Don Duncan, City's Top Medical Marijuana Advocate, Says Only a Third of L.A.'s Pot Shops Are Legit

By Dennis Romero Mon., Apr. 11 2011 at 4:59 PM

Weed -- legit or not in L.A?

Well, if you told us only a third of L.A.'s myriad medical marijuana dispensaries were legit, we wouldn't be surprised.

After all it's been an industry -- with some saying there have been more pot shops than Starbucks in L.A. -- that has flown under the regulatory radar until the L.A. City Council finally put its foot down last year (and even then there are court challenges to the crackdown).

What would surprise us is who's saying it:

None other than the city's top dispensary advocate, Don Duncan.

According to journalist Mark Lacter's enlightening Los Angeles magazine piece on whether full legalization will be a boon to California business, Duncan indeed says only about a third of the city's pot shops are full legit.

This is the guy who who has been a lead -- let's say -- influencer (because whether or not he worked as a lobbyist would be a legal question) as City Hall moved to draw up its rules for pot shops.

And as such, he's been an advocate of looser rules for pot shops (rebutting the City Attorney's idea that weed be grown on-site, for example, to discourage shady supply lines). He owns one in West Hollywood.

Duncan, California director of Americans for Safe Access, has been a true pot-shop soldier, and weed retailers across the city might owe him thanks.

Except that now he says most are not exactly on-the-level.

Lacter's words:

Duncan suspects that a third of the operators are legit, a third are connivers of one sort or another, and a third are somewhere in between.

Maybe he's just trying to protect his investment from more competition?

Tags:

ASA, dispensaries, Don Duncan, Los Angeles magazine, Mark Lacter, Medical marijuana, pot shops

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Weed

I think it may be time to Audit Don and ASA .

Denisesmom

Please bear in mind that Denise Romero is age 10 3/4...

Josh

"Maybe he's just trying to protect his investment from more competition?"

This is old news. For a few years now, I have said that Don is trying to look good in the medical marijuana dispensary scene but in fact is against them. If anyone thinks different then they are either blind or naive. Don is easy to read in between the lines.

JoeHill

"Maybe he's just trying to protect his investment from more competition?"

And one real good way to do just that is to snitch out the competitors or to turn a blind eye when they get busted. This may be unethical but were talking about "the industry" where the goal is simply to make money. Of course that take us back to the chicago question: "Which is lower, a scab or a snitch?"

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FWB

What about participating in the City Council's hearings that were closed to the public Mr. Dunkin, and geting a free parking in the city hall provided by one of the city council members, were those legit????? Or maybe it was just a special treatment for you.