Find Your Rhythm: How Benjamin Poole
For Benjamin Poole, cannabis is less about getting lifted and more about finding balance.
Poole’s didn’t find the plant until he was 27. His first experience left him paranoid, but a year later, he returned with a different mindset. Through mindfulness and meditation, he discovered a deeper connection that would eventually inspire LOFI VIBEZ.
Based in Atlanta, LOFI VIBEZ is a hemp-derived cannabis brand offering THCA products, shipping, and same-day delivery in parts of the city.
CashColorCannabis spoke with Poole about building a cannabis business in Georgia, the importance of consumer education, how proposed federal hemp restrictions could affect his company, and his vision for LOFI VIBEZ’s future.
CashColorCannabis: Before we get into LOFI VIBEZ, take me back to the beginning. What was your personal relationship with cannabis like, and what eventually made you want to build a business around the plant?
Benjamin Poole: I came to the plant later in life than most people I’ve met in this space. My first experience was at 27, with a brownie at a friend’s house. While it was thrilling, I was also overtaken by paranoia and anxiety, which I now understand was largely because the dose was too strong.
About a year later, I returned to the plant with a completely different approach. I was deep into my mindfulness journey and learning so much about myself and the world around me. The self-awareness I had cultivated helped me meet the plant with a steadier mind.
When I began sharing these experiences with friends, I realized that their relationships with cannabis were entirely different from mine. What fascinated me was that the difference wasn’t necessarily the product itself, but the mindset and intention we brought into the experience.
I began to understand that our relationship with cannabis could be just as important as the cannabis itself. With the right intention, the plant could become more than a means of getting high. It could become a tool for discovery, connection, and returning to ourselves.
That realization became the foundation for LOFI VIBEZ.
CashColorCannabis: Georgia isn’t a traditional adult-use market, so you’re building a cannabis-adjacent business in a very different environment. What has it been like building LOFI VIBEZ in Georgia?
Benjamin Poole: Georgia certainly has its challenges. Recreational cannabis remains illegal despite Atlanta having a very notable weed culture. Because we can’t operate in the traditional marijuana market, we’ve found our groove in the hemp space.
I also have a decent tolerance for risk when it comes to events. I’m not afraid to host events or create spaces where cannabis is explicitly part of the experience. Unfortunately, not everyone shares that same tolerance for risk. There are groups we’d love to partner with that may genuinely believe in our mission but still aren’t comfortable working with a cannabis brand. That’s to be expected.
There’s still so much work to do to undo decades of misinformation and stigma. We’re behind places like California, Colorado, and Oregon when it comes to intentionally and openly incorporating cannabis into wellness, fitness, arts, and cultural spaces. But I also think that’s what makes building LOFI VIBEZ in Atlanta exciting. There’s an opportunity to help shape what that culture looks like here.
CashColorCannabis: Education seems to be a major part of the brand, from dosing information to lab testing and COAs. How important is consumer education when you’re selling products in a category that people still don’t completely understand?
Benjamin Poole: At this stage in our country’s relationship with the plant, education is everything. Generations of Americans have been subjected to misinformation through Reefer Madness, the War on Drugs, and other campaigns that vilified cannabis. Unfortunately, I think that has done more harm than good.
On one end, we have people who developed unhealthy relationships with the plant from a young age without ever being taught what intentional use could look like. On the other, there are people who may benefit from cannabis but refuse to consider it because of decades of stigma and misinformation.
A big part of our work is helping customers develop healthier systems of use and understand the different ways cannabis is being used.
But our education doesn’t stop at physical wellness. We also want to open people’s minds to the idea that cannabis can strengthen social bonds, build community, enhance creativity, and deepen a connection to self.
CashColorCannabis: One thing I noticed about LOFI VIBEZ is that you’re not really selling the stereotypical “get high” image. You’re talking about slowing down, being present, and intentional consumption. Was separating yourself from traditional stoner marketing a deliberate decision?
Benjamin Poole: Absolutely. Our mission is to lead a modern movement around mindful, intentional cannabis use. My own experience with the plant has shaped not only how we market ourselves, but also the kinds of spaces we want LOFI VIBEZ to be part of.
Oftentimes, I find that people use cannabis as a way to escape. LOFI VIBEZ is an invitation to return, to move toward something rather than away from something. That might mean returning to yourself, to community, to creativity, or simply to stillness.
Cannabis is a consciousness-altering substance. It has the ability to shift our perspective and change the way we experience a moment. I think we cheapen the plant when we reduce it to how high it can get you or whether it can “blow your mind.”
It can be so much more than that when we approach it with intention and discipline.
CashColorCannabis: The proposed federal hemp restrictions could dramatically change what products businesses like yours are allowed to sell. How would a hemp ban or tighter definition of legal hemp impact LOFI VIBEZ, and what are you doing now to prepare for that possibility?
Benjamin Poole: The truthful answer is that the uncertainty makes long-term planning difficult right now. Like many businesses in this space, we’re building something meaningful while navigating a regulatory environment that could change dramatically.
If tighter restrictions make our current business model unsustainable, we’d likely shift our focus toward education and policy advocacy. We want to help move Georgia toward legal adult-use cannabis and a regulatory system that gives consumers access to safe, well-regulated products.
In the meantime, we’re continuing to spread the good word about cannabis, educate our community, and encourage customers to make their voices heard by contacting their elected representatives.
The mission behind LOFI VIBEZ is bigger than the products we sell. Even if the way we operate has to change, the work of changing our relationship with the plant will continue.
Once people understand that, the concept usually becomes much less confusing. Some heavier or more experienced consumers tell me they notice differences between products, while many casual consumers describe the experiences as very similar.
CashColorCannabis: Education seems to be a major part of the brand, from dosing information to lab testing and COAs. How important is consumer education when you’re selling products in a category that people still don’t completely understand?
Benjamin Poole: At this stage in our country’s relationship with the plant, education is everything. Generations of Americans have been subjected to misinformation through Reefer Madness, the War on Drugs, and other campaigns that vilified cannabis. Unfortunately, I think that has done more harm than good.
On one end, some people developed unhealthy relationships with the plant at a young age without ever being taught what intentional use could look like. On the other, there are people who may benefit from cannabis but refuse to consider it because of decades of stigma and misinformation.
A big part of our work is helping customers develop healthier systems of use and understand the different ways cannabis is being used. People are often surprised to learn about its established and emerging medical applications, including areas like pain, certain seizure disorders, and symptoms associated with cancer treatment.
But our education doesn’t stop at physical wellness. We also want to open people’s minds to the idea that cannabis can strengthen social bonds, build community, enhance creativity, and deepen self-connection.
