US paper seeks pot correspondent

The medical marijuana business is booming in California and Colorado A US newspaper says it has received well over 100 applicants for the post of marijuana critic - many of whom have offered to work for free. The alternative Denver newspaper, Westword, is seeking a writer for its weekly review of Colorado's booming medical marijuana dispensaries. But there is a catch - candidates must have a medical ailment allowing them to enter a dispensary and use marijuana. Fourteen US states now allow the sale of some sort of medical cannabis. 'Stoned' Compensation will be meagre - and no, we can't expense your purchases Westword job posting "Keep in mind this isn't about assessing the quality of the medicine on site; it's about evaluating the quality of the establishment," says the Westword job posting. "After all, we can't have our reviewer be stoned all the time." States like Colorado and California, where medical use is legal, have seen an explosion in the number of pot shops - ranging from upmarket clinics to dingy drugs dens. The dispensaries sell more than a dozen varieties, from White Widow to the less expensive Afghan Gold Seal. Some cost up to $360 (£219) an ounce. But the writer of Westword's Mile Highs and Lows column is expected to focus on the dispensaries, not the drugs. "Compensation will be meagre," says the posting. It says the paper can't pay for marijuana purchases, "although that would be pretty cool."