Our Interview With David Tran Lasted 72 Hours, Cost $5,000, and Ended With Vegas Metro Asking Questions We Still Can’t Answer

LAS VEGAS, NV. What began as a simple sit down with David Tran, founder of Dope Magazine and Fairchild Events, quickly spiraled into what investigators are now calling “a multi day endurance test disguised as journalism.”

The original plan was straightforward. Meet Dave. Ask questions about cannabis media. Maybe get a few quotes about defending the plant.

Instead, we woke up three days later missing two pints of blood, approximately five thousand dollars, and all of our clothes.

Dave, meanwhile, had completed roughly 35 outfit changes and was somehow still on his first espresso.

Day One: The Interview Begins

Dave arrived early.

Black jacket. Sunglasses. Energy level somewhere between music festival headliner and man who already knows how this story ends.

We opened with a soft question about legacy media and the evolution of cannabis culture.

He responded with a 20 minute monologue that started with magazine distribution logistics and ended with a story about throwing a party that accidentally shut down an entire convention floor.

At this point, the interview was still technically under control.

That changed when Dave said, “You can’t understand cannabis media unless you understand the after party.”

That was our first mistake.

Day Two: Somewhere Between Journalism and The Hangover

By hour 26 the interview had relocated twice, gained three new cameras, and somehow included a DJ who none of us remembered inviting.

Witnesses claim Dave changed outfits so frequently that security began referring to him as “The Quick Change Operator.”

At one point he conducted a serious conversation about event production while simultaneously organizing a pop up photoshoot and negotiating a sponsorship deal from his phone.

We attempted to redirect the conversation back to publishing strategy.

Dave responded by ordering another round and asking if we had ever been swimming in Las Vegas.

That was mistake number two.

The Fountains Incident

Sometime around hour 41, Dave convinced the entire crew that the only way to capture authentic Vegas energy was to “lean into the moment.”

The moment turned out to be the fountains.

We will not go into full detail, mostly because our legal team advised against it, but witnesses confirm the following:

• There was water. 

• There were poor decisions. 

• Dave ended up holding our clothes while explaining the importance of spontaneity in branding.

Minutes later, Las Vegas Metro arrived and asked several questions beginning with, “What exactly are you doing?”

We did not have a strong answer.

Day Three: The Debrief

After being released and recovering what remained of our dignity, we attempted to resume the interview.

Dave arrived in a completely different outfit and greeted us like nothing had happened.

We asked him how he manages to balance media, events, and the chaos that seems to follow him everywhere.

He shrugged.

“The industry moves fast,” he said. “You either create the energy or you get left behind.”

We nodded.

Mostly because we were exhausted.

The Legend of Dave

Love him or fear him, there is no denying that David Tran has built a reputation as one of the loudest, most unpredictable forces in cannabis media.

Dope Magazine helped shape an era where cannabis storytelling felt bigger than a press release.

Fairchild Events turned industry gatherings into cultural moments that felt less like conferences and more like controlled chaos.

And somewhere between the interviews, the parties, and the outfit changes, Dave has become something of a myth.

The kind of guy who can turn a scheduled sit down into a three day odyssey that ends with you questioning your life choices and checking your wallet.

Closing Notes From The Field

We did eventually get usable quotes.

We also got a minor sunburn, a police warning, and a new appreciation for hydration.

Would we interview Dave again?

Fuck Yes.

Would we bring a backup wardrobe and a written exit strategy?

Absolutely.