My Story: How a ‘Weed’ Skeptic Founded a THC Beverage Brand Aimed at Moms

The year is 2004. I’m a college junior and a fairly seasoned drinker. I have some friends who are semi-professional pot smokers, but that’s never been my thing. I was always more partial to a packed dance floor than the video game and couch vibes that tended to accompany the weed lifestyle.

All that said, I find myself this particular evening at a frat party getting talked into just one little hit. Whoops. About 20 minutes later, I feel like I’m wearing a cement sweatsuit. I can’t really move, which is discomforting. My friends are laughing, and I’m trying so hard to follow their convo, but I have unfortunately made myself very, very dumb. I finally muster the ability to say something, and my roommate kindly, patiently informs me: “Oh, sweetie. We were talking about that about five minutes ago.”

That was the end of weed for me. I swore off it for decades, returning to sleepy gummies decades later, but only when going straight to bed.

So, what changed? Enter: drinkable hemp-derived THC.

How a Weed Skeptic Fell in Love With THC Beverages

My journey began as have so many others: with the OG of the space, Cann. At a girls weekend in downtown Chicago, my Cali contingent headed straight for the dispensary. I hadn’t known you could drink THC, and I was pleasantly surprised when, the morning after some day drinking at a Cubs game, I awoke not hungover. We had switched to infused beverages that evening, and I’d gotten a good night of sleep. My interest was piqued.

Around the same time, I noticed a shift. Seemingly out of the blue, most if not all of my friends were cutting back on alcohol, some cutting it out completely. It turns out this wasn’t a fad. Per Gallup, only 54% of U.S. adults report drinking alcohol, the lowest percentage since tracking began in 1939. Yet, Americans and particularly parents are more stressed than ever. The U.S. Surgeon General even came out with a warning about parenting being harmful to our mental health, with 48% of U.S. parents reporting that most days, their stress is completely overwhelming. People are looking to take the edge off, but many don’t want to face negative health consequences to do so.

An open secret was that many people, especially women, were opting for a THC gummy and then drinking non-alcoholic drinks out. The challenge is that gummies can be unpredictable. They take between 90 and 240 minutes to hit peak potency and can last far longer than most people want them to. Do you have four hours to wait for stress relief? I don’t.

Why I Left Corporate Life to Found hightail

I tried every infused beverage I could find in my quest for better sleep and being a more present mom, but I found the high levels of CBD (upwards of 15 milligrams) to make me very tired. As a mom of two kids, I don’t need any help on the “being sleepy” front. I already knew higher doses were a no-go for me (see aforementioned cement sweatsuit / “couch lock”).

Seeking a low dose option that didn’t make me tired inspired me to launch my own brand, hightail — but not before doing my homework. I’ve surveyed and interviewed over 100 women, and the vast majority tell me the same thing: they bite a 5-milligram gummy in half, and that’s their night. Around 3 milligrams of THC is the sweet spot for moms looking to take the edge off but stay functional for all of the adulting ahead.

That insight shaped everything about hightail, a beverage designed to power the reset moment for busy, over-burdened moms. To deliver real relaxation without losing your edge, because mama has stuff to do. Hightail has just 1.5 milligrams of THC and 3 milligrams of CBG (they say the G stands for “giggle”), a non-intoxicating minor-cannabinoid associated with calm, uplift and energy, rather than sedation.

I didn’t set out to start a “weed” company. I set out to feel better in my own life.

I wanted something that could take the edge off without taking me out. A way to relax that kept me me for real life full of homework, carpools and early mornings.

What ultimately inspired me to take the leap was just how many women quietly told me they were already doing some version of this on their own: splitting gummies, pacing drinks, experimenting behind closed doors, all in search of a little relief that didn’t come with regret or couch lock.

Twenty years ago, one bad experience convinced me THC wasn’t for me. Building hightail taught me that the issue wasn’t the plant; it was the format, the dose and the intention behind it.

hightail grew out of that shared reality. From respecting limits, not chasing a high. From intention, not excess.