cannabis responsibly, and also promoting healthy and happy relationships.

DRYxHIGH kicked off about a year-and-a-half ago, a casual conversation that flowed into a bigger idea. “I think we just started a conversation because both of us liked to smoke weed and don’t drink,” Demont explained. ”Even now, we’re still trying to figure out exactly how we want to create the community surrounding DRYxHIGH.” Carr and Demont balance each other well in many different aspects of their lives. Being sober while smoking weed wasn’t the core of their relationship at first, but they soon realized how much they supported each other.

They realized there is a stigmatization about saying one is sober but still chooses to smoke weed that goes beyond just their experience. Carr leaned forward, “It’s like a joke when you tell people, ‘Yeah, I don’t drink,’ but quickly add in, ‘but I do smoke weed.’ As if it’s an opposing force to drinking alcohol. What we wanted to promote is not just avoiding alcohol, but also showing that we aren’t just stoners. We get high responsibly; we drive responsibly; we take care of each other. We’re not talking about weed being a good alternative, but using it in a way that helps remove some of the stigma behind what cannabis consumption really is.”

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As their couch conversation grew into a platform, their backgrounds and why they chose to go sober contributed very much to their idea of creating a supportive community, reaching out through social media to share that life can still be fun being dry while safely getting high.

Demont is a photographer, marketing executive at OUT FRONT, model, and loves to dance. She grew up with parents, who chose to go sober. “I’m fortunate to have them be an example of what communication can look like … I think any relationship is hard, but it makes it a lot easier to not have to deal with alcohol as another external factor, for me.”

Carr is a chef, and she shared her achievements during the recent interview with DapperQ: she is focused on food education and building community by giving back. She’s also competed twice on The Food Network’s Chopped, winning in 2017 and later competing in the Champion’s Tournament in 2018.

She’s now an executive chef at Footers Catering in Denver. She also shares the joy of dancing and loves their almost-too-expensive loft with their two dogs and cat. “My mom didn’t drink when I was growing up, so it wasn’t something I really thought about. I played division lacrosse [in college] where there was strict no drinking. Once I got into the culinary field, that’s where I can credit some, if not all, my bad habits stemmed from.”

They’ve both received some flak for choosing to keep smoking cannabis while staying away from other substances and alcohol. Demont said her last AA sponsor quit because she was against Demont smoking weed. Demont and Carr explained it works for them, and they keep one another in check to ensure safe levels of cannabis consumption.

“Everybody knows their limits, but not everybody knows other people’s limits,” Carr said. They’ve both had some people, but mostly their moms, tell them that they aren’t sober, or shouldn’t say they are sober because they still smoke weed. “I think it’s all about balance, just like everything, just like gender and sexuality. It’s a spectrum, and as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or anyone else, it’s a valid journey,” says Demont.

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Carr pointed out, “It’s not just that we don’t consume alcohol; it’s also we don’t want you to feel bad for it. We have so many friends who are sober; we have so many friends who drink alcohol. When they hang out with us, our house doesn’t have alcohol. If they want to bring it, they bring some, and we are always OK with it.”

DRYxHIGH wants to be that support system to help people stay sober and still have fun, going out to bars or seeing live music. Demont and Carr are honest with how they still struggle but are happy they have each other to support when times get hard. They want to offer the same support to others who are sober, whether they choose to smoke weed or not. Demont shares that sometimes it’s still hard to go out and not have alcohol as a social lubricant.

“I hope this can provide a resource for people,” Demont said. In a quote to DapperQ, the pair explained, “We love to have fun, work hard, and want to set a good example of a healthy relationship while inspiring people to take a lot at their consumption habits.”

Photos By Kayte Demont