ACTIVIST ROOTS
History
Highroad was founded in 2017 on the foundations of Greta Carter's activism and traditional business acumen. Her work in the movement for cannabis legalization and corporate America underpins the company's values.
Greta met and worked with activists who started the medical marijuana movement; people like Steve DeAngelo, Robert Jacob, James Anthony, Don Duncan, Steph Sherer, Dale Sky Jones, and Kris Krane to name a few.
Greta's first paid cannabis job was to write a manual for Arizona on opening a dispensary under their newly passed regulation. She later opened a dispensary which was ultimately shut down by the Federal forfeiture clause. She moved to Seattle.
Greta opened The Hope Clinics, a chain of naturopathic clinics, along with attorney & drug reform activist Rachel E. Kurtz.
Greta helped guide a group of activists into what has become the longest-running marijuana trade organization in Washington: The Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics (CCSE).
Greta started her third cannabis business: the Cannabis Training Institute (CTI).
Greta started Life Gardens. Once again, her vision unfolded as a cannabis company which lawmakers could be proud of... one to set a shining example for other farms and businesses to aspire to.
Greta Carter was voted the winner of the Best Effort on Affecting Policy, Regulations & Industry Standards category at the 2015 Cannawards (Northwest).
Greta moved to the Coachella Valley in Southern California and later started Highroad Consulting Group with Ryan Fingerhut.
2009
Greta started her journey in the world of cannabis in 2009 when, after the economic meltdown of 2008, she was forced to look at re-invention. Her youngest son (Justin) had been researching the medicinal values of cannabis and found himself donating to activists who were making progress on the national stage. He encouraged his mother to consider the cannabis industry by introducing her to some of the major players at the time. Since cannabis had been a regular part of her life since she was 18 years old, the only concern she really had was gaining enough confidence to truly come out of "the green closet."
2010
Looking outside of California, Greta considered an opportunity to relocate to Washington state, which [not long after California,] had passed laws in 1998 allowing patients with qualifying conditions to grow and use marijuana. Being in the Evergreen State allowed her to be nearer to her son and his family, so in 2010, she and her husband packed up the remnants of their life in construction & banking and moved to Spokane, Washington.
She set up a small garden with her husband and began cultivating medicine in their basement. Greta's first paid cannabis job was to write a manual for Arizona on opening a dispensary under their newly passed regulation. She later opened a dispensary which was ultimately shut down by the Federal forfeiture clause.
2011
Following two years of 70-hour work weeks to bring safety to patients and those who serve them, Greta's husband— less motivated by the movement than his wife— grew tired of subsidizing her nonprofit work and demanded that she gets a job.
2012
One of the most vivid messages Greta learned from her early years in Olympia is that if she was able to unite the voices of what clearly existed in Washington— a thriving cannabis economy— there would be a stronger voice in Olympia for legislators to listen to. She reached out to every email address she knew and every source she had to see if folks in this underground economy were interested in the same things she was.
The response was overwhelming; Greta was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who attended that first meeting at her clinic office. As word spread, the group grew larger in the following weeks. Greta used her corporate background in startup businesses (having no experience in nonprofits), she listened to what they had to say, and helped guide this group into what has become
the longest-running marijuana trade organization in Washington: TheCoalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics (CCSE).
2013
Pulling on her business background, Greta contemplated her journey thus far as well as her successes... she quickly realized that she could combine her passion for the movement with her 30 years of business experience and be even more effective.
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Reflecting on her experience, it was clear that her confidence in working in the cannabis industry had come from education regarding the plant, its history, and the laws which govern the medicinal herb. This led to the launch of Greta’s third marijuana business: the Cannabis Training Institute (CTI).
2014
While actively managing The Hope Clinics and Cannabis Training Institute, Greta became sought out with the passage of I-502 (Washington state’s recreational marijuana bill). CCSE became the consultants to the rule making process, and it was only a natural fit that Greta made an application to the state for a cultivation and processing license. Life Gardens was born. Once again, her vision unfolded as a cannabis company which lawmakers could be proud of... one to set a shining example for other farms & businesses to aspire to.
2015
Greta’s depth of expertise when it comes to managing startup businesses, her entrepreneurial thinking, and her passion for setting the bar for cannabis businesses are just a few of the reasons why she is able to see opportunities where others do not; as a result, she entered 2015 owning multiple respected marijuana businesses, and has partnered with other like-minded individuals to work on similar ventures across the United States.
Needless to say, Greta’s professional successes and relationships became challenging for her lawyers and accountants to manage, and it was they who determined that an umbrella company should be created to house all her passions; hence, The G.Car Companies was established.
2016
With 2016 expected to be the biggest year yet for marijuana policy reform, G.Car is well-positioned to assist budding entrepreneurs in new and potential "green states" like Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. As of the beginning of the new year, The G.Car Companies have begun working with various clients in California in preparation for a 2016 product rollout, and are also engaged in the application writing process for clients planning to open licensed cultivation, processing, and retail/ consumption businesses in Alaska.
Greta was also featured in The Marijuana Revolution on The History Channel, as well as in Nick Lacata's book, Becoming a Citizen Activist at this time.
