[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]ynwood City Councilwoman Aide Castro spent the past two years helping to make the Southeast L.A. city an early hub of legal weed while at the same time making nearly $100 thousand working for Weedmaps and millions as a stakeholder in two marijuana cultivation ventures outside the city, according to an investigation by the L.A. Times.
So far, only 20 percent of California cities have allowed legal weed businesses to operate, including Lynwood with a population of just 71,000 people.
Castro did consulting work for Weedmaps, a tech giant in the industry that connects users to pot shops in their area. Weedmaps says they paid her consulting firm $93,666 in 2017, the same year the Lynwood City Council voted to allow marijuana delivery.
Castro's consulting firm does business with other weed related clients, she said, but she would did not disclose other details to the paper.
The councilwoman has recused herself on some marijuana related votes, but has been a vocal critic on the issues when the votes don't go her way, telling the Times, “Just because I have to recuse myself from making decisions doesn’t mean I can’t point out bad policy. I am trying my best to be transparent. If I’m doing what’s required by law, to me I’m doing the right thing."
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