THE LEADER IN CANNABIS CONSULTING

With experience in the marijuana industry since 2010, Highroad Consulting Group offers unparalleled support and access to the best practices and people in seed-to-sale services. Our team of accomplished entrepreneurs and professionals have helped create and build industry leaders in the cannabis industry, including medical clinics, cultivation facilities, and dispensaries.

Whether you are launching a cannabis or marijuana related startup, growing a small company or revitalizing a challenged cannabis company, our many years of combined experience and expertise offer business planning services, license procurement, compliance, training, cultivation operations, manufacturing, retail, and support.

Our pricing is competitive, our services exemplary and our passion for success - undeniable. Let us know how we can help you win in this evolving marijuana industry.

As each state legalizes marijuana, it’s imperative to be first to market to be found through organic search, paid channels, social channels and print. This takes time, commitment and horsepower. You run your business, we can be your marketing muscle.

No matter your business experience, Highroad Consulting Group can help you be professional and an industry leader.

Business Planning - License Procurement - Training - Cultivation - Packaging - Marketing 

how we can help your business grow?

Greta Carter

Partner

When it comes to building a new business empire in the cannabis industry, there are no hands more experienced or accomplished then Greta Carter’s. Beginning her professional management career in traditional business with a 15-year stint in the highly regulated world of banking, Greta successfully launched multiple start-up businesses and managed projects with budgets often exceeding $80 million. Always seeking greater personal challenges, however, Greta resigned her position as a Vice President of Citibank (after 18+ years with the company) to found and build her own multi-million-dollar real estate based business in Jacksonville, FL. It was only after achieving personal professional success in the conventional business world that Greta was drawn to the challenge and activism of the marijuana industry in the mid 2000’s.

Beginning her cannabis career as a prominent activist for intelligent marijuana regulation, Greta founded the Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics, Washington’s oldest marijuana trade organization and the industry authority that the State of Washington turned to for feedback and advice when drafting its recreational cannabis use regulations. Greta was also personally instrumental in the drafting of the City of Seattle’s medical marijuana ordinance, and in the drafting of Washington’s outdoor cultivation regulations. Beyond her political contributions to the industry, Greta has directly built and managed multiple medical and recreational marijuana businesses as well. She built and managed The Hope Clinics, a chain of Washington medical clinics that served over 32,000 patients in just 4 years. She also founded and managed one of Washington’s most successful recreational cannabis cultivation facilities, one of the top selling cultivators by sales volume during her tenure. She has also been a guest speaker at multiple major cannabis industry trade shows, been the project manager of teams that have won over a dozen state marijuana licenses, and is currently managing the build out of two regulated medical marijuana facilities in southern California. And these are just a few of her more notable accomplishments.

RYAN FINGERHUT, ESQ.

Partner

Ryan Fingerhut, a young attorney who started with Greta in 2014, is often introduced by Greta as her retirement plan. He brings the disciplines of an attorney along with the passion and ambition for achievement evident in the key roles he plays as a Highroad Consulting Group partner. Ryan was instrumental in authoring winning applications in Nevada that earned Highroad Consulting Group's equity positions with Sweet Goldy Cultivation (NV), Sweet Goldy Processing (NV), Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary (NV), and Enlighten Alaska (AK).

Simon Watson

Operations Director

Simon specializes in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), crop management, design, and function of all major growing models (organic and non-organic fertilizer options). Additionally, he is able to identify power limitations and capabilities, layouts and navigation's of lighting companies and products designed for agricultural indoor lighting, as well as cultivation style or media choice and the labor considerations and cost associated with various media choices. Simon considers himself to be a wizard of state tracking software programs, and a soil connoisseur.  He has a desire to maximize your yields solve your problems and consider alternative solutions. His personal motto is “one problem, many solutions;” he will find a solution that works for you and your unique situation!

Simon has a love for the outdoors that he channels into all of his workings with plants, wanting them to feel in the most Ideal conditions he can create for them. Because of this passion, Simon has been pursuing agricultural sustainability and intense indoor and outdoor crop management for the last 10 years. Projects that range from commercial organic vegetable farms, indoor hydroponic fruit and vegetable production and commercial propagation and cloning. Over the past 4 years Simon has consulted on over 150,000 canopy feet of cannabis that range from Indoor tech to outdoor seasonal in Washington state's recreational marijuana program. Simon has been fervently involved with all aspects of growing, curing, and preparing marijuana for market sale, and commercial processing.

AJ Palmer

Accounting Director

AJ Palmer moved to the Coachella Valley about 20 years ago. She studied accounting at California State University San Bernardino and during her studies, worked for a small accounting firm in the Riverside area. She has been working in the accounting world for over 25 years and AJ has found that accounting is a passion and it shows in her work ethic.  She also enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and working on cars. Yes, you read that right, cars. Along with working on cars, she loves to attend car shows that focus on the restored classics. And when looking at a restoration, using her accounting background to figure the cost of the restoration. She is very excited to be working with Highroad Consulting and working with your start up business so that you get your accounting procedure set up right the first time.

Simone Sandoval

Legal Analyst

Simone Sandoval is a Coachella Valley native. After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara with B.A. in Political Science she moved to Washington, D.C. where she became the first legal intern for Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D (CA-36). During her time on the Hill she worked on legislation addressing sexual assault within the military, counseled clients within the immigrant community to protect their eligibility rights under the Deferred Action for Child Arrival (DACA), and researched policy on renewable energy, healthcare, and tribal relations. While attending law school at American University’s Washington College of Law she found her passion for intellectual property, specifically advancing open source software efforts. After interning as a legal researcher at the world organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, she decided to return home to the Coachella Valley. Simone’s personal support of advancing cannabis reform to bring better opportunities to the disenfranchised communities in the Coachella Valley led her to her professional involvement with Highroad. She loves her job and enjoys working on all the minutiae that is involved in helping local businesses obtain cannabis licensing. As a self-proclaimed “desert rat”, you can find Simone anywhere live music is playing in the Coachella Valley.

Christopher Martinez

Legal Analyst

Christopher Martinez was born and raised in the Coachella Valley. He attended the University of California Riverside. There he received a Bachelors in Political Science Law & Society. During his academic career at UC Riverside, he worked for the Legal Aid Foundation of San Bernardino where he found a passion for law. After graduating Christopher moved to Los Angeles to further his legal career; he gained experience in immigration, workers compensation, and employment litigation. Looking to expand his knowledge in the legal field, he found his new position at Highroad Consulting as a Legal Analyst. Christopher is excited to be a part of the legal team at Highroad that guides startups through the maze of compliance and legalization. He takes pride in helping businesses obtain the proper licenses and permits needed to be successful. When Christopher is not updating himself on California's new regulations, he likes to go on hikes around the Coachella Valley.

RAMSEY DOUDAR

Marketing Manager

Ramsey Doudar has left his creative marketing stamp on each of Greta's companies; Having effectively created the brand personalities she was looking for with Cannabis Training Institute and Life Gardens, he has since designed marketing collateral, developed cannabis products, and jumpstarted brand awareness for Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary and several other clients.

Now Highroad Consulting Group's in-house marketing strategist, Ramsey also works on the front lines of the marijuana industry; serving as a budtender and priding himself on being on the pulse of cannabis consumers' ever-evolving insights & preferences.

Richard Cromwell

IT Manager

Richard Cromwell joins the team with 11+ years of experience in the information technology field; designing and managing network topographies of all sizes, from multi-server VM environments with locally hosted Exchange to an end user’s antiquated desktop.  Richard is familiar with IT needs in a variety of industries; from hotels, country clubs, and car dealerships to healthcare providers and veterinarians.  A Coachella Valley local, Richard is very familiar with the close community and shares the affinity for working together to grow.  Richard looks forward to continuing that tradition with Highroad Consulting Group.  

Kelsey Hurst

Executive Assistant

Kelsey Hurst recently moved to California from Washington state, where she was born and raised.  She graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in Business Administration. Kelsey began her cannabis career working at a Wenatchee medical dispensary in 2012. Two years later, she helped to start a 20,000-square foot indoor cultivation and processing facility. As the processing manager, she was in charge of harvesting, curing, and packaging the final product. She managed a team of people trimming and weighing product to fulfill customer orders. Later, Kelsey worked for an outdoor cannabis grow, managing both the harvest process and the administrative tasks. She’s well versed in traceability software and the laws revolving around compliance. In 2016, Kelsey became the assistant manager at a retail store where she enjoyed connecting with the customers while educating them on all the benefits of cannabis. The combination of formal education and hands-on experience with cannabis cultivation has made Kelsey an expert at managing people and projects.