Measure M is For Marijuana Sales Tax in L.A: Will You Go For it or Pass?

By Dennis Romero Tue., Mar. 8 2011 at 8:02 AM

Zack likes m, but not necessarily M.

Strange times when pot shops that want to be fully legitimized in the city of L.A. don't want to be taxed.

But so be it. The biggest spokesman for L.A.'s medical marijuana dispensaries, Don Duncan, says no to City Hall's proposed Measure M, which is on today's ballot.

It would allow the city to take a 5 percent cut of sales on this particular drug -- kind of like the local gang getting its taxes on street sales.

Of course, there are some big problems with Measure M, and opposition from medical marijuana forces might be the least of them.

Many legal experts, including L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, say it wouldn't even be legal to tax weed since all transactions at dispensaries are supposed to be purely nonprofit.

In any case, here's what Duncan says:

We understand that the city is under a lot of economic stress. But, it doesn't make sense to charge our most vulnerable people more money for their treatment. Many patients have already been excluded due to the high price of medical marijuana, let's not exclude even more.

In other words, prices are, er, too high as they are.

(Strangely, Duncan is the guy who goes to City Hall to curry favor. You'd think he'd support this just to say thanks to a City Council that has fumbled and bumbled its marijuana ordinance to the great advantage of the dispensaries).

Anyway, let us know how you vote. We'll take a wild guess and say this ain't gonna pass. But, heck, surprise us. We like that.

Tags:

dispensaries, Don Duncan, election, marijuana, measure M, pot shops, tax

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Angela Garcia as NeonMosfet

Vote Yes. When something is illegal, it drives up the price. With legality, the pot pushers get to freak out when prices crash the same as any other commodity. They would be eligible for subsidies if they DON'T grow any.

Angela Garcia as NeonMosfet

lamedicalmarijuana

Vote yes on M

End the drug war

Voting no on M is alighning yourself with the Mexican drug cartels and LA street gangs such as ms13!!! who want to keep medical marijuana unregulated

Voting yes is a progressive responsible choice choosing regulation over the current chaos and legal grey areas our elected politicians create for medical MJ!

TWeld

"(Strangely, Duncan is the guy who goes to City Hall to curry favor. You'd think he'd support this just to say thanks to a City Council that has fumbled and bumbled its marijuana ordinance to the great advantage of the dispensaries)."

Don Duncan has worked tirelessly for safe access to cannabis in LA for years. He goes and speaks at City Hall to help change minds and progress medical cannabis. He is also heart broken at the amount of illegal clubs that are out there.

So he takes a proactive stance to help control the explosion of clubs in LA, and help make better cannabis laws. He is not some keyboard cowboy that hides himself and his opinions behind a computer.

What have you done to proactively better the city of LA Mr Romero? Besides just complaining while neither helping nor providing solutions?

Dennis Romero

Way to make the story about the messenger.

Duncan was worked tirelessly to establish his own marijuana dispensary franchise while essentially lobbying City Council members to draft legislation that would be favorable to ... marijuana dispensaries! (Surprise).

See the link to his name above for all the 411 on him. I'm sure he's heartbroken.

Yeah, I'm a keyboard cowboy. Actually vaquero, since I'm half Mexican.

Take care.

TWeld

In all fairness, you did make it about the messenger when you made this article. You have to admit it's not exactly balanced reporting. You add personal commentary to all your articles.

But, back to Mr Duncan, you referenced hor the City Attorney is investigating him. To this day, nothing has come of that. Simply because there is nothing to find. Mr Duncan has a collective in West Hollywood which has different laws than Los Angeles. In WeHo, Mr Duncan has an excellent relationship with his city administrators. He could very easily sit back and watch LA eat itself alive with their MMJ laws. Instead, he uses much of his time helping LA have safe access, while at the same time having reasonable laws that all can live by. What does he get out of that? If anything, LA collectives detract from his collective in WeHo.

Where is this franchise you speak of? He works as an independent consultant for collectives looking to do the right thing. He has to make a living somehow. Or are all MMJ people to live as paupers?

So, when it comes down to it, Mr Duncan has a cause that he fights for. He has the guts to stand up to the people he disagrees with. Where as you Mr Romero, whine and comment, but never do anything to change the world we live in. Anyone can criticize the people who actually do things in life.

Dennis Romero

TWeld:

Glad you acknowledge at least some of the facts here.

If you see promoting a drug industry that seems to be quite healthy in L.A. (one news outlet reported more pot shops than Starbucks, and several stay open despite being out of compliance), then, yeah, Mr. Duncan is a regular Father Boyle.

I'm not against weed or pot shops, but let's just call it like it is. Mr. Duncan is a member of this industry. He's not giving voice to the voiceless. If the dispensaries want to speak, then instead of answering phones in hushed tones and putting me off when I call, they're welcome to comment here.

Let's call it like it is.

And, really, you don't seem to know much about me. It's ignorant of you to to say I "never do anything to change the world we live in." Like promoting weed? Really?

Joyce

Unfortunately Mr. Romero YOU have made it about the messenger. Mr. Duncan works tirelessly advocating patients rights and ensuring them safe access. Your coverage of medical cannabis is a joke. Please provide us with some solutions instead of your tired and biased journalism.

Jimmy James

It's not about the messenger, bro!

/posts 53rd article about MM that has nothing to do with MM in Los Angeles or California. Fills article with snarky attacks, corny puns and Cypress Hill references to remove any resemblance of bias-free blog posting

Don't blame the messenger! I'm just reporting on medical marijuana issues affecting Los Angeles County by blogging about British medical studies on marijuana and erectile dysfunction. Don't shoot the messenger, guys! Or mensarejito, cus, you know, he's half-Mexican.

Dennis Romero

So it's the press' job to provide solutions? Huh. New gig for me.

Dennis Romero

Way to make the story about me.

You want to know about Duncan's "tireless" work, read this: http://www.laweekly.com/2009-1....

Apparently he's tirelessly tried to establish the first marijuana dispensary franchise while essentially lobbying city council members to enact an ordinance that would be favorable to pot shops.

Heart breaker indeed.