You know that old adage about choosing careers? The one that goes “take what you like to do in your free time and and find a way to get paid for it.” This advice works pretty well for people who love writing or fixing old cars, but what about people who just want to sit around and smoke pot? For one lucky pothead, a Colorado vaporizer company is looking to turn that dream job into a hazy reality.
Open Vape makes vaporizer pens that heat up small canisters of concentrated oil derived from the marijuana plant. Users suck on the small, pen-shaped devices, inhale the steam they produce, and then get super high. Open Vape is in the process of hiring a Cannabis Quality Control Specialist, namely someone to test out the company’s products and document their experience.
Not only does Open Vape insist the position isn’t a joke, but they’re opening the applicant pool up to anyone with a video camera on their cell phone and a functional Internet connection:
1) To apply for this position, please do the following:
2) Create a 1-3 minute video demonstrating why your are the perfect person for this very special job. Make sure to tell us how you are O.pen! Tell us why we should hire you and at the end say your name and “I am O.pen!” (It helps us also if you share this video with your friends. We like our employees to be connected)
3) Send your resume and letter WITH link to your uploaded video to: jobs@openvape.com. NOTE: This is a full time position and you must be 21 or older to apply. Compensation is commensurate on experience.
4) Deadline is March 1, 2014.
Yeah, it’s kind of like American Idol, but for getting toasted.
The job is a full-time salaried position. It comes with free snacks to deal with issues of the munchies and complimentary transportation to and from the office because Open Vape doesn’t want people driving home under the influence.
“For a cannabis user, it’s a dream job, but we really do need someone who deeply understands what it’s like to use our product and can articulate that in a thoughtful and serious way,” explained Open Vape Vice PresidentTodd Mitchem.
Mitchem said the company is constantly tweaking and improving its products, so getting accurate, objective observations about how those changes affect the user experience is crucial, which is why he isn’t just looking for any random stoner. He insists it’s crucial this person really understand cannabis, someone who can tell the difference between an indica and a sativa based on scent alone. Someone who can puff on a joint and say, “it’s earthy with hints of oak and leaves a whiff of cherry on the tongue,” and not only keep a straight face, but actually know what they’re talking about.
The contest was only announced a few days ago, but it has already received over 1,100 submissions. Mitchem said he’s seen everything from former military officers who use pot to treat their PTSD to self-described ‟soccer moms” who report enjoying a toke to unwind at the end of the day. “The submissions we’ve gotten so far have had varying degrees of absurdity and seriousness,” he added.
The plan is to winnow the contestants down to 20 finalists, who will be flown out to Denver for the final round of interviews and have their initial audition videos posted online. The final interview may or may not involve getting stoned.
While a public contest like this is a clever way to get publicity, Mitchem says the broader goal is to promote the idea that just because a prospective candidate for a given position uses marijuana, it shouldn’t automatically preclude them from getting the job. “It’s so sad for the HR world that companies are losing out on all of these great candidates who get fired for failing drug tests due to the pointless demonization of a plant,” he said. ‟We want to turn all that on its head.”
Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly listed Mitchem as the founder of Open Vape. He’s the vice president. We regret the error.
Photo by Cannabis Training University/Wikimedia Commons
