Who says it's tough to break into journalism these days?
With the right combo of skills and a certain state permit, you could be Detroit's first published cannabis critic -- a marijuana maven with status akin to Molly Abraham or Sylvia Rector, who review food joints instead of rolled ones.
The writing opportunity is posted at the Motor City Muckraker news site under the headline "Wanted: Medical marijuana critics."
Qualifications include "a good understanding of pot strains and products."
The [site] is looking for freelance medical pot reviewers to evaluate dispensaries, co-ops, caregivers and others who provide marijuana to patients. The reviewer would test new products, find the best smoke shops and make recommendations. . . .
Writing skills are a plus.
"We'll pay between $25 and $100 for each story or review, depending on the amount of expertise and research involved," Neavling tells Deadline Detroit.
Just as at The Denver Post, where music critic Ricardo Bacaa last month became the paper's marijuana editor, this is real journalism -- not some Cheech and Chong exercise in blowing smoke. "We are not advocating recreational drug use," Muckraker founder Steve Neavling writes. "Our mission is to educate medical pot users."
In a message, he added: "Today's pot is nothing like it was in the '60s or '70s. There are hundreds of varieties with very different medicinal benefits."
There's no word on whether reviews will award four matchsticks to primo dispensaries.
