Cultivating Culture: Music and Delta-8-THC in Athens

Musicians are entrepreneurs. Athens, Georgia has had a vibrant music scene for many years. REM, Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, The B52’s, and many others all got their start playing venues like the 40 Watt and Georgia Theatre. As the city grows the culture changes, which is reflected in the music scene. Second only to football, the music scene is what attracts people to Athens.

Trvy performing with a DJ at Urban Greenhouse.

I first saw Trevor Wiggins known as Trvy (pronounced trev-ee) perform at Rabbithole Studios with his band The Enemy almost two years ago. Originally from Habersham county, he has made Athens his home, kept performing, and even cofounded a music initiative. He spends his nights performing his music or creating new music, but by day Trvy works alongside Brianna Mobley, CEO and founder of Urban Greenhouse, a Delta-8 and CBD dispensary.

Samples of THC-A.

Delta-9-THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, which creates the "high" from marijuana use. Federal law caps the amount of delta-9 in a substance at 0.3 percent. But loopholes in the law led to an explosion of investment in delta-8-THC, a cannabis byproduct that can be synthesized from hemp, and which produces a similar, though less potent, reaction than delta-9.

You actually don’t need a license to sell hemp-derived products. Urban Greenhouse started as an idea after Mobley spent time in Oregon where cannabis is legal. After getting to experience cannabis in a safe environment, she wanted to bring that experience to Georgia. Friendly educated people helping other people leave with the right product for their particular needs.

Their days in the shop are mostly spent making music, selling products, and planning events to support and contribute to the Athens music scene. Despite the controversial nature of the product they sell, weed is decriminalized in Athens. Mobley says that her encounters with law enforcement are few, but that they have said that they are much more worried about fentanyl and other more serious narcotics than any hemp-derived product. In fact, she goes downtown and often sells her products there.

Mobley says that “they want to normalize it to show it wasn’t a problem.” Dispensaries like Urban Greenhouse are at the forefront of marijuana legalization. Working to fight against big pharma and eliminate the stigma associated with cannabis use.

“I always thought the store could be bigger than just a dispensary…I thought the store could act more like a community and education center and so I really wanted to involve the music initiative” said Mobley.

Although they are not in violation of any state laws, federally marijuana is still illegal. This has made marketing the store on social media a challenge because most platforms operate with federal laws. Instagram, Meta, Twitter, and Snapchat follow federal guidelines so it makes posting a challenge.

“I don’t want to misrepresent the culture I love,” said Wiggins.

At times, the government fails to catch up to the culture of music and art which can cause tensions between parts of the music scene and law enforcement. Even though the music industry is notoriously unpredictable and offers no assurances of prosperity, this does not deter the music-obsessed from devising means to supplement their income.